Did you know that if you allow yourself to make the same choice repeatedly this will eventually become a habit? In fact, this is how bad habits form. We make the same maladaptive choices over and over, based upon some perceived payoff, until it becomes an automatic response. The good news, however, is that we can use this knowledge to break bad habits. The first step is to return to making conscious decisions about what we are doing. When we return to making conscious decisions instead of allowing our actions to continue on auto-pilot we can make better choices and form new habits that better serve our needs.
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Join the Discussion: Do you feel that bad habits can contribute to your depression? Has breaking bad habits helped you in any way to cope better with your depression? Or perhaps your depression simply makes it much harder to develop new and better habits? Post your comments below.
I really liked your info. on habits. I have struggled to break bad habits in my life ranging from bad relationships to eating and exercising goals. Thanks again, articles like yours help me to see that I am just human and not to get overwhelmed. Some info. I read that helped me with my back injury and to help me to lose some weight are included above. I need all the help I can get!!! thanks again! Janice M.
Hello Nancy,
I totally agree that there are ways to get better…ways to eliminate bad habits. An easy way I like to think about that: I’ll make progress to stop doing what’s hurting me and I’ll start doing things that will help me get better.
Breaking a bad habit once and for all is like winning a prize that you deserved because you had to work for it. I find the best way is to ask yourself ‘Why’. What is your reason, what is your why? Use this as your starting point and break it down. Start with the bad habit by recognizing it and then ask yourself what you will gain by breaking through this barrier. That becomes your ‘Why’. Its that simple, the stronger the ‘Why’ the better your chances of overcoming the habit that you wish to break.