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Character & Mind

Breaking a habit

Notice what triggers it, change your surroundings so it's harder to do, and swap in something else. The old habit doesn't vanish, so plan for tempting moments ahead of time.

Moderate10 min to doFree

You'll need

  • A note on your phone to track triggers

Do it like this

  1. For a few days, note when the habit happens and what came right before. Awareness is the first step (NIH News in Health).
  2. Change the setting. Take a different route, or keep tempting things out of your home (NIH News in Health).
  3. Replace it with something else, like exercise or a hobby (NIH News in Health).
  4. If you can't avoid a tempting situation, decide in advance what you'll do and mentally practice it (NIH News in Health).
  5. Tell people you trust. Ask friends, family and co-workers to support you (NIH News in Health).
Watch out. A new habit doesn't erase the old one. Both stay in your brain, so a slip under stress is normal. Strengthen the new one by repeating it (NIH News in Health).

If it doesn't work

  • Slipped? Note what triggered it and adjust the plan. NIH says there's no single approach that works for everyone (NIH News in Health).
  • Stress driving it? Try other ways to cope: exercise, regular meals, sleep, and reaching out to people who help (NIMH).
  • If it's drinking, drugs or gambling and you can't stop, that's a reason to talk to a professional. You can also call or text 988 (NIMH).

Good to know

Why it's hard

Pleasurable habits involve dopamine, which strengthens the habit and creates cravings when you stop (NIH News in Health).

Self-control can be trained

Research cited by NIH suggests regular small acts of self-control can strengthen it over time (NIH News in Health).

Make the easy choice the right one

Walk a different way past the vending machine and bring a snack from home (NIH News in Health).

Sources

  1. NIH News in Health Breaking bad habits
  2. NIH News in Health Creating healthy habits
  3. National Institute of Mental Health I'm so stressed out! fact sheet

Lesson C3.2 · Last checked October 2, 2026 against the sources listed. See a mistake?