If we make an honest assessment of our lives, we can all easily identify actions that we take regularly that we would like to stop. It is safe to say that everyone has habits like these that they know they would be better off without. The easy temptation is to create a goal that focuses on stopping these actions. Maybe you want to quit smoking, eat less junk food, or spend less time on your phone. But breaking bad habits is hard. It takes a lot of willpower and motivation to overcome the urges and temptations that keep us stuck in our old patterns. If you have tried the willpower strategy, it is likely that it was successful for a time, but the chance that you rebounded right back into the same habit is quite high. For most of us, willpower will only take us so far and we will give into old habits if stopping something is our only strategy.
We also must consider the fact that even if the habit is something that we see as bad, we have it because it is serving some sort of purpose or benefit. The habit might serve as a distraction, help us cope with stress, avoid boredom, or provide comfort. The issue of course is that while these habits might fill some of these voids, they do so in a way that can have negative consequences on our physical or emotional health.
Fortunately, there is a better way to change your habits. Instead of focusing on what you want to stop doing, focus on what you want to start doing. For example, if you want to stop drinking soda, you can create a habit that focuses on drinking more water instead. This positive action pushes the bad habit out as it does not leave space for it. You are not depriving yourself of something, but rather rewarding yourself with something better. This new habit fills a similar need, but does so in a way that is far better for our health and wellbeing.
This strategy works because it leverages the power of habit loops. James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” introduces the concept of the habit loop, which explains the process of habit creation. The habit loop consists of four key steps:
- Cue: This is the trigger that initiates the behavior. It’s a bit of information that predicts a reward.
- Craving: The cue leads to a craving, which is the motivational force behind every habit. It’s the desire to change your internal state.
- Response: This is the actual habit you perform, which can be a thought or an action.
- Reward: Rewards are the end goal of every habit. They satisfy your craving and teach you which actions are worth remembering in the future.
To replace a bad habit with a good one, you need to keep the same cue and reward, but change the routine. For example, when you feel thirsty (cue), you drink water (routine), and you enjoy the hydration and the health benefits (reward). By doing this, you are creating a new pathway in your brain that associates the cue and the reward with the new routine.
The habit loop forms a neurological feedback loop—cue, craving, response, reward. The more you practice this loop with any habit, the more ingrained it becomes. Before you know it, you have tied the good habit to the cue and craving, and it becomes the natural thing to do instead of the bad habit that you wanted to rid yourself of. While willpower is always part of the equation, the habit loop is a powerful additional tool that will greatly improve your chances of success.
How to Replace Bad Habits with Good Ones in 4 Steps
Here are four steps you can follow to replace your bad habits with good ones:
- Identify the cue and the reward of your bad habit. What triggers you to perform the habit? What do you get out of it?
- Choose a new routine that provides the same or a similar reward. What can you do instead of the bad habit that satisfies your need?
- Make a plan to implement the new routine. How will you remind yourself to do it? How will you make it easy and convenient?
- Track your progress and celebrate your wins. How will you measure your success? How will you reward yourself for sticking to the new habit?
Let’s use the example of replacing soda with water again. Here is how you can apply the four steps:
- The cue is feeling thirsty. The reward is feeling refreshed and energized.
- The new routine is drinking water. It provides the same reward of hydration and energy, plus additional benefits of health and wellness.
- The plan is to always have a bottle of water with you, and to drink a glass of water before every meal. You can also add some flavor to your water with lemon, cucumber, or mint. You would also want to set a goal to drink a certain amount of water each day.
- The progress is to keep track of how many glasses of water you drink each day, and how many days you go without soda. Providing yourself with a reward when you hit certain milestones is also impactful. Treat yourself to something positive that will motivate you. For example, drinking a 2-liter bottle of soda to reward your lack of drinking soda would not be a good choice. Buy that book you have been wanting or treating yourself to some self-care would be better options.
There are many opportunities to implement this type of strategy. A few additional examples are:
There are endless possibilities once you recognize what the habit is, what causes you to engage in the activity and what need it might be filling. Once you understand this, it is time to find that new action that fills those same needs in a healthier way.
By following these steps, you can replace any bad habit with a good one. You will not only improve your health and happiness, but also your confidence and self-esteem. You will prove to yourself that you have the power to change your behavior and your life.