Instead of trying to stop doing something-“It’s hard to stop a behavior,” says Berkman- start doing something else. If you’re used to lighting up on your way to work for instance, moving to a new city gives you a chance to take public transportation or to dig into a new podcast instead of a pack of cigarettes, because you are in a new environment, says Berkman. “You’re going into new contexts and situations, so you don’t have those same cues-it’s a chance to form new habits,” he says. While you might think a cross-country move or a new job is no time to introduce even more changes into your life, Berkman notes that shifts in lifestyle can actually be the ideal opportunity for eliminating a vice. Berkman suggests that smokers dispose of items like ashtrays that might remind them of their habit or people who are trying to cut back on drinking should avoid walking by the bar they always pop into for happy hour.Ĭapitalizing on major life changes can also help break an unhealthy habit. Knowing your triggers can help you avoid them. “You’re most likely to relapse in the context of when you’ve done it before,” Berkman says. If you’re a dessert aficionado, it might be simply scouring the dessert menu.
If you’re a smoker for example, the cue might be work breaks. Habits, Berkman says, have three main parts: a cue, a routine and a reward.Ĭues are the context where you tend to engage in the behavior. Some solutions? Try to get more sleep, exercise regularly and opt for stress reduction techniques like meditation, which can all work to increase willpower and overall brain health, says Poldrack. There are however, ways to address the root cause of these seemingly detrimental habits. “You’re more likely to do the thing you don’t want to do when you’re stressed out,” Poldrack says.
0 kommentar(er)
