5 Ways to Create (Or Break) a Habit

The other day, MKR and I strayed on our morning call to wonder about what it takes to form new habits and what it takes to break the bad ones.  We both agreed that it’s quite a fascinating topic really; the psychology behind what makes us do the things we do, and what it takes to actually change our behavior when we’re on auto-pilot.  We talked about how habits affect our eating behavior, fitness routine, productivity and just about every arena of our day-to-day life…and we wanted to know how to better control them. 

With my interest peaked, I started doing some digging, and I listened to this NPR interview with Charles Duhigg, the author of The Power of Habit.  Duhigg shares some interesting insight about the psychology of the habit loop (there’s always a trigger or cue, as well as the behavior itself and then a final reward).  I especially thought the fact that we’re more likely to break certain habits when we’re on vacation was SO interesting. (One more reason to pack our bags, right?!)

But with vacation over a month away, I also wondered how long it would take to create or break a habit.  Perhaps you too have heard it takes 21 days to form a new habit.  Three weeks to quit smoking, three weeks to stick to a consistent gym routine, three weeks to start making your bed, 3 weeks to apply sunscreen everyday…doesn’t seem so hard to do, right?  Unfortunately, the magical 21 number may actually be just a myth (derived from Psycho-Cybernetics, a book originally published in 1960 by Dr. Maxwell Maltz).  In reality, it probably takes a lot longer than that (looks closer to 66 days even) to form or break a habit, and it’s been widely up for debate with researchers for decades. 

In my quick research, I discovered five ways to help create (or break) a habit.  Click on the image above to read more.  Will you be putting any of these tips to work?  Cheers, Kat