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4 Easy Ways To Change Bad Habits

Relying upon willpower -- the notion that you can overcome temptation and stick to a goal if you simply try hard enough -- isn't the most efficient, effective way to change bad habits and truly break them for good. In fact, "there's no clear evidence that willpower even exists," says Judson Brewer, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor at the Brown University School of Public Health, despite the fact that more than 60% of Americans see it as critical in forming a new habit. And if it does exist, it tends to flake out at just the moments we need it most.

Dr. Brewer cites research suggesting that during times of stress, such as when we're hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, the area of the brain thought to be responsible for controlling behavior, called the prefrontal cortex, goes "offline," making us more likely to give in to unsavory habits. Since willpower isn't enough to overcome, try these strategies that experts say give you the best chance of success:

  1. Make it easy for yourself to succeed.
  2. Repeat a new habit until it's on autopilot.
  3. Make it a game.
  4. Look your habit squarely in the eye.

 

Dr. Brewer calls the last strategy "a simple but profound way to beat your next urge to snack, text while driving, shop online, or smoke." Rooted in the field of mindfulness, it involves stopping the moment the urge hits and asking yourself why you're doing it.