Luckily, it’s possible to get rid of bad habits and establish better ones. You simply need to understand something called the habit loop.
The loop consists of a cue that triggers your brain into acting out the habit. This is followed by the routine or the habit itself. The loop finishes with a reward – the satisfaction that your routine brings you.
To break a bad habit, dismantle your habit loop. You could start with the cue. What prompts you to pick up your phone and start scrolling? Maybe it’s boredom. How else could you address that? Try keeping a book close to hand, instead, and read a few pages before getting up.
You can also work backwards, by identifying the reward. Let’s say you eat a chocolate bar in the work break-room every afternoon. Is the positive reward the chocolate itself? Or is it the chance to take a break and socialize with colleagues? If it’s the second, think about different, better routines that might produce the same reward: walking around the office, stopping to chat with coworkers, perhaps.
Look critically at your habits and recalibrate the bad ones by replacing them with healthier ones. Soon, you’ll be taking care of your body and your mind, without even stopping to think about it.
