Social psychologist Wendy Wood from USC has some great tips on forming a new habit. A good one to replace a bad one.
From Inverse:
1.) Ease up — If something’s too difficult, you simply won’t do it, Wood says. Depending on your goal, fill your pantry with healthy snacks, turn off your social media notification, or sign up for a gym near your office. Make the choice to “do better” easier.
2.) Make it enjoyable — You’re not going to repeat a behavior that you don’t enjoy, Wood says. And you’re not going to form a habit for something that you just hate. So even if you’ve chosen an unappealing habit, find a way to make it fun. Maybe that means stopping by a favorite smoothie bar after a morning run or watching trash TV while you complete a dreaded task.
3.) Repeat on a regular basis — On average, based on the research, it takes about 66 days to make a simple health change. The more complex behavior, the longer it might take. Generally, two months is a good “ballpark estimate” for the average person to form or break a habit, Wood says. And if you miss a day, no need to panic. Habit memory takes a long time to form, but luckily, a single skip doesn’t wipe away what’s been built up in the past.
