Are you someone that has a few bad habits that you’d like to break? Maybe to stop smoking, no more late night snacking, to quit pushing the snooze alarm multiple times or to stop mindlessly reaching for the phone as soon as you wake up each day?

Or maybe you are someone who would like to create some new good habits? Like eating healthy, exercising daily, journaling, or practicing gratitude. Studies conducted by neurobiologists and cognitive psychologists indicate that as much as 95% of our human behavior, meaning what we do, think, or feel, can be considered habitual. With so much of what we do each day being a habit, we might as well try to break the bad ones and create some good ones to live our best possible life. So, I am going to share with you 20 tips to help you make or break a habit, but first let’s start with the science behind a habit.

Our habits, whether good or bad, can be broken down into a three step sequence:

1. The Trigger
2. The Routine
3. The Reward

The trigger is the stimulus that kicks off the habit, the routine is the action of the habitual behavior itself, and the reward is the benefit associated with the behavior. So for example, I have a stressful day which is step one the trigger, I come home, sit down in front of the TV, start binge watching and eating cookies which is step two the routine, and then I feel better and less stressed temporarily which is step three the reward.

So with this science in mind, let’s talk about some tips to help you make or break a habit:

1. Give Yourself Time – You may have heard that it only takes 21 days to make or break a habit, but the reality is that it can take much longer, so give yourself a break and time. Some studies have shown that it can take several months to create the new neural pathways, in fact the longer you’ve had a habit, the longer it will take to break it.
2. Be Specific – When trying to create a new habit it pays to be very specific. Rather than saying I am only going to eat healthy snacks, instead go with I am only going to eat carrots or grapes for a snack. Stock your fridge with small bags of carrots and grapes that are easy to grab when you want a snack, and make it simple for yourself. A report in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that “making choices led to reduced self-control.” So when we narrow our choices and make the decision to have a healthy snack virtually effortless, it becomes easier to create the new habit. 
3. Small Steps – Starting with small, manageable changes helps ensure success. Rather than reaching for a monumental change like “I am never going to drink soda again,” start by making small incremental changes on your way to the larger goal. So if you drink a soda with every meal, you could begin with “I am not going to drink soda with lunch.” Work on that habit for a month, and then expand on it every few weeks until you create the habit of no longer drinking soda. 
4. Create A Link – It is much easier to create a new habit, when you attach it to an established one. Otherwise known as the “If-Then” technique, build on a routine you already have in place. So let’s say you want to begin practicing gratitude by listing three items in a journal each morning that you are grateful for…if your day usually begins with a cup of coffee as you sit in front of the TV watching the morning news, instead turn off the TV and write. For this example, your statement would be “IF I have my morning coffee, THEN I write down three items that I am grateful for.” By creating this link in your mind, over time, even the smell of your morning coffee should begin to trigger thoughts of gratitude as you prepare to write in your journal. 
5. Substitution – One of the most successful approaches to breaking a bad habit is by substituting a good one instead. Because humans by nature are action oriented, it is often easier to “start” doing something rather than “stop” doing something. So let’s say the habit you want to break is having a glass of wine every day before dinner, rather than taking away that ritual you have probably associated as a stress reliever at the end of a busy day, replace it with the habit of having a delicious seltzer, or ice cold water flavored with seasonal fruits. Still follow the ritual of placing it in a special glass and taking the time to sit mindfully, enjoying the refreshing and relaxing feeling it gives you to slow down for a few minutes, but with a healthy alternative to wine. In a few weeks, you will begin to notice that you are craving that feeling and habit of relaxation, not actually the wine itself.
6. Put It In Writing – Try writing down the new habits you would like to create. Saying it out loud isn’t as much of a commitment as actually putting it in writing. Handwriting causes more brain activity, which helps your goals to sink in and stick in your mind. 
7. Tell A Friend – It’s always easier to accomplish something with the help of others and making and breaking habits is no different. Entrusting a friend by sharing with them the change you are trying to make helps you to become more committed to sticking with it, and gives you someone to be accountable to. And even better if your friend is trying to make the same change, you can help keep each other on track, motivate one another, and offer support when it gets tough.
8. Focus – Focus on why you want to make or break the habit and what benefits you will get from making the change. Even make a list of these benefits and place them in a visible place so when you start to waiver, you can look at it and refocus your energy.
9. Mindfulness – Practice mindfulness so that you can become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and actions. If you can be more tuned in, you are less likely to go about your day doing things on autopilot, especially the bad habits that you are trying to break.
10. Reminders – When trying to change your habits it’s always a good idea to leave yourself reminders to reinforce the behavior you are trying to create. For example, if you are trying to drink more water, leave yourself a sticky note on your fridge that says “Did you drink your water today?” so that every time you enter your kitchen you are reminded. Or if you are trying to start taking a walk every evening, set an alarm on your phone to go off just after dinner time that says “Time for a walk!” You can even set up a fun ringtone to go with it, like the song “Walking on Sunshine.” Anything that will get you going! 
11. Visualize – Just like accomplished athletes that visualize themselves reaching monumental goals, you can do this same thing when making and breaking habits. Picture yourself being successful, what does that look like? What benefits did you receive by making or breaking the habit? Visualize yourself conquering your goal, whenever you have some quiet moments to yourself to help boost your confidence.
12. Change Your Environment – One of the easiest ways to make or break a habit is by changing your environment. Does your car go through the Starbucks drive through every morning on autopilot, costing you money and calories? Try driving a different route to work, and see if that helps break that morning habit. Want to start sketching or journaling instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media? Place sketch books, journals, and art supplies on a table nearby where you normally sit and scroll, and see if that encourages you to pick up something more productive and enjoyable instead.
13. Make A Plan B – Prepare yourself for a slip up and create a Plan B. We are all human, so you are bound to go off course every once in a while. Instead of beating yourself up about it, already have an established Plan B in place, in the event you find yourself in that position. For example, write down “If I blow it and eat an entire box of twinkies for my snack, I will begin to choose between carrots and grapes again with my next snack. I will not wait until next Monday, or next week, or next month, I will start working towards my new healthy habits again immediately.”
14. Reward Yourself – Making or breaking a habit is a huge accomplishment that should be celebrated, so be sure to reward yourself along the way. So if you’ve been practicing gratitude for a month by writing in your 99 cent spiral notebook, splurge on the fancy leather bound journal. Or if you’ve been drinking your water every day like you should, get yourself the cute water bottle you’ve been eyeing. The rewards don’t have to be big or expensive, just meaningful and tied to the habit you’ve created.
15. Identify Triggers – Remember that a habit can be broken down into a three step sequence – trigger, routine, and reward. Knowing what triggers your behavior, especially when trying to break a bad habit is critical to your success. If you can pinpoint what is triggering you and eliminate or change that signal, it can make a habit easier to break. For example, if you always stay up late when you are watching TV, trying turning it off early and reading just before bedtime instead, by breaking the normal trigger and routine, you will find that the bad habit is easier to break.
16. Let Go Of All Or Nothing – Remember that no one is perfect, so don’t expect 100% perfection when making or breaking your new habit. If you hope to give up smoking entirely, don’t beat yourself up, become discouraged and stop trying, if you have one cigarette, instead celebrate all of the ones you didn’t smoke, and realize that you are improving one small step at a time.
17. Self Care – Making life changes is no small task, so it will be easier to create positive changes when you are beginning from a place of wellness. Although there will always be things going on in life, try to begin making or breaking habits when you are well rested, relaxed, nourished, and in a good mindset. Try to remember to take time for self care throughout the process so that you can set yourself up for success.
18. Destress – When we are stressed we tend to operate on autopilot, and often our bad habits can creep back in. Try doing things that help you to relax, unwind, and destress before trying to make or break a habit. The less stressed you are when you begin, the better chance you have at success. 
19. Know Your Why – Most people will find it’s easier to make or break a habit when they have a strong reason for why they want to make the change in the first place. Everyone knows eating unhealthy isn’t good for you, but that in itself might not be a strong enough reason to change. Try to find your reason why to help with your motivation. For example, when my dad found out he was prediabetic and that if he didn’t start exercising and eating better, he would have to give himself insulin injections every day, he absolutely hated needles so that was a huge motivator for him to watch his diet, begin exercising, he quickly lost 40 pounds in just a few months, and turned around his diagnosis. Find your “why” to have a better shot at success.
20. Use Preparation – Before going full steam ahead trying to break a habit, instead spend a couple of weeks thinking about it. Write down why you want to make the change, record each time you do the habit, and think about what is triggering the behavior. The more information you have and the more preparation that you do, the better chance you have at conquering the change.

Have you tried to make or break a habit?
What worked for you?
Please let me know in the comments!