Overcoming Unhealthy Habits in a Month

Humans are habitual beings. We often find comfort in consuming the same meals and engaging in familiar routines daily. These habits and routines provide structure and predictability to our lives.

When aiming to eliminate a negative lifestyle habit, your daily routine can be both an ally and a foe. Initially, adopting a healthy diet and regular exercise can be daunting, but with persistence, these actions become habitual, and you operate on autopilot.

The Challenge

Setting ambitious health and fitness objectives is commendable, yet they can be daunting. For instance, a goal to “eliminate sugar for 30 days” seems more feasible than a vague aim to “become healthier.”

The most straightforward approach to eliminating undesirable lifestyle habits is through minor, gradual adjustments. By making small changes daily, the transition often goes unnoticed.

The Science

Research indicates that it takes just over two weeks to break a habit, so to replace an old habit with a new one, you should commit to at least 30 days. This doesn't mean that 30 days is a magical threshold that exempts you from your old habits, but it's a solid starting point.

Habits consist of three components: a cue, a routine, and a reward. The cue initiates the routine. For example, stress might trigger cravings. Once triggered, you automatically follow a routine to satisfy these cravings, and the satisfaction you derive is the reward.

The initial step in breaking bad habits is to identify the cues, routines, and rewards associated with them.

Establishing a New Routine

While avoiding triggers of bad habits is possible, it's simpler to replace the existing routine with a new one. This makes it more challenging to revert to old habits when faced with difficulties.

The first step in altering a routine is to devise a detailed plan. For example, if your goal is to frequent the gym more, enroll in a class.

Secondly, aim to achieve one small goal per week. Studies show that it's unfeasible to change multiple habits simultaneously. Therefore, don't attempt to quit sugar and bread while increasing fruit and vegetable intake all in one week. Focus on one change at a time.

Changes should also be gradual. If you stop consuming sugar one week, avoid reintroducing it during the “fruit and vegetable” week. Instead, continue to limit sugar intake while incorporating more fruits and vegetables, ensuring that you don't regress.

You can achieve your desired health by employing incremental, small changes to break bad habits and improve your life one day (or even one hour) at a time.