Why We Persist In Bad Habits And Can We Break Free
Written by Michelle Ong | September 19, 2024 | Growth, Productivity, Wellness
Do you struggle with habits that hold you back? Bad habits are like a runaway train—hard to stop once they gain momentum, even though we know they’re derailing our success. We keep falling into them for comfort, but they hold us back. In this article, we will explore why this happens through five common bad habits and discuss the possibility of breaking free to get back on track, and boost productivity and wellness.
Understanding Is The First Step
You might be aware of your bad habits, or maybe you’re not. But for those who know and still keep doing them, have you ever wondered why we do that?
Our brains naturally stick to routine and familiarity, so even if certain habits aren’t good for us—or might even harm our health and productivity—we still keep doing them. Also, when life gets tough, it’s easy to turn to bad habits for quick relief.
“Just one bite of cake won’t hurt, just one more minute scrolling through social media, or just one more minute in bed—what’s the harm in that?” Have such thoughts crossed your mind?
These habits give us comfort and instant gratification, offering a quick escape from our current situation. But focusing on the short-term pleasure of “just one more” can keep us stuck in bad habits, distracting us from our goals and draining our energy.
We are also likely to persist in bad habits when we lack clear priorities. When we don’t have a strong sense of purpose or urgency, it’s easy to let things that don’t matter, like distractions and bad habits take over.
To better understand how our biological wiring and lack of direction keep us stuck, let’s now examine five common bad habits we tend to hold on to, and why we keep doing them.
Additionally, you may like to check out these related posts on common bad habits and how to overcome them.
Negative Self-Talk
“A negative mind will never give you a positive life.”
Many of us are guilty of negative self-talk, shaped by early experiences, societal pressures, and childhood conditioning. Over time, these critical thoughts become hardwired into the brain, reinforced by the brain’s natural bias towards familiarity, leading to a distorted self-image. Hormones like cortisol, linked to stress, can also fuel self-doubt, making it tough to build confidence. Since the brain favors familiar patterns, even harmful ones, breaking free from this cycle requires consistent effort, which is why overcoming self-criticism feels so challenging.
For tips on boosting confidence and being kinder to yourself, check out these related articles.
Social Media Overuse
Social media is tempting because it gives us quick pleasure and a feeling of connection. It’s easy to get lost scrolling through endless content and chatting with friends. This makes our brains feel good by releasing a chemical called dopamine. But at the same time, it can stress us out with too much information and notifications. This mix of pleasure and stress keeps us hooked on social media.
The design of social media apps makes it even harder to stop. They’re made to keep us glued to our screens with features like endless scrolling and autoplay videos. Plus, we worry about missing out on something fun or important (FOMO), so we keep checking for updates. All these factors make social media addictive, distracting us from our goals and causing stress and anxiety.
Bingeing
The urge to binge, whether it’s food, gaming, or TV shows, comes from how our brains and bodies react to easy, rewarding activities. It’s easy to fall into because it doesn’t take much effort—just passive action, making it hard to resist.
For example, when we binge eat yummy snacks, our brain feels good because it releases dopamine. This makes us want to eat more of those snacks, creating a cycle where we keep craving them. The same goes for binge-watching shows or doing other things excessively. When we get lost in a good story or entertaining videos, our brain gets a dopamine boost, making us feel happy. But this pleasure can distract us from our responsibilities and hurt our health in the long run.
These habits mess up our brain’s reward system, making us do them compulsively and getting in the way of our health and happiness. For tips on building healthier habits, check out this post on creating habits that stick.
Procrastination
Breaking procrastination habits can be tough because our brains prefer short-term pleasure over long-term goals. For example, delaying tasks can feel good temporarily, but it makes us more likely to keep procrastinating in the future. Modern distractions like social media make it even easier to procrastinate instead of doing important tasks. This habit can affect many areas of life, from studying to starting new routines, making it hard to be productive.
Here are some related articles for effective ways to beat procrastination and get motivated.
Lack Of Sleep
Many people fall into the habit of deprioritizing sleep, often juggling work, family, and leisure at the expense of rest. Despite knowing that lack of sleep drains energy, impacts focus, and raises stress, they push bedtime later, believing they can “make up for it” or “power through.” This mindset is driven by the false belief that productivity or enjoyment outweighs sleep.
Scientifically, chronic sleep deprivation rewires the brain, reducing its ability to make sound decisions and regulate impulses, making it harder to break the cycle. The reward systems in our brain also reinforce late-night activities like watching TV or working, despite the long-term costs. Overcoming this requires a mindset shift to prioritize sleep as essential for health and productivity, not a luxury.
If stress and overthinking are keeping you up at night, check out this article for tips on better sleep.
Can We Overcome Them
“The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do. Your habits will either lead you to success or to failure. So, choose wisely.”
Being aware of your habits is the first step to changing them. Replace bad habits with good ones by setting clear goals and understanding your vision. Focus on doing one thing at a time, and remember that things that are worthwhile take effort—you’ll need perseverance. Embrace the Stoic “amor fati” mindset and cultivate positive values like resilience, wisdom, and self-discipline.
If you’re struggling with self-discipline, check out this article here that offers helpful strategies to develop it.
Here’s a simple strategy to lose bad habits:
- Identify the habits you want to change and their triggers.
- Set clear goals to replace them with better habits.
- Track your progress and stay accountable.
When you slip up, refocus without being too hard on yourself—progress is key. Having a buddy or mentor can help keep you on track. For a deeper dive, read this article here.
Check out the Pinterest pins below for more related articles.
The Choice Is Yours
Overcoming bad habits is simply the reverse of forming them, and it’s entirely doable. Many struggle because they lack a clear method or the willpower to make the change. Understanding why we get stuck in bad habits can motivate us to consider the possibility of change. Ultimately, the choice to change is yours.
If you’re ready to dive into practical steps to break your bad habits, check out this post for a step-by-step guide. For more personal growth tips, check out my posts on thriving in life and critical thinking hacks.
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