How to Break Unwanted Habits and Form Healthy Habits?
Building habits is one of the most powerful ways to create lasting change in your life. Whether you're trying to eat healthier, exercise more, or reduce screen time, understanding how habits work is the first step toward transformation. In this blog, we’ll explore how habits are formed, why they’re beneficial, how to build them, and how to break habits that no longer serve you.
How are Habits Formed?
Habits are automatic behaviours that develop through repetition and consistency. According to research it can take anywhere from 18-254 days to form a new habit. This of course depends on the complexity of habit you are trying to form and on average will take 66 days (1).
The process involves a neurological loop that includes:
Cue: A trigger that tells your brain to initiate a behaviour. This could be an external trigger such as the time or environment or an internal trigger like an emotion or thought.
Action: The actual behaviour or routine.
Reward: The benefit you get from the behaviour, reinforcing it in your brain.
Example: When you get home from work (cue) you automatically reach for a cookie (action). The cookie then gives you a relaxing feeling (reward) that feeds back into the loop for you to repeat to process again the next workday.
Why are Healthy Habits Beneficial?
Healthy habits are effective because they automate healthy behaviours, reduce decision fatigue, and create long-term sustainability, all essential for improving mental and physical well-being. When you build healthy habits, you're essentially programming your brain to work in your favour.
According to the CDC, habits such as regular exercise, balanced healthy eating, and consistent sleep schedules reduce the risk of chronic diseases, support emotional regulation, and improve quality of life (2).
Habits also conserve mental energy. Instead of using brainpower deciding whether to exercise or eat well, your brain relies on ingrained patterns, not having to rely on willpower.
How to Build Healthy Habits?
Building habits that are sustainable involves both strategy and consistency. Below are some tips:
Start Small
Begin with something so easy you can’t say no. For example, if you want to build a habit of walking, start with just 5 minutes a day.
Habit Stacking
Habit stacking involves linking a new habit to an existing one. For instance, to help increase water intake, "After I finish my meal, I will have a glass of water."
Create a Supportive Environment
Use visual cues and reminders like sticky notes or setting your active wear out the night before. Creating supportive environments can help form consistency and increase your success.
Celebrate Small Wins
Dopamine release from small rewards helps to reinforce the habit loop. Acknowledging even small progress keeps motivation high (3).
Be Consistent
Repetition is key. Consistency builds automaticity, the point at which your new habit becomes second nature. Try using a habit tracker or journal to track your progress and consistency of your new habit. This can also create motivation to keep on going.
How to Break Unwanted Habits?
Breaking habits is often harder than building habits, especially if they’ve been reinforced for years.
Here are some tips to break unwanted habits:
Identify your Triggers: Understanding what cues your unwanted habit is essential. Keep a log of when and where the behaviour occurs. Remember the trigger could be external or internal.
Remove your Trigger (if possible): If your habit is linked to a place or situation, changing that context can reduce the urge. For example, removing yourself from the kitchen and going for a walk to prevent you from reaching for more snacks.
Swap the Action: Replace the unwanted habit with a healthier alternative. For instance, instead of reaching for a cookie, grab a piece of fruit or go for a walk.
Create “If …, then I’ll …” Plans: These plans help with creating different strategies when different situations arise. For example, if the goal is walking daily and it’s raining, it is great to have a back-up plan - “If it rains, then I’ll participate in a YouTube movement routine video inside.”
Willpower alone is rarely enough and can be diminished by the end of the day. Behaviour change strategies can reduce the reliance on willpower and result in success.
Conclusion
Building habits takes time, intention, and the right strategy. Whether you're adopting a new routine or breaking habits that hold you back, the key is to work with your brain, not against it. Small, consistent changes often lead to big results.
Remember: progress beats perfection. Each time you repeat a behaviour, you're training your brain. If you are looking for support building new healthy habits or breaking unwanted habits, try my Transformative Healthy Habits 12-weeks program.
References:
Lally, P., Van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., Wardle, J., 2009. How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. Europ Journal of Social Psych. 16 July 2009. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674.
Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2024. Preventing Chronic Diseases: What You Can Do Now. CDC.
Wein, H., Hicklin, T., Defibaugh, A., 2012. Breaking Bad Habits. News in Health (NIH).
Copywrite: Lyndal Schnabel Dietitian 2025