MEPX
Chapter 6 of 10All chapters
  1. 1What a habit is
  2. 2How long it takes
  3. 3Starting a habit
  4. 4Implementation intentions
  5. 5Environment
  6. 6Breaking a habit
  7. 7Lapses
  8. 8Rewards and tracking
  9. 9Identity and goals
  10. 10Honest limits

Chapter 6 of 10

Breaking a habit

Harder than building one.

Why it is harder

The link between cue and routine does not disappear; a competing behaviour is learned over the top. Under stress or in the original context, the old one returns.

  • Removing the cue is more reliable than resisting the routine.
  • Substituting a different response to the same cue works better than suppressing it.

Context change

Moving house, changing jobs or travelling breaks the cues that maintain habits. That is why big life changes are the easiest moment to change several behaviours at once.