The Keys to Breaking a Bad Habit

Welcome to The Productivity Blueprint newsletter 🗞️

Today we’re taking a close look at bad habits, attempting to understand why they exist. If we understand why, we stand a much better chance of getting rid of them.

So if you’ve been trying to change your habits, check out the tips and tools below, and make sure you take a look at our challenge of the week 👀

This article dives into the fascinating world of bad habits—those sneaky behaviours that disrupt our lives and hinder our goals. We all have them, and they often rear their heads in response to stress and boredom, but sometimes they're masking deeper issues like fears or limiting beliefs. The key to conquering these pesky habits lies in understanding their root causes.

Bad habits stick around because, in some weird way, they serve a purpose in our lives. Despite it being called a bad habit, they do serve some kind of benefit, whether that be physical or emotional, or for stress relief.

In order to get rid of them, you need to replace your habit with a healthier alternative that fulfills that same need. And to do this, it all starts with awareness. Simply tracking these issues will make you more aware of the behaviour and give you dozens of ideas for stopping it.

Here are some practical tips from the article, using an example of a bad habit I’m looking to remove: scrolling my phone as soon as I wake up in the morning.

• Analyze your bad habits. When do they happen exactly? What are their triggers? Why do you think you are doing it? Get to know yourself better.

  • With my habit, it’s very habitual: when I wake up in the morning, with my phone charging beside me. The causes come down to wanting to feel “connected” and in the loop. But it often just leaves me feeling derailed and less peaceful.

• Choose a substitute for your bad habit. Make a plan beforehand for what you are going to do when you are faced with the stress and boredom that triggers your bad habit.

  • I’m looking for connection, so replacing my search for this in social media with fostering more connection to myself and the present moment may work — meditation may be worth attempting.

• Cut out these triggers if possible. Make it easier on yourself to break bad habits by avoiding the things that cause them.

  • The best plan for me seems to be to remove the phone from bed. I’ll be forced to get up, without the endless scroll.

• Enlist support from friends! “Knowing that someone else expects you to be better is a powerful motivator.”

  • Sharing my goal with my partner will add extra accountability. I could also put my money where my mouth is and use the app mentioned in the section below, StickK 👀

Visualizing your success and reminding yourself that you don't need to reinvent the wheel—just return to your healthier self—can be incredibly motivating.

We can’t say it better than James:

“Breaking bad habits takes time and effort, but mostly it takes perseverance. Most people who end up breaking bad habits try and fail multiple times before they make it work. You might not have success right away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have it at all.”

Breaking bad habits is a journey that takes time, effort, and persistence.

We’re excited to hear how the challenge goes for you! Here’s to a great week until then,

The Productivity Blueprint Team