Breaking a bad habit can feel like swimming against a current. You know it isn’t serving you, but your brain defaults to it anyway.
A bad habit is a learned behavior that’s performed automatically in response to a cue; it offers quick reward, but conflicts with long-term goals such as weight loss or career aspirations.
As Melissa Gallagher, LCSW, the executive director at Victory Bay, a behavioral health treatment center in Clementon, New Jersey, explains: “Habits are hard to break because they are stored in the basal ganglia, the brain’s automatic pilot that doesn’t require conscious thought to operate.” That’s why asking pure willpower to overrule them usually doesn’t work, she says.
Fortunately, there are ways to rewire your brain and break a bad habit.
1. Spot Your Triggers
Habits are almost always tied to an internal or external trigger, like a time of day, place, emotional state, or social situation that cues the behavior. Once that behavior is repeated in the same context often enough, it becomes automatic and difficult to change.
The first step to breaking a bad habit is to identify these triggers. Gallagher typically starts by watching for environmental triggers; for example, you get home from work and immediately reach for a salty snack. Keeping a log of what’s happening when you slip into an undesired routine can help you spot patterns you might miss in the moment. Track the time, place, what you were doing or feeling, and what you did next for a week to reveal repeat triggers. For example, scrolling in bed after plugging in your phone, snacking after 9 p.m. while watching TV, grabbing a sugary soda during the midafternoon slump, or smoking when you step outside with coworkers.
2. Replace, Don’t Just Remove
Trying to eliminate a habit without substituting it with another behavior rarely works, because the behavioral cue often remains.
Instead, you need to swap in a healthier behavior that provides a similar reward. This is known as “trigger substitution,” says Gallagher.
For example, if stress makes you reach for chips, try a deep breathing exercise to relax instead. The trigger (stress) and outcome (stress relief) are the same, but the behavior shifts. Over time, your brain will associate the trigger with the new behavior, creating a healthier habit.
3. Start Small
Research shows that smaller, more specific steps toward habit change are more sustainable than attempts to make big changes all at once, and small successes help you build confidence. Small wins feel good right away, which helps motivation shift from extrinsic motivation (being driven by external rewards) to intrinsic motivation (being driven by internal satisfaction and enjoyment).
“When people are intrinsically motivated — doing something because it feels good — they persist longer. Starting small lets them experience that satisfaction early, which reinforces the cycle,” says Samantha Gambino, PsyD, a clinical psychologist based in New York City.
Changes that are too big or broad, on the other hand, often backfire because they require a significant amount of self-control, which depletes mental energy and motivation. When progress feels too hard or the goal too far away, people tend to abandon the effort altogether rather than adjust and keep going.
An example of a small step might look like swapping a sweet treat for a fruit-and-yogurt bowl you genuinely enjoy once a week. Increase the frequency as the action starts to feel satisfying on its own, since that intrinsic enjoyment creates a self-reinforcing cycle, says Gambino.
4. Use Visualization
Research shows that guided imagery and visualization techniques support behavior change, particularly when people imagine the process of changing their behavior rather than just the outcome. Mentally rehearsing how you’d like to respond to specific situations can prime your brain to handle triggers differently when they arise.
To practice visualization, close your eyes and picture yourself encountering a trigger. Instead of engaging in a bad habit, visualize yourself pausing and choosing a different action.
Try this for 1 to 2 minutes at predictable times throughout your day. Behavior change researchers have found that brief, process-focused visualization works best when it’s anchored to consistent daily routines, such as immediately after brushing your teeth in the morning and again in the evening, and before situations that usually trigger the habit (like before sitting down to watch TV or heading into a stressful meeting).
5. Ask for Support
Research shows that behavior change programs with built-in support — such as group meet-ups or a buddy system — lead to the most significant improvements in healthy habits, including increased physical activity and improved diet.
The reason? People are more likely to stay accountable to their goals when they know others expect them to follow through. “In group therapy programs, clients who connect with peers have greater habit adherence than those who try to change in isolation,” Gallagher says. Having someone to check in with or share progress adds a gentle nudge and keeps momentum going.
6. Stack New Habits Onto Old Ones
Research on behavior change shows that linking a new behavior to an existing one increases follow-through. This practice is commonly known as “habit stacking.” For example, if you want to meditate, commit to doing it right after brushing your teeth in the morning. The established habit (brushing teeth) provides a built-in cue that can make the new habit (meditation) easier to remember.
7. Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness — or paying full, nonjudgmental attention to the present moment — can help you pause between the urge and the action. Clinical studies suggest mindfulness-based approaches reduce automatic reactions so you can act with more intention.
For example, urge surfing is a technique where you mentally “ride out” cravings by observing them nonjudgmentally, like a wave that rises, crests, and falls, until they pass. And the STOP (Stop, Take a Breath, Observe, and Proceed) mindfulness technique is a reminder to pause when you feel the urge to engage in a bad habit, take a deep breath, notice how you feel, and decide what to do.
8. Reward Progress
Small, external rewards often reinforce new behaviors, which makes them more likely to stick at the beginning.
“Extrinsic motivators can be powerful for getting started,” Dr. Gambino says. These may look like earning medals in a fitness app, treating yourself to a massage for completing a healthy habit for 30 days in a row, or investing in clothes or tools that make the habit more appealing. “Over time, the activity itself becomes enjoyable, shifting motivation from external to internal,” Gambino says.
Research shows it’s best to taper the extrinsic rewards once you notice that you enjoy the activity on its own. If rewards stay front and center, they can overshadow the built-in satisfaction of the behavior. To make a habit stick, you want to get to the point where you’re doing it for the positive feelings that come with it, not just the prize.
9. Make Bad Habits Inconvenient
Adding friction makes unwanted behaviors harder to do, which can help you cut back. For example, if you scroll through social media before bed, consider leaving your phone charging in another room. If junk food is your go-to snack, don’t keep it in the house. Even small barriers can reduce the frequency of automatic behaviors.
Most people try to change behaviors through willpower alone, which means asking the brain to fight against established neural pathways, Gallagher says. Creating environmental friction disrupts these automatic patterns before they can fully begin, making it easier to pause and choose a different response.
10. Be Patient
Habit change doesn’t happen overnight. “Meaningful habit change happens over months, not weeks,” explains Gallagher. Expect setbacks, they’re part of the process, not proof you’ve failed.
When a slip happens, recommit to a tiny version of the habit for the next week to rebuild consistency. Log one small win each day to reinforce momentum, and reframe delays as practice that strengthens the routine you want to build, so good new habits get established over time.
11. Get Help if You Need It
If it feels impossible to change a behavior pattern on your own, it may be time to evaluate if it’s a persistent habit or a more serious condition like an addiction. Habits are learned routines cued by context and reward, while addiction is a medical condition marked by loss of control and continued use or behavior despite harm.
“Habit creation works on the same neurological pathways as recovery from addiction,” explains Gallagher, which is why some behavior changes require professional support. If your efforts to change haven’t worked, your behavior is causing distress or problems at work or in relationships, you notice withdrawal-like symptoms, or you feel unable even to cut back, let alone quit, it’s time to speak with a healthcare professional.
Support options include therapy (such as cognitive behavioral therapy), structured programs, group support, and medications prescribed by a healthcare provider. If you’re worried about immediate safety or health risks, seek urgent care right away.
The Takeaway
Breaking a habit is about retraining your brain’s automatic patterns with consistent, science-based strategies rather than relying on willpower alone.
Start small, identify your triggers, and gradually replace bad habits with healthier ones. Habit stacking, visualization, mindfulness check-ins, and social support make follow-through easier.
Expect setbacks and plan for them by resetting cues and recommitting to your tiny version of the habit.
