"Do you have a big project you're trying to avoid? Do you have too much on your plate to manage?" "If the habit is procrastination or stress eating at work, for example, pay attention to the circumstances surrounding you when you do those things," Brewer writes. The first step to breaking any bad habit is to identify what triggers the habit. While Brewer's research has largely focused on changing health-related habits, he's outlined three ways workers can apply mindfulness to break their bad working habits and increase "productivity, morale, and overall performance." "Once this happens, they are more easily able to change their association with the 'reward' from a positive one to a more accurate (and often negative) one," Brewer writes. "By using mindfulness training to make people more aware of the 'reward' reinforcing their behavior, I can help them tap into what is driving their habit in the first place," he writes.įor instance, Brewer told patients in his smoking cessation program to pay attention to what the habit tastes and feels like so they can identify the true reward they're getting from the habit. Eventually, Brewer determined mindfulness is the best way to tackle these habits. Over the past two decades, Brewer has researched ways patients can break bad habits by merging his scientific and clinical practices to determine how these habits form. Meaning if a bad habit is rewarding, we are likely to repeat the behavior in the future, "and this is why self-control as an approach to breaking habits often fails." How to break your bad habits "Because reward-based learning is based on rewards," not the behaviors themselves, Brewer explains. So why can't we just impose a bit of self-control, and replace the bad habits (the urge to smoke or procrastinate at work) with positive habits? "Each time we try to soothe ourselves from a taxing assignment we reinforce the reward, to the point where unhealthy distractions can become habits." "This is especially true at work," Brewer writes. As a result, we look to do whatever we can to reach that "reward," particularly in times of stress, whether it's smoking a cigarette or eating a cupcake, Brewer writes. "Put simply, reward-based learning involves a trigger (for example, the feeling of hunger), followed by a behavior (eating food), and a reward (feeling sated)," Brewer writes. Your guide to a healthier, happier workplace Why it's hard to break bad habitsĮveryone struggles to change his or her habits in part because "we are constantly barraged by stimuli" that reinforce the reward-based learning system in our brains, Brewer, a physician, writes. Whether you're trying to give up midnight snacking or surfing Instagram at work, "reaking habits is hard-but in Harvard Business Review, Judson Brewer of Brown University's Schools of Public Health & Medicine draws on 20 years of research and experience to share 3 ways to overcome bad habits in your personal and professional life. Below are some ideas, but keep in mind that they're not one-size-fits-all, since every person and their circumstances are different.Editor's note: This popular story from the Daily Briefing's archives was republished on July 14, 2020. Once you've identified the habits you want to change, you can start to put some plans in motion to get them out of your life. If you notice friends or family starting to seem frustrated, it might be time to seek professional help." How to Break Bad Habits "But others might get frustrated hearing about the same issue over and over again and not understand that breaking bad habits takes time. "Sometimes friends and loved ones can help remind you in a moment of weakness why you don't want to engage in a habit," she says. Powers echoes that sentiment, adding that your loved ones can provide support in helping you break these habits, but only to some extent. Tension is created when we're not ready to accept help or to change ourselves." "Sharing information in a hostile environment can be detrimental. "It helps to talk to friends, family, or loved ones about recognizing these habits when they are safe-meaning they should be supportive and caring," Catchings says. Asking for input from your friends and family can help you recognize something you didn't realize about yourself, but both Catchings and Powers say you should tread carefully here.
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