{"id":12581,"date":"2020-07-16T12:01:47","date_gmt":"2020-07-16T16:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/?p=12581"},"modified":"2025-01-15T14:17:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T19:17:35","slug":"how-to-change-a-habit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/how-to-change-a-habit\/","title":{"rendered":"How to change a habit"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all have bad habits. And it\u2019s easy to feel like if you just had more will power, you\u2019d be able to stop cracking your knuckles or biting your nails or binge eating pop tarts. But <\/span>research suggests that habit formation involves <\/span>multiple areas in the brain<\/span><\/a>.<\/span> That means that changing a habit isn\u2019t just a matter of mustering up your will \u2014 it involves taking specific and calculated steps. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve compiled the best tips on how to change a habit without driving yourself crazy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Get specific<\/h2>\n

First of all, you\u2019ll need to figure out exactly what you\u2019re looking to change. Trying to change too much at once is a recipe for failure \u2014 which is why diets don\u2019t work long term. Saying you want to eat better, for example, is such a broad goal that it\u2019s hard to know if you\u2019re achieving it. It also makes it easier to make excuses for not sticking to it \u2014 and doing things like rewarding ourselves with four brownies after having a salad for dinner.<\/span><\/p>\n

So start with a general goal, then narrow it down. What part of your eating habits do you find the most egregious? Is it the burrito bowls you eat for breakfast every morning? The mid-afternoon cookie binge you can\u2019t stop going on? Figure out what specifically you consider to be the bad habit and address that.\u00a0 Changing one thing at a time is a lot easier than overhauling a whole aspect of your life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Prepare yourself to be successful<\/h2>\n

Your <\/span>environment cues<\/span><\/a> you throughout the day to engage in certain habits \u2014 everything from washing your hands after you use the washroom to locking the door when you leave the house. So your environment should be set up to help, not hinder you. Looking to make a habit of eating breakfast before your 9 o\u2019clock meeting each day? If you wake up hoping that today will be the day you\u2019ll finally do it, your chances of success are slim. But if you pre-pour a bowl of cereal or whip up some overnight oats the night before, you\u2019ve significantly upped your chances of succeeding. The same applies to most things in life: if you have to prepare before doing something you\u2019re less likely to pull the trigger, but if you\u2019re all set up to get it done, you\u2019ve significantly lowered any barriers you face. Looking to cut some foods out of your diet? Stop shopping for them and bringing them into the house. Find yourself getting sucked into Facebook during the work day? Set up website-blocking software that keeps your biggest temptations inaccessible during work hours. We all have moments of weakness. If you lay the groundwork, you won\u2019t be relying on willpower alone in those moments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Make yourself accountable<\/h2>\n

We know that enlisting a buddy to work out with makes you more likely to do it. And this phenomenon is transferable to a number of other things in life. Let your wife know that you plan on breaking your nail-biting habit, for example, and she can remind you when she finds you doing it. Telling everyone around you what you\u2019re aiming to do makes you more likely to do it. Not only can they check in on you to see that you\u2019re sticking to your guns, they can also point out when you\u2019re self sabotaging. So gather your support circle and keep yourself accountable by getting your friends and family on board.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tie your new habit to something else<\/h2>\n

Because habits are part of our routine, we often associate them with other things we do without even realizing. This can make it much more difficult to stop an unwanted behaviour, or to begin a desired one. So take some time to think about any associations you have with the habit you\u2019re looking to address. Do you find you want to light up a smoke as soon as you take that first sip of coffee? Switching to tea for a while might help to break that association. Having success with quitting until the minute you have a glass of wine? Try a delicious mocktail next time, or experiment with going \u201cdry\u201d for a month. Changing the behaviour we associate with the habit makes the pull towards the habit less powerful.<\/span><\/p>\n

Humans are creatures of habit. Routines give us a sense of control and calm in an otherwise unpredictable world, so it\u2019s no wonder that changing a habit can be really hard. But you <\/span>can<\/span><\/i> do it by taking specific and deliberate steps, whether you\u2019re looking to stop an embarrassing behaviour or begin a healthful one. And if you\u2019re struggling, don\u2019t be afraid to <\/span>get help<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The information presented here is for educational purposes and is not meant to replace the advice from your medical professional.<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n

When using virtual care, all medical treatment is at the sole discretion of the provider. Virtual care is not meant for medical emergencies, and your provider will determine if your case is appropriate for virtual care. If you are experiencing an emergency like chest pain or difficulties breathing, for example, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Changing a habit isn’t just a matter of will power \u2014 that’s why so many of us fail at doing it. But you can change a habit with simple, effective steps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[7379],"tags":[],"acf":{"image":{"ID":13036,"id":13036,"title":"habits_banner_v1","filename":"habits_banner_v1.jpg","filesize":550754,"url":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/how-to-change-a-habit\/habits_banner_v1\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"habits_banner_v1","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":12581,"date":"2020-07-03 15:37:55","modified":"2020-07-03 15:37:55","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2881,"height":1201,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-300x125.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":125,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-768x320.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":320,"large":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-1024x427.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":427,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":640,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":854,"square1200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-1200x1200.jpg","square1200-width":1200,"square1200-height":1200,"square600":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-600x600.jpg","square600-width":600,"square600-height":600,"square300":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-300x300.jpg","square300-width":300,"square300-height":300,"square200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-200x200.jpg","square200-width":200,"square200-height":200,"square100":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-100x100.jpg","square100-width":100,"square100-height":100,"feature1200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-1200x600.jpg","feature1200-width":1200,"feature1200-height":600,"feature1100":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-1100x500.jpg","feature1100-width":1100,"feature1100-height":500,"feature800":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-800x400.jpg","feature800-width":800,"feature800-height":400,"feature400":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-400x200.jpg","feature400-width":400,"feature400-height":200,"facebook1200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-1200x630.jpg","facebook1200-width":1200,"facebook1200-height":630,"medium_retina":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-1200x500.jpg","medium_retina-width":1200,"medium_retina-height":500,"large_retina":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/habits_banner_v1-2360x984.jpg","large_retina-width":2360,"large_retina-height":984}},"intro_text":"","meta_description":"","add_promotional_banner":false,"add_call_to_action":false,"show_age_gate":false},"yoast_head":"\nHow to change a habit - Maple<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Changing a habit isn't just a matter of will power \u2014 that's why so many of us fail at doing it. 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