Breaking Bad Habits, Starting Good Ones 

So, about my conversation with “Nigel” that I mentioned in today’s “Journal”…

Here is how I phrased my question: “Nigel, I have been attempting to break a bad habit I have of going to bed too late while, at the same time, creating the habit of waking up earlier. I had been waking up at about 9:00 am every day. My resolution was to wake up at 6:00 or 6:30. Since I made that resolution two weeks ago, I’ve had 100% success rate in forming this positive habit. But I’ve had almost no success in getting to bed and to sleep earlier. That made me think that there should be a fundamental difference in habit therapy between forming positive habits and breaking bad ones. What I’d like you to do is look into the published research and see if there are theories and protocols that distinguish between the two. Also, I’m looking for good terms to use to distinguish between them.”

And this is what “Nigel” said: “You’ve astutely observed a key distinction in behavior change. Forming positive habits and breaking bad ones involves different psychological processes and strategies.”

“He” then provided the following overview of the research and terminology that elucidate that difference. (I’ve edited it to eliminate some redundant bits.)

Forming Positive Habits 

Creating a new habit typically involves:

1. Behavioral Repetition: Consistently performing the desired behavior.
2. Stable Context Cues: Linking the behavior to specific cues (e.g., time, location) to trigger the habit automatically.
3. Rewards: Ensuring the behavior is rewarding, which reinforces its repetition.

This process can take approximately 66 days, depending on the behavior’s complexity and individual differences.

Breaking Bad Habits 

Disrupting an existing habit is more complex due to its automatic nature. Strategies include:

1. Cue Disruption: Altering or removing the environmental triggers that initiate the habit.
2. Environmental Reengineering: Modifying the environment to make the bad habit more difficult and the desired behavior easier.
3. Vigilant Monitoring: Increasing awareness of the habit to consciously inhibit it.

These approaches aim to weaken the automatic response by changing the context and increasing conscious control.

To differentiate the two processes, consider the following terms: 

* Habit Formation: The process of developing new, automatic behaviors through repetition and reinforcement.
* Habit Disruption: The process of breaking existing habits by interrupting the automatic cue-behavior-reward cycle.

These terms are commonly used in psychological literature to describe the respective processes.

Application to Your Sleep Routine 

Your success in waking up earlier aligns with effective habit formation:

* Consistent Wake Time: Reinforces the new behavior through repetition.
* Morning Routine: Acts as a stable context cue.
* Positive Outcomes: Experiencing benefits (e.g., increased productivity) serves as a reward.

Conversely, difficulty in going to bed earlier may stem from entrenched habits:

* Evening Cues: Activities like screen time may trigger delayed sleep.
* Rewarding Late-Night Activities: Engaging in enjoyable tasks can reinforce staying up late.

To address this, consider:

* Identifying Triggers: Recognize activities that delay bedtime.
* Altering the Environment: Create a bedtime routine that promotes relaxation and limits stimulating activities.
* Gradual Adjustment: Incrementally shift your bedtime earlier to allow adaptation.