Tips for breaking unhealthy routines

While many people are aware of the benefits of healthy habits, such as eating nutritious foods and engaging in regular physical activity, translating this knowledge into consistent action can be challenging. Often the missing piece of the puzzle for living a healthy life lies not in the lack of knowledge, but in the gap between knowing what we need to do and doing it. This crucial middle step involves the process of changing habits and behaviours. 

“Changing our behaviour requires more than just knowing what we should do,” explains Amie Leckie, our Health and Wellbeing Specialist. “It involves understanding the psychology behind behaviour change and implementing effective strategies to overcome obstacles and sustain motivation. The process of behaviour change requires patience, persistence and a willingness to experiment with different techniques to find what works best for you.” 

Understanding how habits form and how to maintain motivation is essential. By investing time and effort into learning how to change behaviour, you can bridge the gap between knowledge and action, which will pave the way to improved health and wellbeing.  

Understanding how you can break a bad habit 

Start with targeting behaviour change

Behaviour change involves modifying actions, habits or routines to achieve desired outcomes. However, changing behaviour is often easier said than done. Many factors influence our habits, including environmental cues, social influences and internal motivations. Understanding these factors is crucial for successfully implementing lasting change. 

Figure out your bad habits

Habits are automatic behaviours that are triggered by cues in our environment and reinforced by rewards.  

“The habit loop, as described by Charles Duhigg, consists of three components: cue, routine and reward,” Amie says. “Identifying the cues that trigger unwanted behaviours and replacing them with healthier alternatives is key to breaking old habits and forming new ones.” 

It can be helpful to keep a diary for a week or so, writing down the details of the behaviour you are wanting to change. For example, you might find that you only ever work out in the morning and consistently skip evening sessions, this would be a key finding and suggest you should always plan your workouts early in the morning. 

Find what motivates you

Motivation plays a central role in sustaining behaviour change. While motivation can fluctuate over time, understanding the different types of motivation can help you maintain your commitment to your goals.  

Amie explains: “Intrinsic motivation, driven by internal desires and values, is more sustainable than extrinsic motivation, which relies on external rewards or pressures. Think about what really matters to you to try and harness motivation. For many, living a long and healthy life to be there for their children and families is what keeps them motivated.” 

Adopt willpower

Willpower is defined as the control exerted to do something or restrain impulses. Willpower and motivation do not go hand in hand, you can have high motivation but lack the willpower to achieve a goal.  

“For most of us, willpower isn’t entirely in our control and put simply, is a matter of timing. Have you ever heard the term ‘the early bird catches the worm’? Your willpower will be highest in the morning, or after a period of rest or downtime, and reduces as the day goes on or you become tired, much like your phone or laptop battery,” Amie explains. 

 When tackling habit change, mornings need to become your new best friend, you could do your most important tasks first thing or as early in the day as you can, whether that is cooking your meals for the day, exercising or practicing mindfulness. 

Eight tips for changing unhealthy habits

Behavioural change techniques offer insight into why habits form and can allow you to change your habits to develop healthier routines.

Here are some key tips for changing unhealthy habits: 

Step 1 –  identify target behaviours 

Start by identifying the specific behaviours you want to change or adopt. Whether it’s exercising regularly, eating healthier or practicing mindfulness, clarity is essential for effective goal setting.

Step 2 – goal setting

Once you’ve identified your target behaviours, establish SMART goals to guide your efforts. Break larger goals into smaller, manageable steps, and set deadlines to create a sense of urgency.  

“Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals provides clarity and direction for behaviour change efforts,” Amie says. “Breaking down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks can increase motivation and foster a sense of accomplishment. You can use our Healthy Heart Goal Setting Planner to start setting your goals.” 

Step 3 – Create a plan

Develop a concrete plan outlining how you will achieve your goals. Consider potential obstacles and brainstorm strategies to overcome them. Having a clear roadmap increases the likelihood of success. 

Step 4 – Utilise self-monitoring

Track your progress regularly to stay accountable and track your successes.  

“Tracking progress and behaviours can increase awareness and accountability,” Amie says. “Whether through journaling, using smartphone apps or wearable devices, self-monitoring allows you to identify patterns, track successes and adjust as needed. You can download our Healthy Heart Habit Tracker Wheel to start monitoring your progress, it will help you hold yourself accountable.” 

Step 5 – modify your environment 

Make changes to your environment to support your desired behaviours. Remove temptations that may trigger unwanted habits and create prompts or reminders to encourage healthier choices. 

Amie continues: “Manipulating the environment to support your desired behaviours can make habit formation easier. This may involve removing triggers for unhealthy habits, such as driving a different route home from work to avoid that fast food place you frequently visit on the way home; creating prompts for desired behaviours such as getting your gym kit ready the night before you intend to work out; or redesigning spaces to encourage healthier choices, such as replacing the biscuit tin with an easily accessible fruit bowl.” 

Step 6 – seek social support

Surround yourself with supportive individuals who will encourage and motivate you along your journey. It will be much more enjoyable if you have people to share the experience with. 

“Seeking support from friends, family or support groups can provide encouragement, accountability and motivation during the behaviour change process. Surrounding yourself with positive influences can help reinforce new habits,” says Amie. 

Joining a fitness class, cooking club or online community can provide valuable support and accountability. You could set up a healthy habit change group amongst your friends and meet once a week to catch-up. You might be surprised how many of the people you know would want to be a part of this.

Step 7 – challenge negative thoughts

Cognitive restructuring refers to the practice of getting rid of negative or unhelpful thoughts. Practice this skill by challenging negative beliefs and thoughts as they come up. Remember to reframe setbacks as opportunities for growth, if you have made a mistake, what will you do to make sure the undesirable behaviour doesn’t happen again?  

Amie advises: “Changing the way, we think about behaviour can influence our actions. By challenging negative beliefs, reframing setbacks as learning opportunities, and focusing on progress rather than perfection, you can cultivate a growth mindset which encourages long-term success. 

“If you are trying to eat healthier and have a bad day, don’t be so harsh on yourself, be proud of the progress you have made so far, even if small, and start again the next day, rather than going over the set-back and letting it sabotage your whole week. Remember, you are aiming for progress, not perfection and your only competition is with yourself.” 

Step 8 – reward your progress

Incorporating rewards and incentives can reinforce desired behaviours and provide motivation to stay on track.  

“Rewards can be intrinsic, when we complete a simple task because we find it enjoyable or extrinsic, participating in an activity based on meeting an external goal or for approval, depending on what motivates you. Have a think about what will motivate you to continue when things get tough,” Amie says. 

Celebrate your successes along the way by rewarding yourself for achieving milestones. Whether it’s treating yourself to a spa day, a new outfit or enjoying a favourite activity, acknowledging your progress reinforces positive behaviours. 

By incorporating these techniques into your efforts and using our helpful resources, you can develop healthy habits that stand the test of time. Remember that change takes time and consistency, so be patient and kind to yourself on your journey toward self-improvement, try to support yourself the same way you would a friend who was trying to make healthy changes.