5 Reasons Why We Struggle to Break Bad Habits

Breaking bad habits is hard, even though we know we should. It seems that even though we understand we must change negative behaviors, sometimes this is very difficult to do. Why is that?

Breaking bad habits is hard, even though we know we should.

It seems that even though we understand we must change negative behaviors, sometimes this is very difficult to do. Why is that? Wouldn't it make sense that we would be inclined to do what is healthy for us?

There are many reasons why breaking bad habits is difficult, and 5 of the most common are listed here:

1. We Don't Give the Process Enough Time

Maxwell Maltz found in the 1950s that habits took approximately 21 days to establish. This means changing previous behaviors, and breaking old habits. Research in 2009 found that modern men and women require approximately 66 days to establish a routine or behavior. Part of the failure in breaking bad habits is not allowing enough consistent, day-to-day effort for a long enough period of time.

2. We Don't Treat the Underlying Cause of the Behavior

An alcoholic or drug addict may understand their behavior is hurting them. Even so, dependencies can be incredibly difficult, in some cases seemingly impossible, to overcome. This is because sometimes underlying emotional causes lead to bad habits. Identifying and treating our responses to emotional scars can help lead to more success in defeating bad habits. You have to deal with the root causes of a problem, not the fruit results. Deal with