Why is it so hard to break habits?

We read an interesting piece from Psychology Today that talks about why it’s so hard to break bad habits. What we learned may be fascinating to you, because there are more layers to breaking habits in today’s world than expected.

Adi Jaffe Ph.D., author of The Abstinence Myth is also the founder of the IGNTD Hero Program, “one of the world’s first online recovery programs where people can get help breaking free from their addiction without shame or abstinence.”

In his Psychology Today article, he discusses why it’s so hard to break bad habits while reflecting on his own habit breaking journey. 

His answer to the big question?

“Partially because, as a society, we still hold onto a false notion that those struggling with addiction or mental health issues are somehow different than the rest of us "normal" folks. This is not only false, but it's also extremely dangerous because it ends up exacerbating the shame and stigma for those who are struggling, thus preventing them from seeking help.”

That’s just one part. Jaffe also notes that it’s also hard to break bad habits because there’s no system set up to support that unless you’ve developed a serious addiction. 

That pretty much means the ball is in our court until a system is set up to help people break bad habits before reaching a point of addiction, which is why Jaffe’s third approach to handling bad habits is Self-help tools.

By no means do we speak as professional psychologists - we’re not - but when we’re not trained and you’re limited in what kind of help you can get, the Habit Tracker Notebook can help you introduce healthy habits that work against bad habits. 

The biggest challenge is tackling these habits without feeling like you’re being watched by everyone around you. This goes back to Jaffe’s breakdown of trying to break bad habits with the pressure of society in the mix. 

The world is changing and someday you’ll wake up feeling like you have room to be open about your habits, whatever they may be. In the meantime, we encourage you to give the Habit Tracker Notebook a go. There’s nothing as satisfying as holding yourself accountable and meeting your victories big and small in the process.

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