Summary: Is there a behavior or action that you want to decrease or stop altogether? Learn the beginning steps to breaking a habit!

Habit breaking

What is a habit?

Definition: A routine or practice performed regularly or an automatic response to a specific situation.

Behaviourally - there’s an MO, an SD, the behaviour itself and a consequence (a reinforcer!).

In more common literature – there’s a cue, a routine and a reward

1. Define it
2. When and when does it happen? What’s the cue (SD)?
3. Note all the behaviours in a chain - which habits are good or bad or neutral?
4. What habits would you like to include?
5. What is it getting you? Function. All habits/behaviours are getting us something or serving some function. Meet your needs in a different way.
6. Competing activity/response (incompatible)
7. Set up your environment for success (Hide the SD that prompts the unwanted behaviour)
8. Motivation - habit inconvenience
9. Social support
10. Start small SMART goals - success breeds success

BJ Fogg help people feel successful- simple reinforcement isn’t the same as feeling successful

66 days to form a habit? (Lally) 82 participants- the range of days was up to 254 days (8+ months) even small behaviours like drinking a glass of water after breakfast.

James Clear :

· Make a new habit obvious, attractive, easy, satisfying.

· Break a habit - make it invisible, unattractive, difficult, unsatisfying.
Shaping
Chaining
Self monitoring

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If you have any questions, comments, concerns or topics that you would like us to cover, please reach out to us!
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Disclaimer: While we’re both behaviour analysts and qualified in our respective fields, this podcast is for education and information sharing only and should not be taken as personal, medical or behavioral advice or services.