It is difficult to get rid of bad habits once they are formed, but with the proper psychological strategies, methods, and psychological typing, you can conquer them. Learning more about how habits form and leveraging that knowledge using these tools can really help you on the way to a much-needed change for good.

1. Identify Triggers and Cues

The very first thing you have to do when releasing a bad habit is find the triggers and cues that prompt the behavior in its place. Certain routines are closely related to triggers in the environment—emotional or situational. So, for example, stress eating or even just snacking out of boredom. Once you know all the triggers, then become aware of the situations that raise this habit, and one by one your mind will get to predict when it is about to occur.

2. Trade Habit for a Restorative Action

Next time, instead of repeating the bad habit, try to inculcate a different and better behavior. This approach is called substitution because you will replace a trait with another habit that meets the same need or craving as your bad phase. If you repeatedly turn to junk food when under pressure, try changing this with something else like a whole fruit or go for a short walk.

3. Engage in Mindfulness and Self-Regulation

Being mindful and aware will be vital to changing the thought patterns that create our bad habits. When you practice mindfulness, it helps you become more aware of your thoughts, feelings and actions. This self-recognition offers a reprieve from following through on an innate bad habit by enabling you to make the conscious choice and do something else instead.

4. Use Positive Reinforcement

One of the most effective ways to get you out of breaking bad habits is positive reinforcement. Even when little progress is made, you should reward yourself with energy or treats. These rewards can be as simple as acknowledging how well you are keeping yourself clean or treating YOU for not giving in to habitual behaviors.

When it comes to breaking bad habits, there is no easy solution. It necessitates patience and effort on your part, as well as the implementation of successful psychological strategies, including psychological typing. Once you can identify a trigger of your habit(s), engage in another behavior that makes it impossible to participate in the unwanted behavior, bring mindfulness into your practice, and cultivate positive reinforcement—you will rewire those circuits within your brain.