According to America’s Health Rankings’ surveys, up to 72% of Americans have at least one unhealthy habit—namely insufficient sleep, sedentary behavior, excessive drinking, smoking or obesity. And, if you’re one of the 72%, you’re likely already aware that these habits are unhealthy. But, try as we might, this knowledge alone doesn’t make bad habits any easier to break. “Why do we act on habit even when we intend to do something else?” This is the question that plagued Wendy Wood, a researcher interested in behavior change. And according to her June 2024 study published in Current Directions in Psychological Science, “The answer lies in habit memories, or context-response associations, that form when people repeat rewarding actions in stable contexts.” Despite what you might think, habit reformation has nothing to do with your motivation; you can truly want to kick the habit, but wanting alone isn’t enough. Instead, Wood suggests that the secret to effective behavior change lies in intention and memory—and it’s simpler than you imagine. Based on her research, these are the three steps needed to kick a bad habit for good. 1. Find A New Reward System Unhealthy habitual behavior doesn’t form because we desire their negative effects; they form because, in many ways, […]