if you have habits you want to break, here are some steps to get you started. First of all, you need to define the concrete behaviour you want to change or develop. It means you have to prime the habit-breaking process by thinking in terms of specific, doable behaviours — like not dumping your shoes in the living room but putting them in your closet; not eating in front of the TV but at the dining room table. Secondly, identifying the causes is the next step because by identifying your triggers, you have a way of pushing back and not having that autopilot kick in. Last but not least, you should deal with the triggers and develop a substitute plan. Breaking habits isn’t about stopping but substituting. For example, if you are concerned about your binge-eating at night, plan to bring two cookies up to your bedroom at 10 o' clock and resolve not to go back downstairs for the rest of the evening to keep you from finding yourself wandering around the kitchen all evening and veering towards the kitchen.
