How to get rid of unhelpful habits?
- rathmanathan
- Nov 30
- 2 min read
James Clear outlines several powerful strategies in his book Atomic Habits. I’ve summarized a few of them below—methods that have proven highly effective for both me and my clients.
Remove the cues from your environment
If you want to reduce binge eating, start by buying smaller quantities and keeping them out of sight. Over time, this simple step can help you regain control of the habit. It’s worked well for me. Remember the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind”?
Make it unattractive
Focus on the benefits of avoiding your unwanted habit, and reinforce those positives repeatedly. This helps reframe your mindset so you see the value in not engaging in the habit.
Make it unsatisfying
We talked about Accountability Partner in "Sustain a habit". You can use the same approach here—ask someone to monitor your behavior. You can even create a contract with your accountability partner and attach financial consequences for indulging in the unwanted habit (for example, paying a set amount each time you slip).
Make it difficult
Friction: Increase the friction around the habit you want to reduce. Make it harder to do. For example, if you want to cut down on binge-watching, remove the batteries from your remote and keep them in another room. Or decide exactly what you plan to watch before you turn on the TV.
Deploy a Commitment device: This is a choice you make in the present that controls your actions in the future. A few examples:
Buy individual snack packs instead of bulk. We do this in our household to limit unnecessary snacking—and it works remarkably well.
Voluntarily ban yourself from casinos. A friend of mine used this strategy to break a gambling habit with great success.
Automate your investments. Schedule transfers to occur right after you receive your paycheck so the money is set aside before you can spend it.
Set a timer on your Wi-Fi router to shut off at a fixed bedtime (e.g., 9 PM). This forces a natural cutoff for screen time and supports healthier sleep habits.
Need a holistic review of your habits? You know what to do: coach@athma.ca
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