24 Habits That Have A Bad Reputation But Are Actually Astonishingly Good For You

Every single one of us is a creature of habit. We do things on auto-pilot all the time, whether it’s making our morning coffee, tying our shoelaces, or commuting to and from work. These automatic behaviors are our brain’s response to ‘the habit loop’, a concept popularized by Charles Duhigg in his book The Power of Habit.

According to Duhigg, every habit consists of three parts: the cue (the trigger that initiates the behavior), followed by the routine (the behavior itself), and then the reward (the benefit gained from the behavior). Recognizing this loop is crucial in modifying habits, whether they’re good or bad.

In his article for Psychology Today, Judson Brewer (M.D., Ph.D.) writes that these 3 components show up every time we hit the vape pen, eat some candy, or check our social media feeds when we’re stressed. In fact, every time we reach out for something to appease ourselves, we consolidate the learning, and it eventually becomes automatic. 

Deciding to end bad habits and create new ones isn’t simply a question of discipline. The concept of self-control has been disseminated for decades, even though researchers at Yale have demonstrated that the brain networks linked to self-control are the first to derail when faced with triggers such as stress.

In her article for Healthline, Ann Pietrangelo suggests a range of daily habits to add to your routine if you want to live a happier, healthier life. Some of these include smiling, exercising, getting plenty of sleep, eating with your mood in mind, breathing deeply, keeping a gratitude journal, and avoiding comparing yourself to others. 

Pietrangelo goes on to list a variety of weekly, monthly, and yearly habits you could pick up to enhance your wellbeing. These include things like decluttering, making the effort to see friends, taking a break from your phone, taking yourself out for a meal or a movie, giving back through volunteering or babysitting for a friend, and reevaluating your goals.

In his article for HelpGuide, Sheldon Reid writes that, rather on focusing on giving up an existing bad habit, it’s typically easier to replace it with a healthier one. This lets you use habit loops to your benefit - basically, you want your actions to be motivated by positive rewards rather than negative ones.

Although one popular myth suggests it takes around 21 days to form a new habit, research has revealed that an average time of 66 days is how long it takes for a new behavior to feel automatic. If you’re looking to break a bad habit, Reid suggests exploring your reasons for the behavior change, setting the right goals, and identifying the triggers of the bad habit.

So, whether you’re in the habit of shopping online, texting your ex, or doomscrolling deep into the night, the good news is that, with some mindfulness and commitment, you can switch out these harmful behaviors and replace them with ones that give you an advantage in life.

Do you relate to any of the so-called bad habits in this list that are actually good for you? Upvote your favorites and leave a comment on the ones that resonate with you most!