The End of Bad Habits

Ellen says: Do you need some good ideas on how to break a bad habit? We've all been there. After changing our behavior for a month or more, we falter. When we least expect it, we succumb to the bad habit again. Back to eating the wrong foods, back to sleaping in instead of execising, whatever.

Relapses have been proven to occur to most people within ninety days of breaking a bad habit. Once it was believed that relapse was a part of the person's "inability to resist withdrawal." But most people backslide long after withdrawal symptoms leave, usually when we are right at the threshold of success.

Experts say it is emotional distress. Most people break the good habit and resume the bad one when they feel angry, anxious, depressed, bored or lonely. This is often why the habit began in the first place, the need to feel pleasure and comfort. The habit may have met this need for this feeling occurs again, the habit is resumed.