Why is it so hard to break a bad habit?
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- čas přidán 30. 08. 2023
- Explore the psychology behind how good and bad habits are formed, and get tips on how to manage these behaviors.
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Many people deal with a nail-biting habit at some point in their lives. Some will go to great lengths to try to stop, employing strategies like dipping their hands in salt or wearing gloves. And while not all of us are nail-biters, most of us do have a habit we’d like to kick. So, what's the best way to break one? Explore how habits are formed, and discover tips on how to manage these behaviors.
Directed by Sacha Beeley.
This video made possible in collaboration with Character Lab
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A special thanks to Wendy Wood who provided information and insights for the development of this video.
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I have a habit of procrastinating. After watching this video, I'm breaking that habit tomorrow.
🤣🤣
LMFAO
LMAO
haha gl
😂
It pains me so much when you're so close to finally breaking a habit then something bad happens
Weak state of mind, bad things happen and it’s hard but you have got to overcome it
It always seems to happen. Gotta push through it and stay on track.
I know what you mean.
Sama here. I thought that I had broke my bad habit/addiction after a month or more of not doing it, only to relapse again and again, until I just give up on even trying to stop. Of course I'm not gonna tell you what it is on a public CZcams comment section, I still have my dignity, but let's just say I need help 😢.
@@IBTUeasier said than done, some bad habit are more like addiction than some random benign act. And if you know anything about addiction you know it doesn't work like that.
I find it just as difficult to start a good habit, like regular exercise, as it is to break a bad one.
same here.
I built the habit of going to a gym and weightlifting. Something that made it easy for me was taking a packed gym bag with me in my car when I went to work. Then when I finished work I had everything there with me and didn’t have to go home to get anything because I knew if I went home I probably wasn’t going to go back out.
@@michaelbutler881that's smart, good for you 👍🏼
Stopping a bad habit is most likely starting a good one
Starting a good one is most likely stopping a bad one.
It makes sense that the both have the same difficulty
I have a bad habit of scrolling through things on my phone during study time. One thing worked really well for me was keeping the phone way out of arm's reach. Because as long as the phone is within my easy reach or line of sight, my attention is going to keep going there.
I use a laptop with a net connection to study. What should I do? 🥲
@@aravindnarayanan5664Don't study alone then, try group study or at some library
@@rhac79exactly!
Sometimes the presence of others is a good way to keep yourself on track.
Though you all need to be on the same page about studying to make things work.
@@TORchic1 It's tough to find people for group study but library/study rooms always works me you know you have put some effort to reach those places the moment I enter the place I'll get in the zone.
@@aravindnarayanan5664you can try to use an extension which blocks time-consuming sites
I was a nail biter until I was 50 and was amazed by how easy it was to break the habit. I happened to use some clear nail polish (chigger bite treatment) on my nails because I noticed two of my nails were splitting. Within a couple weeks I completely quit nail biting and was able to quit using the nail polish. Sure wished I had stopped this habit when I was younger.
I'm going on 40 years and looking to quit but doubt this will work because iv tried it before I just chewed thru the stuff and made myself nauseous from the taste and went right back at it after throwing up
watching this while having a bad habit lol
Every one has a bad habit here even the narrator
I have a bad habit of trying to scratch my zits that appear on my back, even if it does cause some bleeding from popping. I know I shouldn't do it, but it gives me a huge sense of relief when I do that...
Jesus loves you ❤️ please turn to him and repent before it's too late. The end times described in the Bible are already happening in the world.
@grin_legion even religious people have bad habits
@jvtw4138
if the afterlife is truly eternal, then our life on earth would be the tiniest most insignificant portion of our entire life, wouldn't it? so then why should we be infinitely punished for our life on earth? that's like giving someone a life sentence for what they did as a baby
I have a bad habit of not folding my laundry right away after washing, so I started putting the laundry on my bed. Now, I sleep with extra layers
The point about replacing bad habits with better ones is so true. I used to be a nail-biter as well, because I didn't like the sensory feeling of when a nail was uneven - Now I keep a little nail file on my desk and just neatly file them down whenever I get the urge. They look great now and feel healthy too, while still giving my brain something to fidget with.
Omg I have the same sensory feelings issue and no one is believing me 💀
I have the same issue and had never thought of filing them to relieve the urge, I'll have a go! Thank you for saying!
Going to be attempting again to give up smoking, more of an addiction, but also a habit.
You got this!
@@bryandegante7654 thanks man!
Jesus loves you ❤️ please turn to him and repent before it's too late. The end times described in the Bible are already happening in the world.
You definitely got this. Read Atomic Habits by James Clear, he mentions an interesting book about smoking that a lot of smokers benefited from. "By the time you're done with the book, you won't see the point in smoking" - paraphrased quote from James Clear
@@uncertainmaterial2804 I'll look into this, thank you
I picked up the habit of making my bed every morning when I first got a girlfriend. Now I do it virtually every morning. My logic then was, if she comes visiting unannounced, I wouldn't want her to see my bed unkempt. I didn't worry about the room because I shared it with so many people and it was impossible to personally ensure its cleanliness. I got to practise keeping my room clean when I lived on my own. It's beautiful how new events can change our habits.
I make my bed in the mornings too, I can barely sleep on a messy bed
I am here because my bad habit is scrolling through phone.😅
This is the video I needed, not shaming bad behavior but showing how similar good and bad behaviors are seen by our brain. Every time, our brain tries to protect us from a stressful/unwanted situation even if it leads to bad behavior. And understanding trigger points is the best way to beat bad habits.
Thanks TED-Ed.
How to break habit
- replace it
- make it harder
I have used practically all natural remedies, but what made a difference for my hairfall control was these things. 1 cup warm water to drink as first item in the morning. Using hair comb of neem wood. Using microfiber towel on head wash day. Some gentle exercises. Using Litttleextra Coconion anti-hair fall set once or 2 times a week.
I developed a bad habit of eating at night as a kid because of multiple ADD medications I was prescribed that led me to not eat at all during the day because I physically couldn’t and recuperating that by eatingwhen I didn’t feel sick to my stomach. After years of trying different medications, I flat out told my parents I don’t want to be on them anymore, but the habit of eating and more likely than not, over eating never left me. I am currently trying to overcome it by doing intermittent fasting, and it’s terrible. I thought it was all more boredom that led me to eat at night, but by 9:30-10, my stomach is roaring at me to eat every night. It’s a battle but I need to do it and I have only broken bad habits by going hard on fixing it; ie I went full cold turkey to quit smoking for my first kid. If you are struggling with this, I believe in you that you can, and do it at the pace you need to do it, whether it is fast or slow
Thank you for this very well designed short video! Really well done!
In addition to habit reversal, we can also create new habits by :
- by starting with a very easy task, so easy that it can be easily repeated (key to install a new habit and start influencing how we see ourselves / our self identity)
- connecting them with ones we already have (for example: do 5 push ups just before taking your breakfast)
- building cues to make the habit stick (eg: put your book on your pillow if you wish to read before sleep)
- give yourself gratification every time you perform your to-become habit (eg: from a simple check in your calendar when you did it to anything else that is not bad for you! Don't eat a Donut every time you do 5 push ups 😉)
1. Habits are behaviors that are performed regularly and cued subconsciously in response to certain environments or emotional states.
2. Habits can be simple actions or more complex practices ingrained in daily routines.
3. Habits form because the brain learns that the behavior is beneficial and triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that mediates feelings of pleasure.
4. Cue-behavior-reward loops work fast and can cause people to engage in a habit before they have the chance to notice and stop.
5. Not all habits are bad, as they allow us to take swift action in the present, but some habits no longer serve us.
6. Intentions alone often fail to lead to long-term behavior change.
7. One of the most effective ways to manage behavior is to identify the environments or routines that cue the habit and modify them.
8. Habits can be changed through habit reversal training, which requires analyzing and understanding the habit cues and replacing the habit with another one that's less detrimental.
Most useful comment, thank you /gen
i've been a nail biter for as long as i can remember and i've always thought it was impossible to stop. but recently i figured out that i always come back from trips with longer nails (ie new place and schedules so there was no environmental cue for the habit maybe?). it takes a lot of mental energy to combat it after i come back and i constantly feel like there's something stuck under them but currently riding on the streak of not biting my nails for a couple of weeks now and i finally have nails! now that they are long enough maybe i should try putting on nail polish
I made a habit of reading at night and cooking three home cooked meals a day at same times a day ever since I moved. Made it a lot easier to cook and read and now it’s just normal for me
This came in a great moment for me, i feel like im accumulating bad habits and dont know how to stop!
The animation is so cute. The fairy struggling with her bad habit of biting habits but then overcoming it at the end is awesome. I have a bad habit of picking my nose; it feels satisfying when I do it. I have to get rid of it because once my nose even bled. 😂
Edit : now even the bots are copying my comment. Cool.
I know the animation is so cute
Breaking the Habit:
Memories consume
Like opening the wound
I'm picking me apart again
You all assume
I'm safe here in my room
Unless I try to start again
I don't want to be the one
The battles always choose
'Cause inside I realize
That I'm the one confused
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way
I know it's not alright
So, I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit tonight
Clutching my cure
I tightly lock the door
I try to catch my breath again
I hurt much more
Than anytime before
I had no options left again
I don't want to be the one
The battles always choose
'Cause inside, I realize
That I'm the one confused
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way
I'll never be alright
So, I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit tonight
I'll paint it on the walls
'Cause I'm the one at fault
I'll never fight again
And this is how it ends
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream
But now I have some clarity
To show you what I mean
I don't know how I got this way
I'll never be alright
So, I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit tonight
Lol that's one of my favorite Linkin Park songs. 😅
Oh my, I swear to God that this song started playing in my head during the video and at some point I even got distracted imagining the music video. What a surprise that I wasn't the only one, it seemed to random.
Unfortunately he couldn't do it ;___;
I wish more people understood that nail biting isn't always a nervous habit. For some, it's a reaction to boredom, or a compulsive response to nails getting too long.
this is a illness
I can't keep my mouth away from my fingernails, but yesterday I returned from a trip and noticed I had longer nails.
I am feeling motivated to kick this habit to the curb, as I have already made significant progress in just one week! It's a great feeling to see the positive changes and improvements that come with self-discipline and hard work. I'm determined to keep going and reach my goals! #motivation #progress #selfimprovement #keepgoing 😚😚😚
not me biting my nails as I watch this video…
Jesus loves you ❤️ please turn to him and repent before it's too late. The end times described in the Bible are already happening in the world.
Ted upload video right on time I need the most.
I always feel like I need to eat something when I watch a video longer than 3 minutes. I'm fact, I had to grab a snack to watch this and then, I felt guilty. I am thin but I have definitely gained weigh over the past two months so I need to break this bad habit. I will apply what I learned in this video. Thank you Ted-Ed.
Some snacks arent good for you and some are. At least get the good ones and quit bringing bad ones into the house.
If you snack on veg and fruit it’s not a bad habit at all 😊
I've pretty much been biting my nails for as long as I can remember. It's honestly become difficult to picture how my nails would look like fully grown. I tried to break the habit about a year ago and was able to stop for about 3 weeks (which is why the mental picture is difficult and not straight up impossible😂) but unfortunately relapsed. There's no other time I can remember when my nails were grown. I really do wish to stop, so I'm going to try some advice here. I hope it works.
Good luck! I still bite my nails a bit but not as fast as they grow. For me, it really helped to choose a replacement habit (or a few) that required both hands, so you can’t also bite.
Also, I had a problem with, once I had bitten once, continuing to do it because my nails no longer felt right/smooth. Keep clippers around - it’s better to have to clip short than get into a spiral of biting, and at least for me I typically ended up clipping less than I would have bitten off.
@crowcalls Yes, exactly! Once I start, the nails just don't feel right anymore and I keep going. It's so hard to resist once I get that feeling. And a two-handed activity, huh? That sounds easy enough. Thanks
I used to bite my nails quite a lot too. 3 years ago, I tried multiple ways of stopping, such as tapping my fingers with tape and putting nail polish. However, neither of these helped, I ended up taking the tape of or either bitting my nails with nail polish. The best way from my experience to stop is by keeping your hand away from your mouth (either try to hold something in ur hand), taking progress pictures of how ur nails are recovering from the detrimental years of biting, opting for a different outlet of anxiety & stress (mine was excersise, walking & diary).
It took me a while to ween myself off of bitting my hands, there were times where I would stop for a week and then start again. But I still tried my best to stop.
Eventually I stopped bitting my nails without realising. Nower days, i tend to glide my fingertips across the edge of the nail when I have an urge to bite.
I also used to bite my nails then I decided to get them manicured with gel and it took a little while for me to not touch them anymore - but now they are absolutely perfect and no more biting
Try using Nail Extention
TED-Ed animations are so incredible!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾Keep up the great work🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾
Some habits of mine cus im bored:
- Nail biting (since I was like 3-4)
- Finger cracking (started late last year)
- Peeling scabs (started ??)
- Swinging back and forth when sitting or standing (started when I was younger)
I felt so incredibly tired no matter how I gave myself a sufficient sleep and rest.. .. .
The weariness just don't go away.. But I pushed myself working today.. though so drained..
Then I opened yt hoping to find and play a relaxing music.. then I stumbled upon this channel which somehow refreshed my minds=... huhuhuh thank you so much!
Such a peaceful way of explaining this 😌
I used to bite my nails quite a lot too. 3 years ago, I tried multiple ways of stopping, such as tapping my fingers with tape and putting nail polish. However, neither of these helped, I ended up taking the tape of or either bitting my nails with nail polish.
The best way from my experience to stop is by keeping your hand away from your mouth (either try to hold something in ur hand). This removes the action to occur as it is further away to take place.
Another way is to take progress pictures of how ur nails are recovering from the detrimental years of biting. This helps a lot, when u look back at your nails and see the progress every week/month/year it can feel like a reward and keep u going.
The last one is opting for a different outlet of anxiety & stress (mine was excersise, walking & diary). Nail bitting is usually a way of releasing stress and most comedically psychologicallly related to anxiety. Best ways to figure out what's main cue for it and take action to replace or remove the action which helps to release stress and anxiety.
It took a while to ween myself off of bitting my hands, there were times, where I would stop for a week and then start again bitting and then stop bitting for a month and start again. Although it was slow progress, I still tried my best to commit in breaking the habit.
Eventually, I stopped bitting my nails without realising. Nower days, i tend to glide my fingertips across the edge of my nail when I have an urge to bite.
Lovely video! This helped me better understand my own habits, thanks!
I just wanna say thank you you’re the CZcams channel that helped me be the only person that got a question right on the class kahoot
"The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg is a great book on this subject.
Been a cheek/lip biter since I was very young. basically if you don't know what this is, it's like nail biting except instead of your nails you bite chunks of skin off the inside of your mouth and lips. I lived in a really stressful environment as a kid and it just naturally developed. I've tried stopping so many times, and I've come close, but I always fall back into the habit somehow.
Same
Love the art style, it's so friendly and inviting
One of my good habits is watching new videos from Ted-Ed.
I love this animation so much I wish I had a wider vocabulary to explain it
I had the habit of procrastinating and needing help to focus on a specific task for a long time. However, I have developed ways of fighting against constantly delaying my responsibilities. First, I set clear goals and broke my job into smaller steps. The next thing was removing the distractions, primarily my phone, as I couldn't stop scrolling through things. Finally, I started rewarding myself after completing some of the tasks. These techniques helped me to fight the awful habit of procrastination.
One of the best CZcams channels ever
this is making me aware of my habits and now im uncomfortable
The Fidget toy was very helpful for my co-worker whenever she's getting tensed in front of the PC.
This is so helpful. Thank you Ted-Ed
I'm totaly fallen in love with your videos. Hope you never stop doing it. It gives not only a practice of listening, but also a plenty of new information. Thank you a million🎉❤
1. Habits form more on how they make you feel. You form a habit to feel good.
2. To break a habit, it sounds like you just have to be cognizant of what you're doing. 2:23 You have to just be made aware during the 40% of the time you do things automatically.
Solution starts from 3:00
tank u
The animation was amazing! 👏👏
Very interesting!! Thank you for that video, i think now, I must try these tips!
Thank you for the information.
These information have immense significance for everyone!!
My point is something different..
Habits are hardware programs that we received through imitation or constant practice on something!!
The key here is the word AWARENESS..
How much we are aware of everything is happening in our life..
The subconscious mind is operating 95% of the day in an "avarage" human..
Who much, our school, our society, our culture, make us aware of our selves..
I see all around sleepwalkers, doing any kind of things, but remain unaware of themselves!!!
I know this, because I was one of them!!
The best way to break a habit, is to break for ever your identification, with the body - mind system..
Do you ready to be just a watcher? Just A NOBODY..
Blessings and love
We know habits are often cued by environments and routines. Lying bed may cause you to endlesslu scroll through your phone, or watching TV on the couch may lead you to grab a sugary snack. One of the most effective ways to manage behavior is to identify these locations or times of day. Then try to modify them by changing your routine or creating obstacles that make it more difficult to perfoem the habitin that space.
Any time my living situation changes, any good habits I'd managed to develop are completely messed up and I can never get back into them. I'd gotten into a really good exercise routine one year in college. Year ended, went back home...toast. It's not just the timing, it's having the same space and privacy I had before.
I just made yet another move, and now I can't get back into my routine of painting. In fact, all my creativity has fled. ><
At least I kicked the nail biting in my teens, though. My jaw is just crooked enough now that my front teeth don't meet, so I'd be in agony if I still compulsively bit my nails!
Thank you for sharing
I started biting my nails in junior high after my best friend. Switched to biting pencils and clips on cheap gel pen caps instead. Only did that when focused or during exams to relieve stress. Better than peeling off all the skin on my lower lip.
This video drove me stop bite my nails and replace this habit for one more positive in my life. :)
Atomic Habits by James Clear is a very good book recommendation for those people who want to break bad habits..
I feel like,I'm accumulating bad habits but after watching this video, I understand that only way to break a baf habit is to have right motive with patience
A bad but also good habit can become an addiction.
This video should have at least couple of million views. Why do people choose entertainment over infotainment.
I'm reading atomic habits and this is like a little resume of some points the book focuses on
Like many adolescents, i have difficulty kicking the habit of staying up late. i take a 3-hour nap and can't sleep early at night. although I tried to keep away from my phone but it didn't work at all because I was tossing and turning and then using the phone back. i realize that being a night owl not only despairs my health but also wastes a large amount of my precious time.
i think environmental factors just play a peripheral role in eliminating bad habits. the key factor is your DETERMINATION
The animation style 🥺🧚🏽♂️🍄
the animation style for this video is sooooooo cute
When you can break a bad habit, pure happiness afterwards is definitive proof that it's worth that endeavor.
Ty this video over really helped me
I probably need this video
Meu bom hábito, estou tentando assistir esse canal todo dia.
Thank you ✨❤️
Ted Ed uploded a new video? & I'm here for it ❤
I have a habit of commenting in every video I watch on CZcams. I am breaking this habit starting from this video.
Please keep making such great videos.
I like how the little brain has eyelashes ❤. That’s so cute.
I read Atomic Habbits by James Clear, and it helped me a lot
The animators seem to get better and betterer :)
i'll never break the habit of watching ted ed videos when i should be asleep
Where do u draw the line between habit and addiction?
The artsyle was really fun!
İ learn so interesting things as i learn new words in English through your videos😊
Awesome work
Post-covid. I have a difficulty not washing my hands after touching foreign surfaces i.e eleveators, door knobs, locks and shoelaces. To the point my palms are so dry. 😢
loveee the art!
Not me watching this video while aggressively biting my nails. How did this get to my recommend!?😂
I am definitely stopping the habit now
Personally, I am not difficult to break bad habits at all. Because I tried to achieve it since I was a teenager. Whether it is good havit or bad one, I think what is important is your willpower and the way of thinking
Thanks 👍
I have a habit a nail biting of nail biting and I’ve tried to quit many times like chewing gum, applying nail polish and sometimes I even go as long as a week without biting but then suddenly everything comes crashing down and I have to start again 😢
Thanks.
I really needed this, I've heard that we should break the habit gradually. Is this true? My nails want to cry 😂😂
I love the animation in this video!
Me too
I use to bite my nails, but now I always have nail clippers close by when they get too long.
I used to bite my fingernails. When the Corona period started, I got out of the habit because I didn't want to put my hands in my mouth and face. Unfortunately, I found that the habit has shifted. I've stopped biting fingernails, but now I always chew with my teeth.😮💨
The only way to break a bad habit is to have the right MOTIVE. And then you will easily find the method by yourself. I say this from my own experience.🙂
This remembers me of a book named ''atomic Habits'' literally 90% of what is said is in this book.
Love this video
I started nail biting just because my friend did, then it actually became a habit. In the summer break from middle school to high school it stopped on its own, probably because I was free from middle school😂 now I don’t have it anymore
Wow , good thing your friend wasnt a serial killer?
I actually broke my habit of scraping off my nail polish with my teeth by just taking my hand away when I started doing it and eventually I just stopped all together
Thanks
the animation is dope.
Saving this video, to watch it later
"How can it be bad if it feels so good?"