Watch CBS News

Expert: Replace Bad Habits, Don't Suppress Them

By John Ostapkovich

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Habits, both good and bad, can keep us going but to mount a change, as with a New Year's Resolution, you may need a game plan.

Research psychologist Jeremy Dean began wondering about habits around three or four years ago when a blog post on the subject garnered huge reaction.

Now he's out with a book, Making Habits, Breaking Habits, that aims to teach you how to win the fight.

For one thing, he says it's a mistake to suppress a bad habit, better to replace it with something that precludes it, like chewing gum to avoid smoking.
And don't get too ambitious.

"The first thing you need to do, really, is create a really specific plan for yourself, because quite often people have New Year's Resolutions and their plans, in general, are quite vague. 'I want to be healthier in the New Year, or I want to eat better,'" explains Dean.

A successful action plan might involve, instead of saying I'll eat less junk food, saying I'll eat an apple instead of chips when afternoon hunger hits.

For more information, visit: www.spring.org.uk.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.