What is a habit? Can they be broken if it is not a positive one? What are your thoughts?
Habits are formed by the repetition of particular acts. They are strengthened by an increase in the number of repeated acts. Habits are also weakened or broken, and contrary habits are formed by the repetition of contrary acts.
Through willingness and desire any habit can be broken. There are too many ex overeater's, smokers and drinkers out there to say other wise.
Unfortunately habits are tough to change and as such a solid plan to make them change is required. This involves understanding why, what, where and when you do your habit.
As most habits are associated with other behavior patterns or bad habits. So many things often change to break on bad habit. The most important is your heart.
This post made me smile... Habits.
Habits can include anything from smoking, drinking, shopping at certain places, twiddling your hair, sitting in a particular seat on the bus, etc...
It can also include these: breathing, thinking, waking at a certain time, being consciencious about placing your recyclable trash in the correct bin.
By their very nature, habits are beyond consciousness. They are things you do unconsciously.
Habits have degrees of habitual behaviour: obviously, you have the habit of breathing, or you die. Conversely, you have the habit of catching a bus instead of using your car. Why do you catch the bus instead of using your car? Economics? Environmentalism? Convenience?
Again, these are answers only obtained by the individual.
I smiled because it reminded me of the difference between Intelligence and Wisdom.
How the brain makes, and breaks, a habit
Not all habits are bad. Some are even necessary. But inability to switch from acting habitually to acting in a deliberate way can underlie addiction and obsessive compulsive disorders. Working with a mouse model, an international team of researchers demonstrates what happens in the brain for habits to control behavior. Ref. Source 9e.
Distinctive brain pattern helps habits form. Neuroscientists have found that certain neurons in the brain are responsible for grouping behaviors together into a single habitual routine, in a process known as 'chunking.' These neurons, located in a brain region highly involved in habit formation, fire at the beginning and the end of a habitual behavior, but not in the middle. Source 5q.