How Long Does It Take To Break A Habit?

By Trevor Johnson

Many a statistics state that a habit can be broken within 6 weeks. It also takes up to 6 weeks to make a habit. I guess a lot people will be interested in breaking a bad habit that inhibits their performance. Some people will be glad to make habits that are beneficial. Breaking a habit is possible, but you may get various results for each type of habit. You may have realized that habits like setting the alarm clock on every night, playing your favorite song before you go to bed, and checking the doors are not hard to program. Other types of habits are stubborn.

Habits like smoking, swearing, over-eating, biting your lips, and such are hard to break. You may have a habit that you have been trying to overcome for many years, but you find yourself relapsing into the same pattern over and over again. Sure, some of these habits can be broken for a temporary period if we start engaging in other activities.

Habits can be stopped for specific intervals of time. However, they will come back to rule over you after this interval. Habits which are done when an individual is alone, can be stopped if that time is spent in engaging activities. However, there are habits which take hold of us even if we are occupied with some activity.

Habits may be compulsive or destructive. Compulsive behavior is attributed to many factors. There are celebrities and stars known to suffer from compulsive behavior. Compulsive behavior varies in frequency.

One example of compulsive obsessive disorder is arranging things in order all the time. A person with this disorder may start arranging books, pens or glasses in order when he enters a room. The sight of disorderly items does not go down well with him.

It is difficult to break a habit. Some habits may require the help of a psychiatrist. Destructive habits which cause deterioration should be done away with. These include bulimia, anorexia nervosa, drunkenness and drug abuse. Some habits are annoying and disturbing. Such habits may cause discomfort to other people. Cursing and yelling are examples.

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