Why is it so hard to break a bad habit?

譯者: TzuYu Kung 審譯者: 穎君 紀

Billions of people deal with a nail-biting habit at some point in their lives.

數十億人都曾有過咬指甲的壞習慣。

Many will go to great lengths to try to stop,

許多人無所不用其極，阻止自己咬指甲，

employing strategies like rubbing chili peppers on their cuticles,

像在指甲上塗辣椒、

wearing gloves all day, dipping their hands in salt,

整天戴著手套、將雙手浸入鹽中，

and envisioning bacteria crawling on their fingers.

或者在腦中想像細菌爬在手指上的樣子。

And while not all of us are nail-biters,

雖然不是所有人都會咬指甲，

most of us do have a habit we'd like to kick.

但我們大多都有想改掉的壞習慣。

So what's the best way to break one?

那，改掉壞習慣的最佳方式是什麼呢？

Scientists define habits as behaviors that are performed regularly,

科學家將習慣定義為定期執行的行爲，

and cued subconsciously in response to certain environments,

以及被特定環境條件觸發的下意識反應，

whether it be a location, time of day, or even an emotional state.

如特定地點、特定時間， 甚至是特定情緒所引發的行為。

They can include simple actions like picking your hair when stressed,

習慣可以是簡單的動作， 像是壓力大時拔頭髮，

but also more complex practices ingrained in daily routines,

也可以是生活中更根深蒂固的行為，

like staying up late or brewing your coffee in the morning.

如熬夜，或每天早上泡咖啡。

If you do something frequently, without much deliberation,

如果你無意間經常做某些事情，

then it’s likely a habit.

那它可能就是習慣。

They form because at some point your brain learns that the behavior is beneficial.

習慣形成的原因是你的腦袋發現 特定情況下，某種行為對你有好處。

Let's say after opening a stressful email, you bite your nails.

比如，打開一封讓你備感壓力的 電子郵件後，你咬了咬指甲。

This is rewarding, as it’s enough to focus your attention,

這個行為對你有益，因為它 在當下提升了你的注意力，

curbing your email fueled anxiety.

進而壓制住電子郵件引起的焦慮。

Within your brain, positive experiences can trigger the release of dopamine,

在你的大腦裡，正向經驗 會引發多巴胺釋放，

a neurotransmitter that mediates feelings of pleasure.

一種讓人感到快樂的神經傳導物質。

Dopamine is also a driver of neuroplasticity,

多巴胺也驅動大腦的重塑，意思是

meaning it can change how your neurons wire and fire.

它能改變腦神經的連結和運作方式。

Your brain builds connections that link the reward with the behavior,

你的大腦連接起行為與獎勵，

driving you to repeat it.

驅使你不斷的重複。

It also starts associating the behavior with other cues, like your environment.

大腦也會開始將行為與其他 線索連結，如當下的周遭環境，

Eventually, all it takes is the context of sitting at your desk

最後, 只要坐在辦公桌前，

to subconsciously trigger a nail-biting habit—

就會無意識觸發你咬指甲的壞習慣， 明明都還沒讀到讓人有壓力的電郵。

no stressful email or sense of relief required.

Once established, these cue-behavior-reward loops work fast,

一旦習慣建立，這些提示—行為—獎勵 迴圈就會快速地重複運作，

outpacing the decision-making process.

速度遠快過大腦正常決策的過程。

You may find yourself engaging in a habit

你可能在意識到並制止自己前，

before you have the chance to notice and stop.

就已經不自覺地做了習慣行為。

But this can be a good thing because not all habits are bad.

但這可能是件好事，因為 不是所有習慣都是壞習慣。

They’re stored memories of what’s worked in the past,

它們是過去有效的經驗記憶，

which allow you to take swift action in the present.

讓你可以在當下快速開始行動。

One study estimated that on average,

一項研究顯示，平均而言，

people spend more than 40% of their days performing regularly repeated behaviors

人們每天花 40％ 以上的時間 進行重複的行為，

while their minds are occupied with other thoughts.

同時在心裡思考其他事情。

A seemingly automated morning routine, for example,

例如，早上一連串的慣性行為

saves you both time and precious mental energy.

能幫你省下時間和寶貴的精力。

Still, many people have habits that no longer serve them.

許多人還留著對自己沒幫助的習慣。

Yet research shows that intentions alone often fail

然而研究顯示，單憑意志 無法長期改變習慣。

to lead to long-term behavior change.

This isn’t to say you can’t break a habit.

不是說你沒辦法打破習慣。

Rather, by understanding the basis of habits,

反過來說，了解習慣的成因之後，

you can create better plans for changing them.

就可以打造更好的計劃來改掉習慣。

For example, we know habits are often cued by environments and routines.

例如，我們知道了特定環境和 例行活動會引發特定習慣—

Lying in bed may cause you to endlessly scroll through your phone,

躺在床上可能會讓你不斷滑手機，

or watching TV on the couch may lead you to grab a sugary snack.

或在沙發上看電視可能會 讓你忍不住吃下含糖的零食。

One of the most effective ways to manage behavior

管理行為最有效的其中一種方法是

is to identify these locations or times of day.

找出一天中讓習慣形成的時間及地點。

Then try to modify them by changing your routine

然後透過刻意改變慣性行為，

or creating obstacles that make it more difficult to perform the habit

或刻意創造障礙，讓該行為更難達成。

in that space.

Moving, switching jobs, or even starting a new schedule,

搬家、換工作、新生活開始，改變作息

are particularly great times to break a habit or build a new one.

都是打破舊習慣或養成新習慣的好時機。

One 2005 study tracked university students’ exercising,

2005 年的一項研究追蹤大學生

轉學前後的運動、閱讀和看電視習慣。

reading, and TV watching habits before and after they transferred schools.

When students were no longer around old environments and routines,

學生脫離舊環境和舊作息模式後，

their habits, even the strong ones, significantly changed.

他們的習慣，連根深蒂固的 習慣，都明顯地改變。

For behaviors like nail-biting or hair-pulling,

至於像咬指甲或拔頭髮這類的行為，

a practice called habit reversal training can be helpful.

或許能用「習慣逆轉訓練」 來改善。

Developed by psychologists in the 1970s,

這套訓練由心理學家在 1970 年代開發，

the aim is to change a habit by replacing it with another one

目標是讓受訓者建立較無害的 新習慣來取代原有的習慣。

that’s less detrimental.

The training requires you to analyze and understand your habit cues,

這套訓練要求你分析， 並了解該習慣的誘發條件，

so you can effectively intervene at the right times.

讓你及時制止自己再犯老毛病。

For example, if you tend to bite your nails at work,

例如，如果你會邊工作邊咬指甲，

preemptively keep a fidget toy at your desk.

那就在桌上放個紓壓玩具來預防吧。

Then, if a stressful email comes in,

如果來了讓你備感壓力的電子郵件，

use the toy when you feel the urge to bite your nails.

就用紓壓玩具來排解想咬指甲的衝動。

Breaking a habit takes time,

改掉習慣需要時間，

so remember to give yourself grace and have patience through the process.

所以記住寬恕自己，對自己有耐心。

And while many focus on their bad habits,

雖然許多人聚焦於壞習慣，

it’s also worth celebrating the good ones

但請別忘記珍惜幫助我們快速地 做出正確行動的這些好習慣。

that help us move swiftly and successfully through our daily routines.