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How to Break Bad Habits and Rewire Your Choices

How to Break Bad Habits and Rewire Your Choices

Overeating at night? That's not just hunger—it's your brain asking for comfort. Learn what's behind the craving and how to change the pattern.

Sol TV
May 29, 2025

🔎 Why Do Bad Habits Stick?

🎯 Cut Some Slack: Functional Analysis Isn’t About Blame

💡 Sol Bites: How to Use Functional Analysis to Break Habits

🦋 Emotions Are Patterns—And You Can Change Them

🦉 Words of Wisdom

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Do you always stay up way too late binge—watching shows, knowing you’ll regret it in the morning? Or maybe you can’t stop biting your nails when you’re under stress?

You’re not the only one. And behaviors like those aren’t random—there’s a reason they become habits.

To decode what’s really going on—mentally or physically—you need to figure out the hidden need your habits are fulfilling. Think of it like being a detective for your own brain.

Habit: Overeating at Night

Can’t stop filling up on food after dinner? It might be that you’re soothing stress from a long day. A late-night snack can release hormones that feel like a hug for your brain.

Habit: Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

If you’re staying up late on TikTok or YouTube—even when you’re exhausted— it might be because your brain is craving control when you feel like your obligations are stealing your freedom.

Habit: Nail Biting

Biting your nails when anxious? It’s a quick, anywhere distraction that calms your nerves—even if it leaves your fingers looking sad.

Why Do Bad Habits Stick?

No matter how “dumb” a habit seems, it’s doing a job or serving a role for you—usually giving you a quick escape from dealing with tough emotions like stress or anxiety.

But here’s the thing: You can replace a bad habit with something better.

Cut Some Slack: Functional Analysis Isn’t About Blame

Instead of thinking “I’m lazy” or “I’m weak,” see your habits as your brain’s attempt to help you. It’s just… not a great long-term solution.

This mindset shift is huge for preparing for change.

Sol Bites: How to Use Functional Analysis to Break Habits

When you want to break a habit, do these 4 things:

Ask: What’s the habit? Be specific.
Feel: What emotions hit right before? Stress? Boredom? Overwhelm?
Dig: What need is this habit meeting? Control? Relief? Avoidance?
Brainstorm: What else could meet that need without the downsides?

Your Turn!

Pick one habit you want to understand. Try asking those 4 questions today. You might be surprised by what you uncover.

Share your habit (or your aha moment!) below—I’d love to hear it!

Emotions Are Patterns—And You Can Change Them

Warning: Reading this may cause you to realize your emotional responses are as predictable as a traffic light sequence.

Words of Wisdom

❝

You leave old habits behind by starting out with the thought, ‘I release the need for this in my life.’

Wayne Dyer

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