Research demonstrates that some activities promote good health, while others have negative effects. However, many people continue to engage in unhealthy behaviors due to factors like the power of addiction and lack of awareness. To address this, consciousness of ones actions and rewarding system must be implemented.
One significant reason why people continue unhealthy behaviors is the power of habits. As highlighted in the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, habits are formed through repeated actions and are difficult to break because they are embedded to cues in our environmental. Habits are often automatic responses to specific triggers. For example, brushing teeth after waking up feels natural because the cue—waking up—forms as a trigger which means “brush teeth”. Similarly, unhealthy habits like eating junk food while watching TV or scrolling social media before bed become tied to specific cues in the environment. These triggers make breaking unhealthy habits difficult. To address this, individuals can be taught to recognize these cues and replace bad habits with healthier alternatives, such as cooking nutritious meals before watching TV or give yourself a rest from phone two hours before bad.
Another cause is the lack of awareness about the long-term consequences of unhealthy lifestyle. As James Clear highlights in Atomic Habits, people often prioritize immediate rewards over future benefits. For instance, eating fast food provides instant satisfaction, while the negative health effects are delayed. To tackle this problem individuals can pair healthy activities with instant rewards, such as treating themselves with an episode of their favorite show only after completing a workout.
In conclusion, the main reasons why people do not break up unhealthy routine are the power of bad habit and unawareness about consequences. By recognizing triggers and making healthy choices rewarded, people will replace harmful habits with healthier alternatives.