self improvement

How Long Does It Take To Break A Habit?

Most statistics claim that it takes four to six weeks to break a habit or addiction. The same statistics say it takes four to six weeks to make a habit. Well, it is possible to make or break a habit, but it depends on what type of habit you are dealing with. Habits like closing the gate every night, checking for mail at four o’clock are easy to make. However, there are habits that are hard to break.

I can remember some of my friends in high school, who had certain habits. I also have three or so habits that I have been doing since high school. If you try to break your habit, it is as if you are fighting another part of you. Parents may have told you to stop certain habits when you were young. Some habits can broken down forever during childhood. However, some people persist with their habits into adulthood.

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.

Compulsive and destructive habits affect a lot of people. Celebrities and famous personalities are not spared either. Obsessive-compulsive behavior is a disorder that is characterized by repeated actions or rituals. The cause of this disorder is not known. The disorder may also occur in people with symptoms of other disorders.

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.

Overcoming a habit may be an uphill task. Habits that must be broken are those, which affect the health of a person. Habits like smoking, over-eating and self-starvation have negative consequences. There are habits which are annoying, embarassing or offensive. These include swearing, swallowing, picking your nose and pulling your hair.