A friend offers you a smoke while you're tailgating at the game. You have one every now and then, and you're not hooked, so sure, thanks. Besides, it does look good with your drink. This, my friend, is your brain battling a bad habit — and losing. As we continually perform a behavior — smoking socially, say, or texting while driving — neural pathways in our brains form new patterns, according to a recent MIT review. Once the prompt arrives, your brain shifts into autopilot. "Situational cues bring out habits that are deeply embedded," says Ellen Peters, Ph.D., who studies risk perceptions at Decision Research, a psychological research firm in Eugene, Oregon. "When that habit surfaces, it's hard not to let it overcome you." The problem, of course, is that these proclivities can endanger your health. So follow our guide to rid yourself, once and for all, of a few distinctly unhealthy habits.
A Quick Drag Every Now and Again...
While regular smokers have a chemical component fueling their addiction, people who smoke only occasionally succumb mainly to social and environmental triggers. "The most powerful prompt is often being around other people who are smoking or drinking," says Michael Fiore, M.D., director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention. In stressful situations, a cigarette can put you at ease: Ten minutes after you take a puff, your brain releases a surge of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that can make you feel relaxed and happy. (Want to boost your mood without cigarettes or drugs? Try these 12 blues-busting strategies.)
Why it's bad: Lighting up even a few times a week is still poisoning yourself. "There's no lower limit of exposure to tobacco smoke that is safe. Period," says Richard D. Hurt, M.D., director of the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center. In fact, a single cigarette can almost instantly injure the inner walls of your blood vessels. That damage can lead to heart disease and blood clots. Looming in the background, of course, is also the risk of developing a full-blown addiction. Some research suggests that about a quarter of "occasional" smokers go full-time.
Break the habit: When you can't steer clear of the smokestacks, benign substitutes can work wonders, Dr. Hurt says. For instance, grab a drink stirrer and hold it between your fingers like a cigarette. Set it between your lips while you take out your wallet or phone. This keeps your mouth and hands busy. And carry nicotine gum or lozenges — these can mimic the effects of nicotine from cigarettes, Dr. Fiore says.
Evenings in Front of the Tube...
Grabbing some snacks and firing up the plasma after work is okay once or twice a week. But every night? Yes, bad habit. "People who are under high levels of stress and who may not have a large network of friends are prone to isolating themselves after work," says Leonard Jason, Ph.D., a DePaul University psychologist who studies the challenges of breaking bad habits. "Eventually, it becomes their default."
Why it's bad: Slumming it on the couch plays havoc with your body and your brain. For one thing, people can consume up to 71 percent more food while they're glued to the tube, so it's no surprise that watching more than 19 hours a week increases your odds of being overweight by 97 percent, according to a 2007 Belgian study. And researchers at Case Western Reserve University found that for every hour of TV beyond 80 minutes that you watch daily, your risk of developing Alzheimer's increases by a whopping 30 percent.
Break the habit: If you have a digital video recorder, use it to record shows, and simply start your descent to bedtime later in the evening, Jason suggests. Zipping through the commercials can cut about half an hour off every 2 hours of couch time. Then, at least three times a week, make afterwork plans that specifically involve people — meet friends for dinner, or join a recreational sports team. "Finding alternatives that you can do with others helps reduce passive TV viewing," Jason says. How about taking her out? But not just for dinner and a movie — plan one of these unforgettable adventures for a date like she's never gone on before.
Next up: How to nix caffeine cravings
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