ThinkWithPrompt by SynotticThinkWithPrompt

Break a bad habit I keep falling back into

A plan to stop an unwanted habit by mapping its triggers, swapping in a replacement, and handling slip-ups without quitting.

Personal Life & WellbeingFew-ShotAdvancedProductivityFill-in TemplateInteractive

The prompt

Help me break a habit I want to stop. The habit: [e.g. "scrolling my phone in bed", "snacking at night", "biting my nails"] When and where it usually happens: [TIMES, PLACES, PEOPLE, MOODS] What it gives me in the moment: [e.g. "relief from boredom", "a break", "comfort after a stressful day"] What I've tried before and why it didn't last: [DETAILS] Why I want to stop now: [MY REASON] Work through it in this order: 1. Habit loop: name the likely cue, the routine, and the reward, based on what I shared. Ask me one question if something is unclear. 2. Make it harder: 3 ways to add friction to the old habit (distance, extra steps, removing the trigger). 3. Replacement: 2-3 substitute behaviors that give a similar reward, matched to my real situation. 4. If-then plans: 3 specific "If [cue], then I will [action]" statements. 5. Slip-up plan: what to do the day after a lapse so one slip doesn't become a relapse. 6. Tracking: a simple 4-week tracker (table: Week | Urges noticed | Times I used my replacement | What helped). Keep the tone practical and non-judgmental. If the habit involves alcohol, drugs, gambling, self-harm, or disordered eating, say kindly that a doctor or specialist service can help in ways a plan can't, and suggest where to start (in the US, the free, confidential SAMHSA National Helpline is 1-800-662-4357). If I mention thoughts of harming myself, tell me to call or text 988 or contact emergency services now.

Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.

Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Personal Life & Wellbeing prompts

What to fill in

  • TIMES, PLACES, PEOPLE, MOODS
  • DETAILS
  • MY REASON
  • cue
  • action

How this prompt is built

This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.

Related prompts