# 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.

- Topic: Personal Life & Wellbeing
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Advanced
- Tags: Productivity, Fill-in Template, Interactive
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/break-a-bad-habit-i-keep-falling-back-into

## Prompt

```text
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.
```

## What to fill in

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

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.