Sometime during childhood, I developed a seemingly unbreakable habit of twirling my hair and picking at split ends. It happened mostly during moments of stress, anxiety, and inactivity, and I always wanted to quit. The habit followed me to high school-I can viscerally remember the shame I felt when a teacher mimicked me in front of my classmates. But compared with other tendencies and coping mechanisms I've worked to overcome, playing with my hair just never felt "bad" enough to put much effort into quitting.
The older I get, though, the more determined I am to kick this specific habit. I feel more confident in social and professional settings when I abstain from hair touching; I'm even convinced I sound more composed on calls when I pull my hair back (though the person on the other end doesn't know any better). Overall, I've made progress, but it seems ironic that a habit that was easy to pick up as a kid remains difficult to kick as an adult. Shouldn't I have outgrown this, like I did snarky graphic tees?
Halting a habit, even a menial one, is hard because you often don't realize you're doing it until you've completed the behavior, says Wendy Wood, PhD, provost professor of psychology and business at the University of Southern California and author of Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick. Take typing in your email password as soon as you log on to your work laptop, for example. Your habit of checking your email each morning means you automatically do it, regardless of whether you actually want to look at your inbox.
This story is from the July - August 2023 edition of Women's Health US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July - August 2023 edition of Women's Health US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Silver Linings Playbook
You can learn how to become more optimistic, no matter your starting point.
THE RISE of the GENTLE C-SECTION
How a new surgical practice is transforming women's childbirth experience
The Next Health Tech Revolution Is Here
From smart watches to tracking apps, devices are providing valuable insights.
Planting New Roots
Six late-bloomer lesbians\" share their stories of how they learned to live—and love—authentically.
GROWING FORWARD
Country singer KELSEA BALLERINI is working harder than ever to shake (and remake) old patterns that no longer serve her. Here, she opens up about her intentional journey and shares her mental health musts.
"Learning to Ski at 57 Helped Me Embrace Uncertainty"
Tackling something new-and terrifying was exactly what one freshly single midlifer needed.
Grain Gains
This cozy quinoa salad paired with juicy chicken thighs clocks nearly 50 grams of protein.
Healthy Eats, Delivered
It might be possible to say soodbye to grocery stores forever. But should you? yee
Shower Power
How one writer improved her mental health by connecting with her body
Scent Solutions
What was once a taboo subject-body odor-is now a convo more and more people are happily having.