In 2022, a new study shows that you can change an old habit by using a simple technique: interrupt the behavior.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In a recent study conducted at the University of Chicago, researchers showed test subjects a series of slides, some featuring positive life changes and others featuring negative ones. <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

When the participants were shown the slides featuring the negative moments, their brains responded by activating the amygdala, which is the brain\u2019s emotional control center.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

This technique is often used in behavioral psychology, in which an individual is given a task, such as taking a walk or brushing one\u2019s teeth, and is interrupted in the middle of the task. <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

This interruption forces the individual to immediately stop what they are doing and turn to another task. <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Researchers have found that interrupting the old habit can help break it in a single go.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Over the course of the year, you\u2019ll find yourself repeating certain habits, such as brushing your teeth before heading out the door in the morning. <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

When this happens, simply use the interrupt technique to break the old habit and make space for a new one. <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

When you head out the door each morning, brush your teeth, but don\u2019t put toothpaste on. <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

When you leave for work, start your car, but don\u2019t drive.<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, by being conscious of your own habits, you have the ability to break them before they become too ingrained. <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

By identifying when you\u2019re about to engage in behavior that\u2019s no longer serving you, such as brushing your teeth when you don\u2019t actually have toothpaste on, you have the opportunity to interrupt the behavior before it becomes a habit. <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Then, when you find yourself automatically engaging in the same behavior each day, you have the power to change it. <\/h1>\n\n\n\n