Breaking Bad Habits
Episode Description
Bad habits can be easy to start but sometimes very difficult to stop. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn and therapist Falan Johnson talk about breaking bad habits, including where habits come from, how to know if a habit is bad, and steps you can take to stop it.What to Expect
- Habit cues & loops
- How to break a bad habit
- Benefits of breaking habits
Resources: Learn More
- “How to Break a Bad Habit,” by Steve Calechman (Harvard Health Publishing)
- “Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes that Stick,” by Wendy Wood
Things to Think About
- Not all habits are bad, but if a habit is interrupting activities in your daily life, risking your health, or jeopardizing your relationships, it’s likely something that should be changed.
- If you’re struggling with a bad habit, try listing out the reasons you started the habit and the reasons you’re trying to break it.
- What is a bad habit that you’d like to break?
About the Hosts
Falan Johnson provides therapy for children, adolescents, and young adults ages 7 - 25. She believes it is her job to meet clients where they’re at and provide services specific to their needs. Falan is honored to be a positive change agent in the lives of people who come into her office. She believes in a holistic approach, not only considering the person as an individual but as part of a greater working system. Falan earned her master’s degree in Social Work from the University of North Dakota. She is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Transcript
Breaking Bad Habits
Featuring Falan Johnson, LCSW, Dakota Family Services
Tim Unsinn:
Welcome to Mind Your Mind, a podcast presented by Dakota Family Services, an outpatient behavioral health clinic located in Minot, Bismarck, and Fargo, North Dakota. In this podcast, I will talk with our experts about understanding and nurturing our mental health and wellness. I'm your host, Tim Unsinn. Join me each episode as we explore the intricacies of our minds, decrease the stigma of mental illness, learn practical tips for managing our mental health and wellbeing, and recognize when it's time to ask for help. Join me now to mind your mind. Welcome to this episode of Mind Your Mind. Our guest is Falan Johnson. Falan is an outpatient behavioral health therapist on the Fargo campus and provides outpatient therapy for children, adolescents, and young adults. Falan, as always, great to have you on Mind Your Mind. Our topic is something that a lot of us deal with, bad habits, but before we get there, need to know why you do what you do?
Falan Johnson:
Well, thanks for having me, Tim. I think today's topic is probably a good preface for why I do what I do. I like to help people break habits that they don't love having and build better ones to improve their quality of life.
Tim Unsinn:
You know, the topic being breaking bad habits, we all have habits, so what makes a habit bad?
Falan Johnson:
Great question. I like to start there because I think when we put things in a category of good or bad, we get kind of stuck sometimes. So I think what makes a habit bad is when that is something that you find is interrupting your life and preventing you from accomplishing the goals that you wanna reach. Another good indicator is if this is starting to jeopardize your health, either your physical or your mental health in any way, that might be a good indicator that it's a not so healthy habit for you.
Tim Unsinn:
Yeah. If it's not something that builds you up, you may wanna look at changing that. So I've heard the term habit loop. So what is a habit loop, number one, and what does it look like?
Falan Johnson:
So basically, when a behavior has reached the point of being considered a habit, it is a behavior that we're doing from a relatively unconscious standpoint at this point. So I think of some really common ones would be like nail biting or smoking is one that I think people can relate with. So when it's a behavior that's become relatively unconscious, that means, I like to say it's kind of hijacking our hippocampus, which is our short and our long-term memory. And this can actually really be a positive function. It helps us do things without being so intentional all the time. So it actually helps us build positive habits as well. But in the instance of a bad habit, right, it can be trickier to catch. So with the habit loop, that is going to consist of a cue. So that can be environmental, it can be internal, maybe it's a sound, maybe it's a feeling. And then we go into the behavior and then that behavior is rewarded in some way with some sort of positive reinforcement.
Tim Unsinn:
So that's the habit loop. So what need am I meeting when I engage in this habit?
Falan Johnson:
So this is where the mindfulness part is gonna come in, which just means paying attention on purpose, nonjudgmentally. So again, because it becomes so ingrained to the point where we're not even really noticing it, the first step is going to be slowing down and paying attention to what is that behavior we're engaging in? What is the cue? What are we getting out of it? So let's say if the behavior's nail biting, maybe we opened up an email from a colleague and we notice it triggered anxiety for us, and that's when we start the nail biting. Well, we're trying to soothe our anxiety properly.
Tim Unsinn:
You don't open up those emails anymore. No, that's not <laugh>, that's not the answer.
Falan Johnson:
<Laugh>. Yeah. So in that situation, the feeling would be anxiety, right? And we're trying to soothe that anxiety. So again, I brought up smoking earlier. A lot of times that can be something that people use to self-soothe. I think it's important to think about the reasons you created the habit in the first place are often very different from the reasons you wanna break the habit. So when I think about smoking, a lot of times that's a habit that's taken on in adolescence or early adulthood and maybe the goal is to fit in or look cool. Well, you know, when you're in the latter part of your life, right, and you're starting to have some of these negative reinforcers, like the beginning stages of COPD, it's not meeting that same need for you anymore. So just slowing down. What is the need? Where did this habit start and what is the need that it's meeting for you today?
Tim Unsinn:
Well, and I can think of benefits to replacing those behaviors. What are some of those?
Falan Johnson:
Well, I guess I'll carry on with smoking, right? So if you are in the latter part of your life, it's probably not as important to you to look cool and fit in as it was when you were maybe 16. So a benefit to replacing that behavior is you're gonna reduce your risk of COPD, cancer, diabetes, everything, really. You're gonna be able to sustain higher levels of activity for longer. So essentially you are just gonna want to mindfully sit down and even list these out. What are the benefits to changing this habit for you? So you've got it right there in front of you. Because when you have that urge to engage in the habit, it's really easy to forget about all those reasons why.
Tim Unsinn:
Alright, so another side question for you. Is it also beneficial to, for example, staying on the smoking theme, think of all the benefits to those around you? Should we write a list of things, the benefits of those around us? So maybe we are not as strong at breaking that habit, but we look at a list and say, oh, my family, you know, are there benefits that way?
Falan Johnson:
Absolutely. I think that is going to come down to each individual. So some people are much more motivated by doing things that are gonna be helpful or benefit others. Some people are not gonna be as motivated. Some people are gonna be more motivated for the self-improvement piece of things. And there's no right or wrong answer to that. I think it's just important to know how you work best and plan accordingly.
Tim Unsinn:
Super. Thank you. Our topic has been breaking bad habits, our guest Falan Johnson. And before we wrap up and put a bow on this podcast, would you tell us please, what you personally do to mind your mind?
Falan Johnson:
Well, lately I would say really snuggling in with my dog lately. I don't know. It's, it's just working for me.
Tim Unsinn:
And that helps you out. Great. That's awesome. Thank you so much again for being on Mind Your Mind. We appreciate your time and talent with us. Thank you.
Falan Johnson:
Thank you.
Tim Unsinn:
Thank you for joining us for Mind Your Mind, a podcast presented by Dakota Family Services. You can't have health without behavioral health. Remember to mind your mind. For more information, links to additional resources, contact information, and much more. Go to Dakotafamilyservices.org.
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While OCD is sometimes perceived as simply a desire to keep things neat and organized, it can actually have much more severe symptoms for those who experience it. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn meets with psychologist Dr. Megan Spencer to talk about who Obsessive Compulsive Disorder affects, what its signs and symptoms are, and how to seek help if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with OCD.;
Finding a Therapist
Are you looking for some help on your mental health journey? In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn and therapist Jessie Mertz talk about how to find a therapist, including what you should know when searching and what questions to ask when you meet a therapist for the first time. They also touch on what the letters after a therapist’s name mean, and how they apply to the type of services or treatment you might be looking for.;
Coping with Rejection
Whether it’s from asking someone on a date or applying for a job, we all experience rejection at some point in our lives. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn talks with therapist April Morris about how to cope with rejection, including the common coping stages, the importance of acceptance, and how rejection can impact people differently.;
Borderline Personality Disorder
Like other personality disorders, borderline personality disorder is a commonly misunderstood and stigmatized mental illness. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn talks with Lucas Mitzel, a therapist at Dakota Family Services, about what BPD is, how it affects someone’s behavior, and where to seek treatment if your child has been diagnosed with BPD.;
Psychological Assessments: What to Expect
Do you think you might be suffering from an undiagnosed mental disorder? If so, a psychological assessment might be able to help. In this episode of Mind Your Mind, psychologist Dr. Hannah Baczynski and host Tim Unsinn talk about what to expect from a psychological assessment, including what an assessment might include, what information you might receive from the psychologist, and what you should communicate with your psychologist before and after receiving an assessment.;
Supplements in Psychiatry
In this episode of Mind Your Mind, host Tim Unsinn and Amanda Daggett explore the topic of using supplements for mental health. In addition to talking about some of the most commonly used supplements like melatonin and St. John’s Wort, they also discuss the benefits, the risks, and the research surrounding various supplements.;
Seasonal Affective Disorder (Community Chat Series)
Feeling like you’ve got the winter blues? If you’re noticing symptoms of depression with the change of seasons, it may be a sign that you’re suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. In this special Community Chat episode of Mind Your Mind, therapists Christy Wilkie and Lucas Mitzel discuss the common symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, how it can affect other mental health disorders, and some useful tips, tricks, and resources for managing symptoms of SAD.;
Trying New Things With Confidence
Join Christy and Lucas, therapists at Dakota Family Services, as they share practical tips for building confidence when trying new things. From managing self-doubt to building resilience, this episode will empower you to approach new experiences with a positive mindset.;
Relationships are Hard
In this episode, Christy and Lucas explore why relationships can be so hard. Join them as they discuss the characteristics of both healthy and toxic relationships, talk about the difference between normal conflict and abuse, and help you discover your love languages so you and your partner can best express your love to each other.;
Is Everybody Anxious?
In this episode, Christy and Lucas explore anxiety. Join them as they discuss the signs and symptoms of an anxiety disorder, what you can do to decrease your anxiety, and how to best help loved ones struggling with anxiety.;
Is Everyone Feeling Sad
In this episode, Christy and Lucas explore depression. Join them as they discuss the signs and symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder, what you can do to help yourself feel better, and what you can do to help your loved ones. They will talk about coping strategies, therapy interventions, and ways to help you identify when your child might need extra help.;
Change is Hard
Change is inevitable. Join Christy and Lucas as they explore big and small changes and how they impact you. Learn why change can be so hard, even good change, and discover ways to manage it effectively.;
We Need to Talk About Suicide
In this episode of "Is It Just Me," Christy and Lucas discuss the very important topic of suicide. Listen to learn about risk factors, warning signs, and what you can do to help a loved one who is struggling. Remember, you are not alone. If you need immediate assistance, call 911. If you need to talk to someone, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.;
Do We Need to Get Outside?
Join Lucas and Christy as they explore the power of spending time outdoors on mental and emotional well-being. Discover practical tips, personal anecdotes, and expert insights on the benefits of getting outside and reconnecting with nature.;
Exploring ADHD
In this episode of "Is It Just Me?" Lucas and Christy discuss ADHD, shedding light on its prevalence and impact on daily life. Learn practical strategies for managing symptoms and understand why your friend or loved one with ADHD does the things they do.;
Internet Safety and Mental Health
In this episode of "Is It Just Me?", join our hosts Christy and Lucas as they delve into the complex relationship between the internet and mental health. With the digital age bringing information and social connections to our fingertips, it also presents unique challenges and opportunities for our safety and psychological well-being.;
Boosting Self-Esteem: From Marathons to Daily Triumphs
In this episode of "Is It Just Me?", Christy and Lucas discuss how common it is for people to see themselves differently from others. Using their own personal triumphs and challenges as examples, they outline the things that shape our self-esteem. Additionally, they share simple daily practices to help listeners recognize and celebrate their own personal victories. This episode is filled with tips and engaging stories aimed at encouraging listeners to undertake challenges that foster self-growth and personal confidence.;
Therapy Unveiled: What to Know Before You Go
In this episode of "Is It Just Me," Lucas and Christy talk about what it's like to begin therapy. Feeling apprehensive about starting therapy is normal, but surmountable. Together, Lucas and Christy unravel common myths about therapy and emphasize the role of therapy in disrupting negative life patterns and routines that are no longer serving you.;
Coping with the Back-to-School Blues
In the latest episode of “Is It Just Me?” Christy and Lucas tackle the transition from leisurely summer days to structured school schedules with warmth and wisdom. This episode is a must-listen for parents seeking guidance and strategies to help navigate the shift with confidence. Learn how to handle changes in routine, the importance of communication, and strategies to help the entire family adjust to and embrace the new normal. Listening to this episode can be your first step toward making back-to-school a season of growth and positive change for all.;
The Art of Overcoming Trauma
In this month’s episode the "Is It Just Me?" podcast, Lucas Mitzel and Christy Wilkie, Dakota Family Services, dive into the complexities of trauma and its therapy. The episode sheds light on Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (T-F-C-B-T) and the importance of creating a trauma narrative as a cornerstone of healing. The thoughtful discussions aim to educate listeners on the intricacies of trauma, the innovative methods used in therapy, and the role of caregivers in the recovery process. Through expert insights and compassionate storytelling, Lucas and Christy provide practical advice and real-world examples for individuals who have experienced trauma.;