We all have trouble getting rid of bad habits<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n First of all, let’s understand what a habit<\/a> is. A habit<\/a> is a pathway in your brain that’s nice and comfy and slick like a Slip-n-Slide on a hot summer day. Your brain jumps on that habit<\/a> pathway without any conscious<\/a> thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we didn’t have habits, we’d have a hard time getting through a day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Life would be a little crazy—and much more difficult—without habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brain scientists say that you can form a habit<\/a> just by doing something three times the same way!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brain scientists say that it takes conscious<\/a>, sustained<\/a> effort to break a habit<\/a> that we’ve formed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s start with a pleasurable activity, maybe one you wish you had time to do more. For example, maybe you want to do more drawing, but you never feel like you have enough time. Here are the steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The funny thing is, once you’ve done this a few times, it will start to feel “wrong” if you don’t do it. Note: It might take you longer to form a new habit<\/a> that you don’t really want to form! <\/em>That’s why we practiced with something fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s hard to form new good habits<\/span><\/strong>—that’s true for all of us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s hard to break old bad habits<\/span><\/strong>—that’s true for all of us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have patience with yourself and keep working on it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What are habits? Why is it hard to form good ones? Why is it hard to break bad ones?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"http:\/\/sukiwessling.com\/kidblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Habits_mixdown.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"http:\/\/sukiwessling.com\/kidblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/KidsLearn-Habits.jpg","cover_image_id":"812","duration":"4:16","filesize":"7.82M","filesize_raw":"8201575","date_recorded":"2022-08-17 23:29:09","explicit":"","block":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,4,3],"tags":[35,36],"series":[66],"class_list":["post-808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-being-a-kid","category-memory","category-the-brain","tag-habits","tag-homework","series-kidslearn"],"aioseo_notices":[],"episode_featured_image":false,"episode_player_image":"https:\/\/sukiwessling.com\/kidblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/KidsLearn-Habits.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/sukiwessling.com\/kidblog\/podcast-download\/808\/a-note-about-habits","player_link":"https:\/\/sukiwessling.com\/kidblog\/podcast-player\/808\/a-note-about-habits","audio_player":"https:\/\/sukiwessling.com\/kidblog\/podcast-player\/808\/a-note-about-habits<\/a>","episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/kidslearn-with-prof-suki\/id1703325213","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"rss":{"key":"rss","url":"https:\/\/sukiwessling.com\/kidblog\/feed\/podcast","label":"RSS","class":"rss","icon":"rss.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/7DuOuT1jXWSctSexcdC97s","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"tunein":{"key":"tunein","url":"","label":"TuneIn","class":"tunein","icon":"tunein.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mECGrb_UsoA&list=PLhcbiKBzJvJLnU2R4q1eSNuE_jBTCm6Iu","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/sukiwessling.com\/kidblog\/feed\/podcast\/kidslearn","embedCode":"Habits are all in your brain<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"Slide\"](\"http:\/\/sukiwessling.com\/kidblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/slipnslide.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Habits are easy to form…<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
…and hard to break<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tips for forming a new, good<\/em> habit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/figure>we’ll set an example goal of spending at least a half an hour on one new drawing a week<\/li>\n\n\n\n
create a calendar reminder on your device or ask your parent to support you by reminding you<\/li>\n\n\n\n
choose something you always do every Sunday, such as eat lunch or go to Sunday school—you’ll have drawing time right afterwards<\/li>\n\n\n\n
DO NOT let yourself off the hook<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nTips for breaking a bad<\/em> habit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/a><\/figure>Identify the habit<\/a> you want to break:<\/span>
for example, chewing on your fingernails<\/li>\n\n\n\n
do you always chew them while reading? while in the car? when you’re nervous?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
hold a fidget toy while reading, or practice deep breathing when you get nervous<\/li>\n\n\n\n
ask your parent or a friend or sibling to say a code word—make it silly!—if you fall back into the habit<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
Remember: breaking habits is harder than forming them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nBe nice to yourself!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
A note about habits<\/a><\/blockquote>