Can the brain abandon old habits?
Yes, it most definitely can.
I have personally found, though, that it is easier to create a new habit rather than working on breaking a bad habit.
For example, I tried for years to quit drinking soda, a horrible habit I had that I wanted to end. I set up my own personal rules with when I was allowed to have a soda and when I was not. I tried limiting myself to so many soda’s in the week. I tried stopping cold turkey. All of this to no avail.
When I tried to keep away from a bad habit, my thoughts were still focused on it. And just that alone was only reinforcing the habit in my brain.
Then I heard from somewhere that the trick was focusing my brain on a new habit rather than working on abandoning a bad one.
I put this wisdom to the test and trained my mind to focus on developing a new habit instead, and my experience proved successful.
In order to break my soda habit, I told myself regularly that I was developing a new habit of drinking unsweet iced tea (which I really do enjoy drinking). I then told myself during the same times I would normally think about drinking a soda, that I would love to have an iced tea.
I would not allow my brain to move towards having thoughts of drinking a soda or even thoughts of not drinking a soda. If I did allow even my mind to dwell on the lack of soda drinking, then again I would find myself really craving one.
I then brought this new thought into other times and events that I would normally crave a soda. The hardest places of course were at restaurants eating my favorite foods. Before even walking into the eating establishment, however, I would put my mind onto the unsweet iced tea that I would soon be enjoying.
It worked!
I had trained my mind to crave a much healthier beverage at these different times and places and it became easier to keep to my new habit each time. I was intentionally choosing to reinforce the new habit rather than avoiding a bad habit.
I also have a habit tracker system on my phone. This gives me the reward of accomplishment as I learn a new habit. I will talk more about this system in my next Helpful Tip I share on social media!