﻿ Break Bad Habits in 3 Easy Steps on MedicineNet.com Feature
Archive  3 Easy Steps to Breaking Bad Habits   By Denise Mann
WebMD Medical News  Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD      Here's
how:  Step No.1: Make It Conscious  The first step is to figure
out when—and why—you bite your nails, crack your knuckles, or
engage in any other bad habit. "If you can notice when you are
doing it and under what circumstances and what feelings are
attached to it, you might be able to figure out why you are
doing it and be able to stop," says Susan Jaffe, MD, a
psychiatrist in private practice in New York City.  Step No. 2:
Put It in Writing So It Really Sinks In  "Log it," says Janet L.
Wolfe, PhD, a clinical psychologist in New York City and author
of several books including What to Do When He Has a Headache.
This will help you establish a baseline, she says. "Put down the
antecedents, the emotions surrounding the knuckle cracking and
what goes through your head when you crack your knuckles," she
says. "This will make your ba