70 Bad Habit Triggers and How to Track Them

Here’s an easy guide on how to spot the most common bad habit triggers.

You can’t change what you don’t see.

In that sense, knowing your triggers is the secret to beating bad habits. Because if you eliminate all triggers, you will naturally quit the bad habit.

If there is nothing that triggers your bad habits, then you no longer have any bad habits.

No triggers for bad habits = No bad habits.

Ready to get started?

How to Track Your Habit Trigger

1. Pick the bad habit that you want to quit.
   What habit do you want to quit? Smoking? Snacking? Checking your phone too much? Here is a list of 167 bad habits, if you need inspiration.
2. Become a scientist and watch yourself.
   For a few days, watch yourself like a scientist watching an animal in the wild. Don’t try to stop or change anything. Just watch and observe your behaviours.
3. Ask yourself.
   When do I do my bad habit? When do I feel the urge to do it? What happens right before? Is there a feeling, a place, or a person that precedes it?
4. Write your observations about your habit triggers down.
   Use a notebook or your phone. Every time you do the habit or feel an urge, jot down: What time is it? Where are you? What are you feeling? What just happened?
5. Look for common patterns.
   After three days, read your notes. What do you see? Nervous before deadlines? Hungry when snacking? Bored during breaks? Are there situations that cause you to fall back into your bad habit again and again?

Example:

Here is a short example.

You might want to quit mindless snacking.

If you observe your habits and triggers for a few days, you might notice that you snack often when watching TV, crave chips when feeling bored, or grab sweets when stressed or tired.

If you write this down, you start to see your triggers clearly.

You can then create plans to avoid these triggers in the future.

You can create a plan for when you watch TV, feel bored, or are stressed and tired. And then use good replacement habits instead.

70 Triggers for Bad Habits

Here is a list of example triggers. You may even be able to identify some of your triggers for your bad habit by reviewing this list.

List of 70 common bad habit triggers that often prompt unwanted behaviors:

1. Boredom
2. Stress
3. Anxiety
4. Fatigue
5. Social pressure
6. Seeing others engage in the habit
7. Waiting in line
8. Watching TV or browsing social media
9. Drinking alcohol
10. Drinking coffee
11. Being alone
12. Feeling sad or depressed
13. Work stress
14. Conflict or arguments
15. Celebrations or parties
16. Feeling overwhelmed
17. Hearing certain songs or sounds
18. Specific times of day (e.g., late night)
19. Certain locations (e.g., kitchen, bar)
20. Smelling food or cigarettes
21. Drastically changing environment
22. Feeling hungry
23. Receiving stressful emails or messages
24. Meeting old friends linked to the habit
25. Watching movies with triggers
26. Nervousness
27. Feeling restless
28. Feeling unproductive or procrastinating
29. Financial stress
30. Seeing related objects (e.g., lighter, snacks)
31. Commuting or driving
32. Waiting for something or someone
33. Feeling socially awkward
34. Lack of plans for the day
35. Feeling cold or warm
36. Physical pain or discomfort
37. Lack of sleep
38. Lack of structure in the day
39. Running out of healthy alternatives
40. Feeling impatient
41. Multitasking or distraction
42. Seeing advertisements or commercials
43. Feeling lonely
44. Being excited or overly happy
45. Feeling angry or frustrated
46. Feeling envy or jealousy
47. Receiving compliments or praise
48. Watching sports
49. Using certain apps or websites
50. Hearing a specific catchphrase or word
51. Feeling uncertain or indecisive
52. Seeing clutter or chaos
53. Feeling thirsty
54. Feeling sleepy
55. Long meetings or waiting rooms
56. Feeling unappreciated or rejected
57. Smelling certain perfumes or colognes
58. Receiving bad news
59. Feeling nostalgic
60. Cleaning or organizing
61. Feeling rushed or late
62. Feeling generous or celebratory
63. Seeing sugary or junk food
64. Feeling competitive
65. Receiving notifications
66. Feeling disconnected or isolated
67. Seeing a clock or watch frequently
68. Feeling guilty or regretful
69. Being in a crowd
70. Starting a break or finishing work

Which triggers precede your bad habits?

Ready to catch those triggers in action?

You’ve got this!

Action Steps:

1. Pick a habit you want to quit and watch yourself like a scientist would watch an animal to study them.
2. Become aware of when, where, and why your bad habit happens.
3. Be patient and curious with yourself, and don’t try to quit your bad habit just yet; just observe.