How have you successfully changed a habit?

[Herewegoagain751]

Habits I want to change are snacking for the sake of snacking and wasting time on my phone, especially in the evenings.
i sit on the sofa most evenings and the light isn’t great so I can’t read, also I want to watch telly and so wouldn’t concentrate on a book,
anyone successfully managed to stay off their phone in the evening?

Following as I have some habits I really want to kick too. For me it’s also snacking but drinking too. I have fallen into a habit of drinking at least five nights a week and it’s purely out of boredom and habit. It gets to a certain time and I just pour a drink whether I want it or not (I usually do want it to be honest). We’re not talking loads, only a glass of wine but over a week this all adds up and it’s completely unnecessary. If I’m busy or have to drive somewhere or whatever then I don’t do it, but more often than not it’s just something I do to curb the boredom. The same as you with your phone I guess.

I’ve heard that the James Clear book ‘Atomic Habits’ is very good for breaking bad habits and creating new ones. It’s on my TBR pile but I haven’t got round to it yet, maybe I should.

Same! I’ve had that book sat there for years!!

I started knitting again to keep my fingers off my phone when watching telly. It definitely helps. I’m not a very good knitter and stick to basic patterns. Might also help with snacking as you don’t want sticky fingers on your project.

Atomic Habits is an excellent book. It was a game changer for me.
With regards snacking, surely the easiest solution is to simply not buy the snacks? I don't have anything in the house snack wise apart from dark chocolate. If I get peckish then it forces me to eat nuts or fruit or something else healthy, because that's all that's in. He talks about this sort of thing in the book - that you need to find strategies to make it harder to do the things you don't want to do, and easier to do the things you do want to do. Honestly read the book. All the best advice is there and he spent years studying this stuff.

Best advice Ive ever heard is never look at anything as cutting out

Find something to fill the space

So for me its been about learning how to eat a balanced plate and to eat enough tp get he through to the next meal

And then adding a hobby . If Im not doom scrolling I pick up the crochet hook ( I get you with reading ) . Im a crap crocheter , I can go the basics, so for me its a few rows then it needs frogging back

But my hands are busy And I put on crap tv in the evenings whilst going my best to crochet - something `I dont need to stop to watch, like Masterchef , bangers and cash etc - just background, no brain involvement , not whilst Im mastering a stitch

I stopped buying my nails.

Buy a floor standing lamp and/or brighter lightbulbs?

The only time iv been able to break a habit or addiction is replace it with something else