Today, Jay invites us to rethink everything we’ve been taught about breaking bad habits. Instead of blaming willpower, discipline, or personality traits, he reframes habits as systems shaped by our triggers, emotions, and environments. He explains why most habits aren’t character flaws but subconscious coping strategies designed to provide comfort, escape, or relief. With this approach, we end up battling ourselves instead of breaking the loop that’s actually sustaining the habit. The real shift begins when we stop asking “What’s wrong with me?” and start asking “What is this habit doing for me?”

Jay then breaks down the four-part habit loop: trigger, emotion, behavior, and reward and shows how interrupting just one part can collapse the entire pattern. He explains that our environment matters more than motivation and if you want to change a habit, you have to change the cues that trigger it. Rather than quitting habits cold turkey, he encourages replacing the reward with a healthier form of relief, reminding us that the brain will always seek comfort. Through simple, practical examples, he shows how small interruptions, conscious pauses, and thoughtful substitutions can dismantle habits that once felt impossible to break. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

How to Break Bad Habits Without Relying on Willpower

How to Identify the Hidden Triggers Fueling Your Habits

How to Interrupt the Habit Loop

How to Stop Fighting Habits and Start Understanding Them

How to Build an Identity That Makes Good Habits Stick

How to Use Small Replacements to Create Big Change

Every habit you want to change once served a purpose, now you get to decide what serves you going forward. When you become aware of your triggers, redesign your environment, and choose support over struggle, growth becomes lighter and more sustainable. 

With Love and Gratitude,

Jay Shetty

Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here.

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro

00:34 How Do You Actually Break a Bad Habit?

02:06 You Are Not Your Habits

05:04 The 4-Part Loop that Creates the Habit

07:11 Action #1: Redesign Your Triggers

08:44 Action #2: Replace the Reward not the Habit

11:33 Action #3: Interrupt the Loop In Real Time

12:48 Action #4: Build a New Identity Around Your Choices

15:00 The #1 Mistake in Breaking Habits

15:51 90-Day Habit Breakup Blueprint

Today, Jay invites us to rethink everything we&rsquo;ve been taught about breaking bad habits. Instead of blaming willpower, discipline, or personality traits, he reframes habits as systems shaped by our triggers, emotions, and environments. He explains why most habits aren&rsquo;t character flaws but subconscious coping strategies designed to provide comfort, escape, or relief. With this approach, we end up battling ourselves instead of breaking the loop that&rsquo;s actually sustaining the habit. The real shift begins when we stop asking &ldquo;What&rsquo;s wrong with me?&rdquo; and start asking &ldquo;What is this habit doing for me?&rdquo;
Jay then breaks down the four-part habit loop: trigger, emotion, behavior, and reward and shows how interrupting just one part can collapse the entire pattern. He explains that our environment matters more than motivation and if you want to change a habit, you have to change the cues that trigger it. Rather than quitting habits cold turkey, he encourages replacing the reward with a healthier form of relief, reminding us that the brain will always seek comfort. Through simple, practical examples, he shows how small interruptions, conscious pauses, and thoughtful substitutions can dismantle habits that once felt impossible to break.&nbsp;
In this episode, you'll learn:
How to Break Bad Habits Without Relying on Willpower
How to Identify the Hidden Triggers Fueling Your Habits
How to Interrupt the Habit Loop
How to Stop Fighting Habits and Start Understanding Them
How to Build an Identity That Makes Good Habits Stick
How to Use Small Replacements to Create Big Change
Every habit you want to change once served a purpose, now you get to decide what serves you going forward. When you become aware of your triggers, redesign your environment, and choose support over struggle, growth becomes lighter and more sustainable.&nbsp;
With Love and Gratitude,
Jay Shetty
Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe <a href="https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe">here</a>.
What We Discuss:
00:00 Intro
00:34 How Do You Actually Break a Bad Habit?
02:06 You Are Not Your Habits
05:04 The 4-Part Loop that Creates the Habit
07:11 Action #1: Redesign Your Triggers
08:44 Action #2: Replace the Reward not the Habit
11:33 Action #3: Interrupt the Loop In Real Time
12:48 Action #4: Build a New Identity Around Your Choices
15:00 The #1 Mistake in Breaking Habits
15:51 90-Day Habit Breakup Blueprint

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace.

I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace.
I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

My name is Jay Shetty, and my purpose is to make wisdom go viral. I’m fortunate to have fascinating conversations with the most insightful people in the world, and on my podcast, I’m sharing those conversations with you. New episodes Mondays and Fridays. Please rate and review the podcast if you enjoy it. Live life today ON PURPOSE.

My name is Jay Shetty, and my purpose is to make wisdom go viral. I’m fortunate to have fascinating conversations with the most insightful people in the world, and on my podcast, I’m sharing those conversations with you. New episodes Mondays and Fridays. Please rate and review the podcast if you enjoy it. Live life today ON PURPOSE.

How to Break 90% of Your Bad Habits in 2026! (Use THIS 10-Second Trick and Beat the Pattern!)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5034cad3-6558-4bb5-8f6a-b3cd002748c2/transcript

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