A habit is a learned behavior that becomes reflexive over time. The behavior is often triggered by a certain context. For example, you may automatically go brush your teeth after finishing breakfast as part of your morning routine.
A habit can be healthy, unhealthy, or neutral. A healthy habit might be stretching for ten minutes a day or meditating when you feel stressed. An unhealthy habit could be biting your nails or texting while driving. Examples of neutral habits include eating the same brand of cereal each morning or taking the same route to work.
Unconscious behaviors such as breathing or blinking do not count as habits because they are instinctive rather than learned.
HOW ARE HABITS FORMED?
Most habits begin as intentional, goal-directed behavior. For instance, a young child may be instructed by their parent to wash their hands before dinner. At first, the child may only wash their hands to get praise from a parent. They may need reminders to do the task before each meal.