How do I break a bad habit that keeps coming back?

Breaking a recurring bad habit requires attacking it at the trigger level, not just the behavior itself. Identify the specific cue that sets it off, whether that's stress, boredom, a time of day, or a location, and then replace the habit with a competing behavior that satisfies the same underlying need. This is more effective than pure willpower. Make the bad habit harder to do by adding friction, like keeping your phone in another room or not buying junk food. Tell someone specific about your goal for accountability. Expect relapses and treat them as data rather than failure. Most habits take consistent redirection over weeks before the new pattern feels automatic.