15 Apr Want to Break Free from Old Habits? Start with Self-Awareness

We all have them, habits we’d rather not mention. The late-night scrolling. The rushed mornings. The quiet self-doubt that shows up at the worst possible time. We say we want to change. We set goals. We buy the planner, start the journal, and sign up for the course.

And then… we slip back. Again.

But maybe the problem isn’t willpower. Maybe it’s that we’re trying to change behavior without first understanding where it comes from.

Before You Break the Habit, Understand the Pattern

Habits don’t exist in a vacuum. They’re not random. They’re loops—thoughts, triggers, actions, and outcomes—woven into your nervous system through repetition.

That afternoon snack you always grab? It might not be hunger. It might be boredom. Or loneliness. Or a stress cue you stopped noticing. That self-critical voice that chimes in during meetings? It’s not you being honest—it’s a survival mechanism built long before you had words for it.

Self-Awareness Isn’t Just Noticing—It’s Listening

True awareness isn’t passive. It’s not just, “I do this when I’m stressed.” It’s asking: What am I really needing in that moment?

Try paying attention to:

1. Where in your body do you feel resistance or tension
2. What emotion precedes the habit—fear, shame, emptiness, overwhelm?
3. The first thought that surfaces before you react (often subtle, often revealing)

These little insights are like turning on the lights in a room you’ve been bumping around in for years.

Change Begins with Curiosity, Not Judgment

You don’t have to fix everything overnight. In fact, you don’t have to “fix” anything at all.

Laurine Pisarri’s work is rooted in the belief that sustainable change comes from deeper presence, not more discipline. When you bring compassion into the conversation with yourself, the grip of old habits starts to loosen on its own.

From Reaction to Choice

With self-awareness, you shift from reacting automatically to responding intentionally. You realize that you don’t have to listen to the old narrative. You can pause. Breathe. Choose differently.

That’s not just behavior change. That’s an identity shift. And it starts with one powerful question:
What’s really going on here? When you ask it often—and gently— you don’t just break free from old habits. You come home to who you were always meant to be.