Bad habits often start as coping mechanisms. They are responses to stress, boredom, or emotion. They stick because they serve a purpose, even if only temporary.
Most habit advice is about building new behaviors. Wake up earlier. Move more. Drink water. Meditate.
But what about the habits you want to undo? The endless scroll. The procrastination spiral. The default reaction that no longer serves you.
Unlearning is its own practice. It requires more than willpower; it needs awareness, curiosity, and a method. That is where Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT and Context’s Annotation come in.
Bad habits often start as coping mechanisms. They are responses to stress, boredom, or emotion. They stick because they serve a purpose, even if only temporary.
So trying to “just stop” rarely works. You have to see:
This is where CBT helps.
CBT breaks habits into the thought–feeling–behavior cycle.
Example:
Mapping this loop gives you power. You stop trying to fight the behavior itself; you intercept the pattern earlier.
Annotation means adding meaning to moments. It can be:
Paired with CBT, annotation helps you:
Next time a habit fires you want to unlearn:
This works with journals, apps, or voice memos. The goal is curiosity, not judgment.
Your brain adapted once; now it is ready for something better.
CBT gives the framework. Annotation provides the insight. Together they turn awareness into change, one moment at a time.
