👉 What are the steps to break a bad habit? Habits play an important role in our health,” says Dr. Nora Volkow, director of NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Understanding the biology of how we develop routines that may be harmful to us, and how to break those routines and embrace new ones, could help us change our lifestyles and adopt healthier behaviors.” Habits can arise through repetition. They are a normal part of life, and are often helpful. “We wake up every morning, shower, comb o