What we’re doing less of in 2026, plus how to break bad habits
At the start of a new year, it’s hard not to be tempted by New Year’s resolutions: setting goals you want to achieve or identifying bad habits you want to break.
For many people, breaking bad habits can be easier when you replace a not-so-good behavior with a healthier option. margaret mooreThe founder of Wellcoaches Corporation, a school for coaches in healthcare and wellness professionals, told CNBC Make It in 2023.
Instead of setting big goals that may be unrealistic, neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff, PhD, suggests doing “little experiments” with habits you want to incorporate into your life. Le Cunff told CNBC Make It last week that it’s important to “defer judgment until you’ve finished performing your experiment.”
I plan to do less in 2026. The past few years have been spent starting each day with at least 10 items on my to-do list. This year I want to narrow this list down to five tasks or fewer.
I talked to my CNBC Make It colleagues about the bad habits they want to break this year, and there were a few common themes. Here’s what stands out.
Screen time and technology
“One habit I want to break this new year is waking up in the morning and reaching for my phone first thing. It’s been like muscle memory for so long that I can’t remember a time when I didn’t wake up and immediately grab my phone to check messages or scroll through social media.”
“I also want to do more mentally stimulating activities when I’m bored rather than just reaching for my phone, watching TV, or just doing things that don’t challenge my mind in some way.”
— Ashton Jackson, Success Reporter
“I want to fix my sleep. I’m not sleeping properly and I want to fix that. I think I’m not getting enough sleep and I’m also in front of too many screens before bed. A big part of it is doomscrolling. My other thing is, if I’m trying to read before bed and relax, I read e-books, and that screen issue has kind of become an issue as well.”
—Sarah Jackson, Business Reporter
“I’m avoiding video games for January. So if I want to play a video game, I’ll play music or read a book.”
— Mike Winters, Money Reporter
‘Revenge bedtime’
Staying up late for extra free time is called revenge bedtime, even though it shortens the hours you’d normally use to sleep and feel rested the next day. “This often occurs when individuals feel they have little control over their daily schedule.” Sleep Foundation.
“I’m terrible at watching TV until 12.30pm, so I want a stern ‘Get in bed’ by 11am at the latest. [p.m.] And I think this will help me break a lot of other bad habits I have. “Like being too tired to be productive or do things after work, I think if I manage my sleep it will help me gain the energy to exercise or be productive after work.”
— Marisa Forziati, Video Editor
“Going to bed early is a big deal. It’s very difficult because for young children it’s like falling asleep at 8 p.m. It feels like freedom. It’s the drive and the pull of having free time and wanting to maximize that time but also needing the sleep. Trying to find a balance between creating space to unwind and also being well rested.”
— Tom Huddleston Jr., Senior Success Reporter
No more giving up on healthy habits
“One habit I want to stop doing is being lazy about reading. It’s like the hardest thing I’ve ever done to force myself to do. I cut my yearly book quota from 12 to 10 because I thought maybe if it was 10, I’d actually do it.”
— Gili Malinsky, Chief Psychology Correspondent
“I don’t skip my workouts, eat candy, or hit snooze. I try to get up when the alarm goes off.”
— Kamaron McNair, Money Reporter
“I experience less FOMO with my friends. For example, if they are going out, I don’t need to go this time. If I miss this social plan, I won’t lose this friend, I don’t think so. I hope I don’t. I have a hard time saying no to invitations.”
— Raffi Paul, Video Producer
“I’m trying to walk more. I usually take the train to work, but if I can walk home it adds a lot of steps to my day.”
—Natalie Wu, Associate Money Reporter
When trying to break habits that don’t suit you, Moore reminds you to leave some room for kindness, especially if you’re a highly disciplined person.
“There is a part of you that needs to be free, tolerant, impulsive and to enjoy life,” he said.
If you’re having trouble keeping up with changes to your routine, “there’s nothing inherently wrong with not being ready,” Moore added. “You’re not ready. You don’t have enough motivation and you have too many obstacles.”
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