Making and Breaking Habits
We are creatures of habit. From the moment we wake up, we engage in habitual activities. Wake up, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, brush our teeth, take a shower, put on our clothes, etc. etc. We perform the same activities day-in and day-out. Our brains actually prefer it this way because it frees up space to think about important things that require a bit more processing. How could you calculate the amount of change you have for the bus if you're busy thinking about which foot your shoe goes on first?
Habits are great when they help you stay efficient so that you can focus on the things that really matter. However, habits become a problem when it encourages you to engage in unwise activities such as unhealthy eating and neglecting daily physical activity. We always tell ourselves that we would like to eat healthier and go to the gym, but how often do we follow through on it? Not often. And even if we do make that first step towards change, it's usually a superficial one. This change is short term. New Year Resolutions are a great example of this. Come January 1st, 20XX we make a "commitment" to change. Last year my resolution was to be more grateful. This maybe lasted two weeks max. After that, I had completely forgotten about it and never acknowledged it again-- until this moment as I type it out.
So how do we do it? How do we make a habit stick? Four things need to happen:
1. You have to break your old routine- In order to do that, we have to shock our system. Give it a drastic change so that our brain has to learn to adapt to a new setting and create habits within that. If your goal is to eat healthier, keep your unhealthy foods out of reach and go on a healthy grocery shopping spree. Stock your fridge with healthy alternatives so that you are forced to eat healthy.
2. Repetition is key - The habits we have today are a result of repetition. You put your socks on your left foot before your right foot because that's just how you've always done it. There's no correct order in how you put on your socks. Studies have shown that it can take anywhere between 15 to 254 days to make a habit. That's a huge range. It all depends on how often we practice this new habit. The more repetition, the quicker we acquire this habit.
3. Precede your new habit with a cue - Our brain works with associations. If the alarm is ringing, that is our cue to turn it off and get ready for the day. When we hear the ice cream truck, that is our cue to grab our wallets and head out the door. Create a cue that would serve as an association with your new habit. If your goal is to floss regularly, pair it with brushing your teeth. If you aim to sleep at the same time every night, decide to do so after watching an episode of your favourite TV show after bed (so long as it's not an overly exciting show- you don't want to be tempted to binge watch).
4. Reward yourself- When you are starting to recognize the positive benefits from this new habit you have formed, reward yourself. It can be as small as acknowledging your gains (lost weight, feel healthier), compliments from others, or cheat meals etc. Rewards only positively reinforce our behaviours.
Remember, making and breaking habits is totally doable. Whether you're successful or not depends on how willing you are to make concrete changes in your daily routine. Try not to get deterred if you are not seeing changes right away. Make adjustments as needed and fine tune the habit to best fit your day.