Habits are automatic behaviors. They are neurological shortcuts ingrained into our brain pathways. Functionally they allow the brain to perform more efficiently by avoiding the decision-making process. Habits like biting your nails or chewing your lip are considered nasty vices, but not all habits are bad. Good habits allow us to multitask and essentially make our lives easier. They’re behaviors we perform on autopilot; like driving home without once thinking through the directions or making sure your door is securely locked.
The first and most important thing to know about breaking a habit is that, well, you can’t actually break them. Simply, that’s just not the way habits work. According to author Charles Duhigg in The Power of Habit, a habit is made up of three parts: a cue, a routine and a reward. Your cue is what prompts the routine ( or action of the habit), and will always make your brain search for an activity that fulfills the reward. So, if you can’t change the constraints, you have to change the only flexible variable: the routine.
1. To start the process of changing a habit, it’s essential to identify your cue. As pointed out by Ben Gardner Sood in a post on UCL’s (University College London) health center blog, habits are formed through “context-dependent repetition.” Begin tracking every time you catch yourself succumbing to your old ways. For example, if you consistently find yourself eating in-between meals or snacking unnecessarily, analyze the situation:
What time of day is it?
What were you doing before?
What mood were you in?
Where were you?
Try to distinguish a pattern of what makes the routine occur.
2. Before you can attempt to change the routine, the next step is to define the reward. It’s figuring out the ‘why’ behind the habit. What about the routine is so satisfying? Identifying what neutralizes the craving caused by the trigger will help you find an acceptable routine to substitute. Is it an emotional fulfillment or a physical one? Maybe it eases the anxiety of a deadline or takes the edge off a long day. How do you feel when you try to stop the routine versus when it is being completed?
3. Finding a new routine definitely falls into the easier said than done category. You may not find the perfect resolution on the first try, so develop a list of possibilities and see which one fits best. Focus on substituting an action that is realistic and most importantly aims to deliver a similar reward. Experiment and write down your results for comparison. Let’s say you find that your extracurricular snacking is caused by anxiety so you go on a short walk outside to avoid a trip to the pantry, but are still craving something when you return. Try a different angle. Test a routine that focuses on a mental exercise instead of a physical activity.
While the long quoted theory that it takes 21-days to break a habit isn’t a hard and true fact, changing a habit does take time. Don’t beat up on yourself when you slip up. Creating new patterns for your neurology to follow isn’t an overnight job. When working to change a bad habit or begin a good one, a key element to consider is will power. An intangible characteristic, your will power can actually be thought of and treated as a muscle– something that is strengthened and weakened over time. It’s much easier to say no to a piece of chocolate cake after a great and relaxing day than one where you had two tests and a project due. Remember this when you are about to slip into old behaviors. In situations where you know you might be tempted more than usual, plan ahead. Decide what you are going to do before you encounter the cue. This will make your decisions much easier later on. If you are going out with friends and aren’t confident you’ll be able to resist a fourth-meal, decide if you are going to eat ahead of time and seek a compromise. Go for a small side of fries instead of a full number four.
Habits are more complex than just an annoying vice, and changing them won’t be an overnight miracle. But once you decide to take control of your habits and begin to think of ways you can use them as an advantage in your daily life, it’s possible to quickly see tangible and positive benefits. Remember, it’s never too late to change a habit. This is one trick any old dog can learn.
