Habits are things we do often, that require little or no thought. And the things we do determine who we are, what we think and believe, and how we are perceived by others. In the words of Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

So, how do we form habits?

According to James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, we go through four stages to form a “habit loop.”

1. The habit loop starts with a cue that triggers our brains to predict a reward. For example, the sight of an ice cream truck on a hot day.
2. Cues lead to cravings, which serve as the motivational force behind the action. In this instance, seeing the ice cream truck may lead to the craving for an ice-lolly.
3. Cravings are followed by a response, the thoughts or actions, that can develop into a habit, if repeated consistently. In this case, the actions would be approaching the ice-cream truck and buying an ice-lolly.
4. A response is finally followed by the main goal, the reward, i.e., feeling cool and satisfied after consuming the ice-lolly. The level of pleasure or satisfaction elicited by the reward will impact the intensity of future cravings.

Initially, creating a habit requires some effort, but over time, we tend to carry out the response spontaneously. For many of us, actions such as brushing our teeth, washing our hands, or putting on our seatbelts require minimal effort. As we cut down on repeatedly thinking and making decisions each day, our brain can be more efficient and create space for mental activity that can be devoted to something else. Furthermore, routinely engaging in healthy actions can help improve our physical and mental health, our ability to work efficaciously, and our general quality of life.

There are certain steps that we can take to form new habits and stick with them:

• Focusing on one action at a time – By doing this, we can channel our efforts towards performing the target behaviour.
• Incorporating physical movement as part of the goal – Physical activities are easier to plan, observe and account for.
• Having auditory or visual cues – Timers or post-it notes are more likely to grab our attention and can serve as reminders to kickstart an action.

The main goal of every habit is to satisfy a desire. It is believed that either consciously or without being completely aware, we feel rewarded or seek relief when we perform an action. Usually, our goal is to bring about a change in our internal state. Our motivational levels play a key role in getting us to move from a craving to a response. In addition to motivation, our ability to respond to the craving, and perform the action, also needs to be accounted for.

While habits form by going through the habit loop, if we wish to change a habit, the most effective way would be to replace the old habit with a healthier one. According to Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, it is best to attempt to change a habit while on vacation, so that we can form new cues and connect them to actions we wish to perform.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid whilst attempting to change a habit:

• Focusing on too many behaviour changes at once, as this requires too much effort and can make us feel overwhelmed.
• Failure to control the environment; we must strive to create an environment that is conducive to the changes we wish to make.
• Having unrealistic expectations regarding formation of habits within a certain time frame – This can lead to feelings of discouragement or lower levels of motivation. According to a 2009 study, the time taken for a habit to form can vary from 18 to 254 days.
• Waiting for motivation. Instead of waiting, we can start out with a small, simple action; when we achieve success, we are naturally reinforced.

Once we understand how a habit is formed, we can focus on a specific behaviour change and start out with actions that are easy to perform. This will maintain our motivational levels. Furthermore, reaching out to a behaviour therapist can also help with establishing good habits and routines.

As Barack Obama once said, “If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”

References:

Clear, James. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Penguin Random House, 2018.

Connie Stapleton, P. (n.d.). How Habits Work and How to Change Your Unhealthy Behavior. Retrieved July 26, 2021, from https://blog.livehealthymd.com/how-habits-work

Duhigg, C. (2012). The Power of Habit. Random House Trade Paperbacks.

Lally, P., Jaarsveld, C. H., Potts, H. W., & Wardle, J. (2009). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998-1009. doi:10.1002/ejsp.674

The Science of Habits. (n.d.). Retrieved July 25, 2021, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-wise/201904/the-science-habits

The 3 R’s of Habit Change: How To Start New Habits That Actually Stick. (2018, November 13). Retrieved July 25, 2021, from https://jamesclear.com/three-steps-habit-change