Have you ever set a goal, made a plan and then wandered off track? We all have goals, but we do not always have the motivation or knowledge to follow through. By understanding how our brain works and how we can alter our actions, goals seem much more attainable. It takes twenty-one days for an action to become a habit. We all hear the word “habit” a lot, but do not really know what it entails. In this article, learn how habits start, how we can break them and what our brain is actually doing during habit forming.
Habits are our brain's way of saving energy to let us focus on another activity. Once an action becomes a daily automatic routine, our brain activity decreases. There are things called cues, routines, and rewards that make up a process called the habit loop. A cue would be what our brain associates with a certain object or activity. The routine is what our brain remembers following that cue. The reward is why we keep coming back to an action. Our brain activity spikes during the cue and reward part of the loop and decreases during the routine part in order to save energy. When a habit starts, our brain does not enter decision-making mode, it does what it has always done. The brain stops working as hard so that we can focus on other tasks. “So unless you deliberately fight a habit-unless you find new routines-the pattern will unfold automatically.” (Duhigg, 2012)
Our brain cannot differentiate bad or good habits, so unless you are aware that you have been practicing bad habits and decide to change, your brain will continue the habit loop. If we learn to identify the cues and understand the rewards or consequences, we can change the routines, therefore, changing our habits. For example, if you are trying to change your diet, identify what the cue is. The cue could be seeing or smelling pizza. If you purposely try to ignore or block out the cue, your brain will not engage in the routine, therefore you will not gain the weight. You have to remove the bad cues from your habits and form new ones. It is not easy, but acceptance and identification are the first steps. Then you have to replace it with a new cue that you have to create, eventually stopping the old craving and developing it into a new habit.
The hardest part about breaking a bad habit is the craving that comes along with it. We all understand why some of our habits are bad and know how to change it. If I see a pizza, I want to eat it because I know it tastes good but I know that it would be more beneficial to choose a healthier option. However, once I see that pizza, the craving created from the habit loop I have developed urges me to have “just one slice”. So to remove the craving and develop a new habit loop for eating a salad instead, I have to remove the pizza eating habit cue. With no pizza to smell or see, there is no craving, thus I will not engage in the routine and can go straight to the salad. Another example would be the urge to always check our phones. In class, if I get a text message and my phone is on the table I have the craving to check it immediately. If I simply just flip my phone over so the screen is down or put it in my bag, I remove the cue, therefore, breaking the habit of checking my phone every time it lights up. “Researchers have learned that cues can be almost anything, from a visual trigger such as a candy bar or a television commercial to a certain place, a time of day, an emotion, a sequence of thoughts, or the company of particular people.” (Duhigg, 2012)
Learning to be able to identify bad cues from good cues will allow you to form healthier habits. You have to be able to substitute your bad habits for smarter habits. Set goals, understand how your brain works, and find ways to keep yourself motivated. If you want to learn more about how to control your habits, I recommend reading the book, “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg.
