You’re a hard habit to break 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶 (classic soft rock by Chicago)
You’re probably thankful this is in the written word rather than verbal given my signing voice… however I digress… Habits! we all have them, some good… some bad… and they shape who we are and how we act on a daily basis. They shape our attitudes and decisions without us even knowing.
Many habits have been ingrained in us since childhood for example brushing our teeth or putting our seatbelt on when you get in a car (although I’m old enough to remember when that wasn’t a habit!)
There are two types of habit:
Passive habits – these arise from exposure of things we eventually get used to, such as High-altitude climbers gradually adapt their bodies to the lower levels of oxygen available.
Active habits – those we develop through repeated intention and effort, developing into skills we then perform with little or no thought. Things like driving.
Now I won’t go down a rabbit hole about the psychology of habit formation but suffice to say there has been a significant amount of research done by very clever people around the neuroscience of the brain and how habits are formed. In summary it’s linked to certain neurons ‘firing’ at the beginning and end of routines enabling us to automatically start and finish a habitual routine. Have you ever driven to a place you go regularly and once you get there, you can’t remember the drive? There you go – that’s them neurons!
But let’s get to it, you want to develop some healthy habits, but don’t know where to start?
Start small
We often make the mistake of trying to change too much at once, which can be overwhelming and unsustainable. Instead, start with tiny, manageable changes. For example, if your goal is to exercise more, begin with a 10-minute walk each day rather than attempting an hour-long gym session. Starting small allows you to gradually adjust and build your momentum over time.
When you slip up, start again
Slip-ups are inevitable! The key is not to let a setback derail your progress entirely. Instead, acknowledge the slip-up without judgment, and recommit to your goal. It’s consistency over time is what matters most, so don't let a single setback discourage you.
Remove barriers
Identify any obstacles standing in the way and take proactive steps to eliminate or minimize them. This might involve rearranging your environment or setting up reminders. For instance, if you want to eat healthier but find yourself constantly tempted by unhealthy snacks at home, remove those snacks (yes, even the chocolate hob nobs) from your cupboard and stock up on healthy options instead. Take temptation out of the way.
Re-Framing
Re-framing is the process of changing the way you look at something. This is a hugely powerful way of rethinking something that is leading to negative thoughts or patterns.
Don't worry if you cannot change a thought. Sometimes you will be able to change an unhelpful thought to a positive or neutral one, but this will not always be possible.
Reframing thoughts is about learning to think more flexibly and be more in control. If you can learn to identify and separate unhelpful thoughts from helpful ones, you can find a different way to look at the situation. This may not resolve the problem but can help break a negative spiral and provide you a new perspective – things are often not as bad as we think.
Stack your habits – build them into existing ones
Harness the power of habit stacking by integrating new habits into your existing routines. This makes it easier to remember to perform the new habit and reinforces its consistency. For example, if you want to incorporate meditation into your daily routine but struggle to remember, try doing it immediately after brushing your teeth each morning. By associating the new habit with an established one, you'll increase the likelihood of sticking to it – happy days!
Whatever healthy habits you want to form, you’ve absolutely got this 👊🏻
"Every action you take is a vote for the
type of person you wish to become."
James Clear
References:
Comments