We are stuck in our habits
without even realizing it. You might be reading this on your desktop or mobile
which is also a habit.
So what I will try to do
here is make you understand how habits are formed and how you can alter the
structure of same. You can then easily figure out how to break a habit and make
new habits
Have
you guys noticed that the first time you do something it’s very time-consuming?
We have to activate various parts of the brain to perform any new task. The
first time we do something new it takes a hell of a lot of time, our brain
needs to adjust to the task and learns about it, needs more focus and energy
for the task
Next time we do the same task, the brain does a process of myelination. To understand this, we need to understand the working of our brain
The brain is made up of about 86 billion nerve cells called neurons. A neuron has 4 basic parts: the dendrites, the cell body (also called the “soma”), the axon and the axon terminal. Dendrites are extensions from the neuron cell body that takes information from the cell body. Myelin is a fatty substance that surrounds nerve cells to insulate them and increase the rate at which information is passed along the axon
Myelination in anatomy is defined
as the process of forming a myelin sheath around a nerve to allow nerve
impulses to move more quickly.
According
to Research, myelination increases both the speed and strength of the nerve
impulse by forcing the electrical charge to jump across the shed to the next
open spot on the axon.
Strength
and speed were getting better and faster at what we’re doing every single time
we do it. So the for a habit to become a habit we need to repeat the same over
and over again.
So
as we practice when we learn how to drive for the first time
First,
the new connections grow after which the more we send signals through this
connection, the faster and stronger it becomes.
After
some time it becomes natural that we don’t even have to think about it anymore.
The action became automated
How to break a habit
As
much as 40 percent of everything we do isn’t actual decisions but habits. At
some point, we’ve consciously decided to do something a certain way after the
same is repeated and it automatically becomes a habit
Eg:
Brushing teeth in the morning and at night.
Our
brain is constantly on the lookout for ways to save effort. Without our habits,
our brain would be overwhelmed by the number of decisions we need to take
So
unless we deliberately, consciously go against the habit, the action will take
place.
Another
thing about habits is that they never really go away. At best they become
dormant somewhere and can be reactivated again
It’s
like driving. Once it’s in our system it stays there.
The
biggest issue with our habits is that our brain is incapable of segregating a
good and a bad habit. From a brain perspective, it’s just an energy-efficient
action and does not assign moral judgment to it
This
leads to us developing bad habits. Habits that are sometimes even damaging for
our health or our social relations. And these bad habits, don’t go away. Once
they are formed, even when we give up, they can be activated again at any
moment.
We
have seen smokers get back to cigarettes when under stress.
Habits can be reshaped and redesigned once we understand how they work.
Understanding Habits
A
habit is, in essence, an association of three parts:
The cue,
The routine or the action
itself,
Reward.
Cue
Cue trigger’s habit. Experiments have shown that almost all habitual cues fit into one of five categories:
Location
Time
Emotional State
Other People
Immediately preceding
action
For example, Feeling Sad. Feeling sad itself is a trigger for your next action, which you most probably do on autopilot. Feeling sad is an emotional state, a cue on which you take your next action…..
Action
Carrying
forward to the previous example of feeling sad
Do
you push the music player button? Do you put on TV? do you say hello to your
friend? whatever it is,
Chances
are you’re not even thinking about it anymore.
It’s
been automated and the trigger is waking up.
Routine
can be physical, mental or emotional. Due to the trigger, we start doing a
thing, but it can also trigger thoughts: negative or positive emotions
For
example, an old song will make us nostalgic. The school will remind us of our
first love
Reward
Routine
is followed by a reward, which is the signal for our brain to figure whether
this particular association is worth remembering for the future.
Rewards
can range from drugs or food to emotional payoffs like praise or even
self-congratulations. On a chemical level, the reward is the release of
dopamine in our brain, which happens every time we enjoy something.
Over
time, if repeated enough, these associations – cues, routines, and rewards –
become intertwined. Dopamine builds up leads to anticipation and craving.
Every
time the cue starts, we feel a strong urge to get the reward and thus we do our
routine.
How
to Change Our Habit?
Now
that we’ve seen identified how a habit works and parts of the same, we can
tweak it.
Of
the 3 parts of the habit, Action is an obvious and easy one to figure out, the
hard part is figuring out trigger and action
The
trigger is usually the starting point.
Step
1
How to figure out our
trigger
In
some cases, it’s simple to figure out the trigger. Seeing an ice cream shop
will tempt you to have ice cream. Whereas many times it’s not easy
In such cases write down on
a piece of paper, the moment the trigger hits you these 5 things
Location
Time
Emotional State
Other People
Immediately preceding
action
Repeat it for a few times
when you have the trigger. Analyze the data to figure out which one of these
forms your trigger. Which of these 5 things is the same each time? This becomes
your actual trigger
Once
you figure out the trigger, it’s time to get to figure out rewards
Step
2
How to figure out
Reward
The
reward can be figured out by placing substitutes in place of current reward and
capturing our emotions after we have them
For
example: If the habit we want to change is the habit of having an ice cream
after dinner
Try
a substitute for ice cream for 3-4 days
Have
chocolate on the first day
And
then write down on a piece of paper how you felt after having it
After
15 minutes, check if you still have cravings for ice cream and write down the
same again
Repeat
the same with nuts. juice etc for 3-4 days
It’s
important to write it down for you to analyze it after 15 minutes
At
4th day check if you still crave for ice cream or you can substitute with
something else
If
it can be substituted it means, it’s not the ice cream but maybe something else
like socializing or going out after dinner that is the reward
So
just start walking the next day after dinner could be the answer
So
we could just change the action and change habit
Step 3
Once
you figured out cue triggering your habit, action, and reward driving your
behavior and routine. it’s time to fix the habit you always wanted to fix. You
can change to a better routine by planning for the cue, and choosing a behavior
that delivers the reward you are craving. What you need is a plan
If
smoking at 4 Pm is a habit you want to change
Assuming
that you understand the cue to be 4 pm and the reward to be socializing
Plans
can be walking up to a friend’s desk for chitchat or catching up at teashop at
4 pm
Make
a clear plan and try abiding by the same. Some days you may miss it, but
eventually, you will be successful and overcome the habit.
How to make new habits?
Now
I will tell you a simple strategy to remove your old unwanted habits and add
some great habits to your daily schedule.
Habits
depend a lot on your motivation. There are two types of motivation – Intrinsic
and extrinsic
Intrinsic motivation means doing something because it’s personally rewarding to you. Extrinsic motivation is doing something because you want to earn a reward or avoid punishment
When most of us get stuck is we start associating new habits with extrinsic motivations.
For Eg:– Kevin wants to lose weight. he goes to the gym, which he hates.
And
every time he loses one pound he rewards himself by going shopping.
The
external motivator. If he doesn’t lose weight there is no reward and dropping
out is lurking around the corner.
So
instead of linking to results from losing weight, Kevin should link the
activity, exercising, to something he loves… like listening to favorite music
while exercising
When
activity itself becomes rewarding, it becomes more enjoyable and sustainable
So
what are the action points
1)
Make a list of the things you enjoy doing which gives you energy.
2)
Link one or several of them to the new habit you want to develop
Linking
here means you need to do them at the same time as the new habit and it’s that
easy.
Our
brain will now start associating the new habit with the pleasure of the
activities we do like. When we do something we like, we get what is called the
dopamine rush
Once
we get this dopamine rush going, it becomes a building block for the new habit
to be formed
Every
time you start doing this, your myelin sheath becomes stronger and it slowly
becomes a habit
If
you want to create a new habit you need to start thinking in terms of
“cue”, “action” and “reward”. Over time as we act
again and again, following the trigger and followed by the reward, our brain
starts to create a new connection between those three, effectively rewiring our
brain.
Things
have to be convenient and easy.
Your
cue has to become easily associated with your actions.
If
you want to go and run every Saturday morning, have the running shoes readily
around in plain sight. Don’t hide them in the back of your closet.
If
you want to start practicing yoga, keep your yoga mat close by and hang a
poster of someone doing yoga somewhere in plain sight.
Whatever
new habits you want to instil, make sure to have a visual cue around, somewhere
you’ll see it clearly to remind you of the action to perform.
The
key to a successful habit starts with a clear trigger.
Finally changing an existing habit or developing new ones isn’t easy. This structure will help you to understand habits and to take action. It will take a lot of practice and will power to change the habit you always wanted. All the best for that