OpeningBreaking bad... habits
ThesisHave you ever had a disgusting habit? like nail-biting, Knuckle cracking or pencil chewing.
Billions of people deal with a small bad habit at some point in their lives, and many go to great lengths to quit — nail-biters, for instance, have been known to rub chili peppers on their cuticles, wear gloves all day, or wrap their nails in medical tape.
General descriptionMost of us do have a habit we'd like to kick. Maybe a habit that is no longer useful or, even worse, that is toxic. The problem is that is not an easy task to eliminate bad habits. Intentions alone often fail and disappointment follows every time we try to change. But let me tell you that by understanding the basis of habits, you can create better plans for breaking them.
Specific descriptionScientists define habits as behaviors that are performed regularly, and cued subconsciously in response to certain environments, whether it be a location, a time of day, a situation or even an emotional state.
If you do something frequently, without much deliberation, then it’s likely a habit.
They can include simple actions like scratching your elbow, but also more complex practices ingrained in daily routines, like driving without taking notice of your surrounding when going home.
Habits are stored memories of what’s worked in the past, which allow you to take swift action in the present. One study estimated that on average, people spend around 50% of their days performing regularly repeated behaviors while their minds are occupied with other thoughts. An automated morning routine, for example, saves you both time and precious mental energy while you are thinking about the important tasks of your day.
Problem is not having habits, but having bad habits. Let's say when facing a stressful situation, you go to your refrigerator, take a boat of chocolate ice cream, and dive in your couch the whole weekend in binge-watching.
This is rewarding, it changes the focus of your attention, curbing your anxiety fueled by the stressful situation. Within your brain, these positive experiences (eating chocolate ice cream) trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure. And Dopamine is also a driver of neuroplasticity, meaning it can change how your neurons work.
Supporting exampleYour brain builds connections that link the reward with the behavior, driving you to repeat it. So, a pattern is established: Cue, behavior, reward. Next time you face a stressful situation (the cue), you will go to the refrigerator, eat chocolate ice cream (the behavior), and feel the pleasure of the sugar melting in your mouth (the reward).
Argument from authorityOne 2005 study tracked university students’ exercising, reading, and TV watching habits before and after they transferred schools. When students were no longer around old environments, their routines, and eventually their habits, even the strong ones, significantly changed. So, change is always possible.
RefutationSome psychologists developed in the 1970s a practice called habit reversal training which can be helpful. The aim is to change a habit by replacing it with another one that’s less detrimental. The training requires you to analyze and understand the cues that trigger the undesired behavior, so you can effectively intervene at the right times.
For example, if you tend to bite your nails at work, preemptively keep a fidget toy or a squeeze ball at your desk. Then, if a stressful email comes in, use the toy or squeeze the ball when you feel the urge to bite your nails.
Call to actionSome people would say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. That you cannot change. Breaking a habit certainly is not easy, it takes time and effort, so remember to give yourself grace and have patience through the process. Don't be so stern if you fail. Keep on track.
Now that you have information about changing habits, be assertive, do your research, make your plan, and take action to replace that bothering habit and keep advancing, keep evolving and keep growing.
