Habit building is a science that needs to be understood and implemented in life for doing anything and gaining its long term benefits, from creating a workout routine to adding meditation or other healthy practices one needs to be aware of the tricks and hacks which help motivate brain and mind and develop long lasting habits.

Habit, what it really is?

According to psychologists habit can be defined as a behavior that is learned by regular repetition or practice which then becomes a reflex and does not demand much effort. It has two significant components one being a learned behavior and second it becomes reflexive in nature that is if becomes automated response to a certain environment or cue within the environment. Being a learned behavior suggests habit can be developed, strengthened and changed over time with making conscious efforts.

Habits are categorized into following major categories:

 Motor habits which are related to motor functioning (working out, physical activities, cycling, sleeping postures etc)

Intellectual/mental habits which are associated with the thinking process and skills (good observation skills, active listening, reading body language, emotional cues)

Emotional habits are the ones which show the personality or character traits such being helpful, trustworthy, trusting etc.

Habit verses Routine

In order to understand habit building it is significant to learn the association between habits and routines. A routine requires an active process and effort towards certain behaviors for example waking up at a specific time every day requires a conscious effort that is a routine task however when the same task becomes an unconscious effortless automated response it has become a habit.

Habit Loop 

It is term often used to explain the components which are a requirement for habit formation. It includes three elements a Trigger or cue, a routine/practice of behavior, and a reward. For instance each time an individual is in stress he/she can cope with either any positive or negative behavior such as working out or smoking a cigarette to gain the reward of relief from that stress hence forming either a healthy (exercising) or unhealthy (smoking) habit to find release.

Following are a few key points suggested by scientific research to help form habits in a quick and efficient way:

Setting intentions

Setting intentions and making a decision of making a change is the first and foremost step in habit building. The intention has to be clear and certain in regards to behavior for instance instead of deciding I will start meditating or journaling, decide for yourself I will meditate three times in a week starting today.

Be very specific with your goals

When setting a goal, make sure it is a specific of time, place and frequency. Goals should be realistic, systematic, and achievable. A habit building goal should look like “I will go to this place (gym), this number of times (five) this time of a day/night”. 

Cue/trigger use

A cue or trigger plays an effective role in habit formation it helps in remembering and motivates individuals towards action and behaviors. Reminders on phone or in office setting or home with visual, verbal cues are proved to be effective in habit formation. In daily routine adding something with your already established habit increases the likelihood of habit to develop. This means people who fit in a new behavior in their established routines such as doing something before breakfast and after morning walk are more successful in building and sticking to a habit.

Less is more 

Start small, build on gradually, do not set unrealistic goals and have astronomical expectations however be prepared, initiate with smaller steps and stay consistent.  The small step can be anything from finding the place, space or setting a certain time or saving a small amount if required. According to psychologists when it comes to building habits less is more as long as you stay consistent.

Rewards are a must

Scientific studies have shown the efficacy of instrumental conditioning in learning and shaping human behavior. As father of behaviorism BF Skinner suggested rewards and punishments play the significant role in directing our behaviors. This idea has been incorporated and studied over decades in shaping and forming consistent behaviors and habits. For instance in school if a child performs positively he/she is rewarded with a prize which further motivates the child and increases the likelihood of the behavior to occur. Similarly when it comes to habit formation it is recommended to reward yourself on even a small achievement or step this triggers the mind positively and increases the susceptibility of the behavior to occur again. Rewards can be in form of verbal praise, written words of appreciation, tangible rewards etc.

Time is important

As the saying goes setting New Year’s goals and intentions or making decisions around significant dates in one’s life are relatively more fruit bearing because it is associated with new beginnings and new opportunities hence surveys shows a new routine or habit is easier developed and more followed when the new beginnings and changes are involved such as starting a new job, moving to a different place of living etc.

Stay Persistent yet Flexible 

Consistency is the key when it comes to building habits however if you stay too insistent and resolute without the flexibility it is most likely that you will stop working on a behavior altogether if not done perfectly alright. Black and white thinking does not help when you are starting to add a new behavior in life there will be grays and it’s shown in research that on average the more efficient and long lasting habits are built with a flexible, consistent yet imperfect routine.

Stay on track 

Lastly, there will be days where you will procrastinate or miss out however, what matters is how fast you get right back on the track and continue with your routine of habit building. It is not perfection that you seek. This can look like making amends or compensating too for instance if you miss out on exercising before breakfast like you regularly do, you decide to do it post dinner before you sleep to not break the pattern.

Using all these strategies, thirty days is the standard time for developing a habit. Stay centered, stick to your decisions and stay motivated, in no time you will be incorporating healthier better habits in your routine.

References

 Gardner, B., Lally, P., & Wardle, J. (2012). Making health habitual: the psychology of ‘habit-formation’ and general practice. The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 62(605), 664–666. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp12X659466

Brunet, J., Gunnell, K. E., Gaudreau, P., & Sabiston, C. M. (2015). An integrative analytical framework for understanding the effects of autonomous and controlled motivation. Personality and Individual Differences, 84, 2-15.