The Process of Habits
What makes a habit a habit?
As our brains move the process of "remembering" from conscious activation to an unconscious form of activation, a habit is born. You will no longer have to think about the activity to make it happen.
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The strength of that habit depends on two things:
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The frequency of its activation
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The more often you follow through on a habit, the stronger that behavior becomes.​
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The emotional state associated with the habit
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A habit formed under stress will often be strong because of it's association with survival.
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The brains method of maintaining and activating unconscious memories is the habit cycle. This cycle consists of 3 simple parts, the cue, routine, and reward. In the next lesson, we will go into detail about identifying each part of the cycle.
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The Cue, also known as the trigger is the notification in your brain that signals you to act in a certain way.
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The Action is the behavior which takes the focal point of the habit. Along with behavior, the action could be a thought. It is the “do” step.
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The Reward is the reason you engage in the action and why it has become a habit.
What is a habit that you want to develop? Why?
When we say “habit” we should think of this cycle, but often we think only of the Routine or Action that is associated with the habit cycle. A habit of exercise is not only the repeated action of going and exercising. This is one of the main reasons why it is difficult for us to conceptualize the idea of changing or developing a habit.
Yes, we would love to have the habit of eating healthier, or having family dinner, but we forget that something has to prompt us to do that behavior and that without a reward associated with the behavior, we have no cognitive reason to return to the behavior.
An example
A habit that I have been trying to create is one of regular exercise. I wanted to do something different than a trip to the gym because that doesn’t really suit my goals. So instead, I tried to create a small habit that kept me active and fit. The habit I created was the do some squats and push-ups before I took a shower each day. The cue I selected was turning the shower faucet on. The action of turning the knob, seeing the water, and hearing the water triggered a reminder to exercise. While the water warmed up, I completed a few sets of the exercise I wanted. The reward for that effort was a hot, relaxing shower.
Application
Now that you have a basic understanding of the habit cycle, you can make an effort to develop a healthy habit. It may be helpful to read through the next lesson and then return to this Application, but a hands on experience will aid you in understanding the process of habit formation. Think of this a practice run. You are getting your feet wet in habits.
To make the full use of this application, I suggest taking literal notes of your habit. This can be with pen and paper or with a digital journal. The effort you make to do this will help you succeed.
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Step 1) Pick a Habit
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It may be tempting to pick a habit like exercise, healthy eating, being social, or keeping the house clean. But to build your belief that you can form and maintain habits, it may be better to pick a simple sequence of triggers, behaviors, and rewards.
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For example, you may choose to develop the habit of making the bed, flossing, or walking regularly.
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Step 2) Determine Why
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I tend to make a personal emphasis on the reasons I entertain the habits I am trying to develop. I do this because it gives me a purpose to continue in the habit when the going gets rough or another habit attempts to intercede and manipulate my behavior. It doesn’t have to be profound, even a simple explanation will help you maintain the habit.
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Step 3) Decide on a Trigger
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People have different ways that they prefer learning. Whether it is visual, auditory, or tactile. The idea works similarly with habit formation. Significant triggers for me are visual or olfactory. Think of the things that really stand out to you and see if one those ideas could be used as a trigger. For example: See the dog in the morning... Go for a walk.
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Step 4) Solidify the Action
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This is probably where the most effort comes into play. In the early attempts of creating a habit, you will need to consciously choose to act after being triggered. It can be easy to refrain from acting when there are other influences in your life (stress, exhaustion, hunger, preoccupation). But each time you make the choice to act and you remember your “Why”, the habit will become stronger.
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Step 5) Reward Yourself
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The best part of a habit is the reward. Some behaviors generate automatic rewards. Exercise can give you the automatic reward of endorphins in your blood, which make you feel happy. Hugging your spouse also gives you a rush of endorphins. Eating food gives you the feeling of being full and provides blood sugar.
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When you create a new habit, you have the opportunity to choose the reward of a particular behavior. Similar to triggers, you have to pick something that works for you. If you really enjoy reading, you can follow up a behavior with a few minutes of your favorite genre. If you enjoy chocolate, you can have a piece after folding the laundry. The positive reinforcement of the reward will motivate you to return to the behavior again.