Too Adult

Every day, every person makes thousands of decisions.

Decisions are important in everyone’s life because they help shape our lives and who we are. But what makes up a decision? How do they happen? A big part of everyday decisions are acts of habit. Habits can be defined as “behavioral sequences that are performed automatically because they have been performed frequently in the past.” According to this definition, habits are essentially chains or clusters of self-perpetuating behaviors that stem from previous actions that were done out of habit.

According to Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit,” habits may start with just thinking about doing something, but eventually become automatic processes that require no thought at all. Duhigg claims that a habit is a three-step process:

1. First you have to have a cue – the trigger – which tells your brain to go into automatic mode and which habit you are using. This can be something like stress at work, hunger, or some other strong emotion. According to Duhigg, “The more frequently people experience triggers like these, the more likely they are to automatically respond.” For example, after someone starts their morning with coffee (the routine), drinking coffee (the actual action) becomes almost automatic; it happens quickly without any decision-making on part of the person drinking it.

2. Then there’s the routine itself – this is how you do what you actually want to do. It’s the actual habit- the action itself. If you’re trying to build a new habit, it’ll be pretty shaky at first – your self-control is being tested and it might not always pass. That’s why small steps are recommended. Practice makes perfect! As time goes on, the norm becomes easier to uphold. ” Eventually this loop — trigger, routine, reward — becomes so familiar that we stop consciously thinking about it.”

3. The reward must be something that satisfies your brain – this is what keeps reinforcing your behavior and making it more likely for you to do it again in future.” It may seem counterintuitive, but Duhigg says “Rewards aren’t as effective when they’re spaced further apart.” So those who keep rewarding themselves with things like alcohol, drugs, food, etc. will find it difficult to stop this compulsive behavior.

4. You need to believe that you can change or else you’ll fail before you even get started. If your friends and family think it’s just another one of your fads then they won’t help you when times get tough.” A supportive environment is key when establishing the habit loop in the beginning.   It is important that “instead of trying to motivate yourself by focusing on how great the reward will be… you focus on not using your willpower anymore.

5. Make sure the reward doesn’t conflict with any other aspects of life you wish to improve upon. For example, if the increasing focus was the reward, then it may be very difficult to lose weight and eat right. A great example of this is quitting smoking for good – the reward in this case is not having to deal with the taste of cigarettes anymore.”

6. “Here are some examples of putting these principles into use when trying to form a new habit:

·          Meditate for ten minutes daily

·          Drink 10 glasses of water per day

·          Eat one serving of vegetables with every meal”

Forming new habits can be hard but very rewarding in the long run but Breaking old bad habits can be even harder. It’s a process that takes time and determination, but those who stay committed to their new good habits will find themselves living better lives.