Hacking The Habit Loop
As humans we are constantly evolving and changing - we pick up habits that help us become who we want to be and also not so helpful ones along the way. Ya know, the things that feel good in the moment but after you feel ashamed or worse than before?
Well the goal is to do the habits that make us feel good more and minimize habits that don’t serve us.
Enter, the habit loop - it sheds light on what is needed to create a habit and equips you with knowledge to help you succeed in making that habit a normal practice.
WTF is The Habit Loop?
Everything we do in life is a habit. If you want to shift a habit you have to disrupt the loop below. Since the cue and reward are linked, the way to disrupt the loop is to change the routine.
How it works
It starts with a cue - this is something happening that tells your brain it is time to jump into a routine. When a cue happens your brain immediately thinks of the reward and wants it so it follows whatever normal routine you do to get that reward.
For example, a cue could be your alarm clock going off in the AM. If your normal routine is to hit snooze, you’re going to stick to that routine because your brain wants the reward of more sleep. BUT say you disrupted that loop by switching up the routine by drinking a glass of water instead of hitting snooze. That change interrupts the brain’s normal process (and the habit loop) and gives you a second to wake up and make a conscious choice.
Here’s another example:
Say you’re trying to create a habit of moving a little each day - nothing long or intense, just enough to feel more energized. The last few days you have seen ‘workout’ listed on your to-do list for the day at 3pm, but you can’t seem to actually do it. Instead of getting up to move, you waffle back and forth in your mind, trying to rationalize NOT moving and end up skipping the session.
Your current habit loop isn’t helping you, it’s leading you to skip moving. The answer here is to switch up the routine to get a different result. You decide your new routine is that you will change into workout clothes and sneakers without thinking about it at 3pm sharp. That will make it harder to talk yourself out of it.
It’s a new day and you really feel good and want to follow through with your workout for the day. First, you need to remind yourself that moving will help your energy - that links the cue (working out) to a reward (more energy). Then, when you see the clock strike 3pm, you make the choice to get up and change without further thinking about it. At this point you are already dressed and are looking forward to the reward of more energy, which leads you to follow through with your plans to move. And what do you know, you are rewarded with more energy.
Now the next time this happens, you can utilize the new, successful routine of getting dressed at 3pm on the dot, and continue practicing this habit loop until the habit is cemented into your lifestyle.
Disclaimer: It’s up to you to make the conscious choice that positively benefits your health and well being. This is hard, especially in the beginning. However, disrupting the loop will give a second to stop and make a choice vs. running on autopilot, thus giving you a higher likelihood that you won’t just continue doing habits that don’t help you. :)
