Habits: The Psychology Behind them, and how our Brains are Wired for Positive Change.

"Your habits shape your identity, and your identity shapes your habits." -James Clear.

A habit is a behaviour that we repeat enough times that it becomes automatic. The intention of a habit is to experience a reward and a positive feeling state after engaging in whatever the habit is. Over time we associate a specific habit with producing a reward and feeling state; actually, it's not the habit itself that produces the reward, but the feeling state we have trained ourself into by engaging in whatever the habit is, associating the two together.

From an evolutionary stand point, habits are the brains way of conserving energy - attaining a reward as quickly as possible. Due to the brain’s neuroplasticity, we always have the potential to identify and to break unwanted habits and to create new ones, with the knowledge that healthier habits can bring changes not only neurochemically but also within the balance of our daily lives.

Many habits we perform are unconscious, as are the steps we take to create them, but by making a subconscious habit conscious, we start to empower ourselves to make significant changes.

According to James Clear, author of the book ‘Atomic Habits’, the Habit Loop consists of 4 stages, and take any of the four elements out of the loop, or change any of the four factors and the habit cannot exist.

The 4 Stages

1)     Cue - our brain is constantly scanning our internal and external environments for rewards, the cue is an indication that we are close to a reward which is the first step.

2)     Cravings - the motivational source behind any habit. We do not crave the thing itself, we crave the relief or reward that it creates. For example you do not crave a cigarette itself, you crave the relief it provides (cravings of course differ from person to person).

3)     Response - the third step is the actual form that a habit takes, either in a thought or an action

4)     Reward - the end goal when you have obtained the reward.

Outlining the structure of habits like this allows us to bring awareness to how much power and influence we have over how our environment and automatic behaviours, in that once we understand them, we have the power to make changes to how each step is held in place.

Releasing an unwanted habit consists of using the 4 steps of the loop as a law, giving yourself the autonomy and power to shift it:

Releasing an Old Habit

1.      Cue - One of the most practical ways to create a new habit is to reduce exposure to the cue that it causes, for example if you are wanting to give up smoking, getting rid of smoking memerbilli, and anything else that reminds you of cigarettes.

2.      Craving – Make it unattractive, every behaviour has a surface level craving and a deeper underlying motive, and the cause of habits is the prediction of a feeling created by engaging in them. Did you know a craving only lasts for 13 seconds? So if you can sit with that feeling and redirect your energy into another behaviour the craving will go.

3.      Response- Make it difficult. If you make the process of getting to and performing a habit more difficult, there will be more work involved, and the difficulty will outweigh the reward. Eg, if you like to eat sugary snacks, not having them in the house or putting them in a locked box upstairs can help to deter this, and bring in time to make the response conscious.

4.      Reward- Make it unsatisfying. Ask a friend/partner to watch your behaviour, or create a system of tax for endulging in the habit. Adding elements to make the habit feel unsatisfying can completley shift the narrative of the habit and support you in letting it go.

Some habits are born out of stressful or traumatic incidents from the past or specific emotional triggers, so it is important to bare this in mind when wanting to shift it. There may be some therapeutic or trauma work to do to heal at the core level before releasing and building in new habits. It can also be useful to note that taking away a habit can feel as if it leaves a bit of a hole, so identifying what you would like to experience instead and planting a new healthier habit in it's place can be very supportive in moving forwards.

What Happens in the Brain when we Change a Habit?

A habit is a string of your brain's neurons firing off in a specific order, and when you change a habit, you gradually reorganise and strengthen the neuron connections.

When you take a new action, your brain creates new neural pathways, which are made up of neurons connected by dendrites (the receiving portion of the neuron). The more you repeat an action, the stronger the connections between the neurons become, and a habit is formed. When you stop performing an action in a habit, the connections between the neurons weaken, and the old neurons die off.

If you are looking for supporting with changing your habits and understanding the root of them, feel free to contact me today to book in an Initial Consultation: lucy.collins@groundedchoicehypnotherapy.com