Our habits shape us. Some habits can make us productive, others can drag us and won’t let us achieve anything. That is why it is important that we don’t let our bad habits hold us back in life.
Why do we have habits?
Human brain is an incredibly complex evolved machine. It tries to optimize processes to keep everything running smoothly. When we attempt to do a new task, it takes a lot of our attention, and thus, require a lot of brain power. Every time we repeat that task, our brain tries to optimize the process. If that task is repeated enough time, brain will create a fixed optimized algorithm to perform that task so that it doesn’t need to spend more energy in thinking. This fixed optimized algorithm is what we call a habit.
Why do we face difficulty while forming a new habit?
As I already mentioned, when we attempt to do a new task, it takes a lot of our attention, and thus, require a lot of brain power. Brain tries to keep the energy consumption to low level. To do so it chooses an easy route i.e. a preexisting habit. So, next time when we decide to repeat that task again to make it into a habit, our brain triggers an automatic subconscious cycle to do what we used to do at that time.
Another reason is emotional. When we do a task in which we take pleasure, our body releases a chemical called dopamine. So, when you pull out your smartphone out of habit, your body has taken over your mind, and it is seeking the dopamine chemicals that it has become habituated to.
That is why habit forming process is difficult.
What should we do to develop a new habit?
People often tries to develop new habit using willpower. Willpower helps us in getting started. But it does not help us to keep that on repeating again and again.
So, what is better way then? What we learnt about habits is that “decision” and “emotional need” are two things that make it difficult to develop new habit. In order to develop a new habit, we should remove these difficulties.
There are two simple things we can do to develop:
Design. Make an easier environment for new habit so that brain does not waste energy in deciding whether to do that task or stick to subconscious cycle. Suppose you want to study after dinner. For this you need to prepare the environment in advance. Keep study material ready and keep away things that you usually involve with at that time like laptop or smartphone etc. This way you don’t need to take a decision every time.
Reward. Use positive reinforcement. Every time you stick to the habit you want to develop, give yourself a reward. It can be anything that you feel like a reward. This way you are attaching positive emotions to that habit.
In addition to above practice, I also suggest reading following books:
- The Power of Habit — Charles Duhigg.
- Atomic Habits - James Clear
Stay Positive :)