The Science of Habit Formation: How to Build and Maintain Good Habits.
Greetings everyone. Welcome to my blog guys. Today I'll be writing on habits.
It is, therefore, agreed that habits in a way define human life. Even the small and large things that define our existence and daytime are based on our particular and consistent behaviors – habits. But why do some habits become long-term principles? And how can this Science Of Habit Formation be used to create and sustain the positive Change In Your Life ?
Understanding Habit Formation
To the heart of the definition, habit may be defined more broadly as an activity carried constantly in a repetitive manner. The science behind habit formation involves three key components: which are: the cue, the routine and the reward. This is known as the ‘habit loop,’ and was widely discussed in Charles Duhigg’s book, The Power of Habit.
Cue: This is an event that starts of a certain reaction or behavior in a given individual or species. It can be a time of a day, a mood, even a place – or anything you can think of.
Routine: This is the actual phenomenon or process, the effectiveness of the action in terms of attitude and perception. For example, use of stress as cue followed by a reward such as consuming a chocolate bar.
Start Small: Start with a behavior that you can contain and be consistent on. If you are aspiring to make the changes in your daily routine to include exercise into it, today it is enough to start with five minutes. It is easier to avoid relapse on a small measure and these when accumulated may lead to greater results.
Create a Cue: Cuing is when you associate your new habit with a current habit, or with a certain time of the day. For instance if you want to cultivate the habit of drinking more water, and this is your new behaviour, do it after you have brushed your teeth.
Choose a Reward: Make sure to seek an incentive that would encourage repetition of the behavior. This could be as basic as doing something that is tension relieving or as congratulating yourself for a job well done.
Be Consistent: Day in and day out, it means one has to make efforts to keep repeating. If one employs the habit for a particular activity more frequently the habit becomes more dominant in the user. Consuming the good habit regularly, many of the pathways are created or reinforced and hence if you want to build a certain habit, ensure that it is consistent.
Track Progress: They include habit trackers, journals or any other form to ensure that you get the best results. Reflection is another way of manage because it is motivating being able where you are coming from and how far you have reached.
Maintaining Good Habits
Stay Flexible: These are expectations that could be given by your strategic partners or shareholders, the stakeholders, competitors, customers, or suppliers, or regulatory bodies that should be well understood to cushion for the inevitable occurrences of hiccups along the way. Daily applications do not have to be received as mighty failures; rather, they be used to correct and change techniques.
Get Support: You can tell your intentions at work to some of your friends or look for a group with the same aim and mission. People performance can be improved when there is accountability because it helps one to get motivated and encouraged.
Visualize Success: Cast a picture of yourself as you are en route to achieving or attaining your desired objective. People need to visualize how they are to go on with their habits in a bid to help them stick with them.
Reflect and Adjust: Have a periodic check and evaluate whether the habit is helpful to you or not. Slight modification needs to be made from time to time in order to keep the habit ‘on track’ in fulfilling its purpose.
Overcoming Bad Habits
Quitting a vice, course, negative behavior all require that you replace the bad habit with a good one. Find out what you get in return for the unwanted behaviour and develop a new behaviour that gives you the same benefit but is good for you.
For instance if you always use your phone whenever you are idle replace it with a beneficial activity such as reading a book. The cue (boredom) doesn’t change, but the new routine (reading for instance) will provide a positive reinforcement that could work in helping the break the negative cycle.
Conclusion
Habit change is a phenomenon that can be explained in theory and is also a process that can be implemented in everyday life. If you want to use the potential of habits for the betterment of your life and the attainment of your objectives, then you have to start slowly, stick to your plan, and make necessary alterations in the process. Bear in mind people that their habits define daily practices and lead to overall achievement; therefore, they should devote much time and energy to the establishment of effective behaviors since they will be helpful for health.
Stay blessed 🙏
Your driver and teacher
@etteuwad