How can we change our habits when we’ve been unconsciously performing them for years, or even decades?
It’s actually a lot easier than you think when you first understand the basic premise of “Habit Loops” in the brain.
In his New York Times bestseller “The Power of Habit”, Charles Duhigg introduced a concept called The Habit Loop. This habit loop consists of a Cue, a Routine, and a Reward and it develops over time through repetition and memory, becoming an unconscious loop in the brain.
We can’t stop the habit loop, but we can alter it. This is what makes an effective coaching relationship so powerful in creating self-awareness and the ability to step back, be objective, and find new perspectives and solutions to move your client forward.
Intervening and disrupting the habit loops happen in micro moments of conscious action-taking.
When you understand the Habit Loop you want to change, you can reconstruct it to work in your favour.
When breaking old habits or building new ones you must keep in mind the CUE – ROUTINE – REWARD habit loop by first making it conscious and identifying the habit loop you wish to change…
Write down each habit (pattern of behaviour) and get curious about your unique Cue, Routine & Reward for each one. Become aware of what you’re really needing, doing and satisfying within this habit i.e., what each particular habit loop represents.
Now can you ALTER your habit loop and create a new habit just by changing ONE aspect of it!
The easiest way is to break or change a habit is to alter either your Cue, or your Routine.
We want to ensure that the Reward is preserved – as long as it’s a healthy/supportive reward – so that you can still achieve the same enjoyable outcome in your brain.
1. RESTRUCTURE your environment (internal/external) by removing or changing your Cue/Trigger.
For example: if you know that you’re triggered to get takeaway for dinner because the takeaway shop is on your route home, change your route and go home another way, thereby removing your Cue. You’ll likely discover that when the anticipation or visual of seeing the takeaway shop is removed, you won’t even think about or want to get takeaway because you’ve diverted your attention elsewhere.
2. REPROGRAM your routine by changing the action or behaviour response but still achieving the same reward.
For example: if you recognise that reaching for a chocolate bar a 3pm is really because it provides a 15 minute break from staring at the computer, give yourself a break at 3pm but swap the chocolate bar for a burst of sunshine outside and munch on some nuts or fruit with a cup of tea, water or coffee. You’ll keep the Reward of having that afternoon break from staring at the computer, but you’ll change your Routine in a more positive way with a healthy snack and a mental change of scenery outside to rest your eyes and feel refreshed.
As long as you’ve identified your habit loop and chosen an appropriate intervention to restructure or reprogram your habit loop, you’ll be very quickly on the way to replacing the old habit loop for a more deliberate habit loop!
You can learn to develop the right strategies to work with your goals, brain and strengths and achieve what you want to change with our industry accredited, and transformational, coaching practitioner courses.
Understand your habit loops and you can create change in no time!
Author:
Viki Thondley
Viki Thondley-Moore is an Integrative Holistic Counsellor, Brain-Based Coach, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Mind-Body Somatic Practitioner, Wellness Coach, Meditation Teacher, Educator and Disordered Eating Specialist. Viki is founder of MindBodyFood and Founder/Director of the MindBodyFood Institute.
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