hab·it/ˈhabət/START SMALL. START NOW. -Marci Mattox
hab·it /ˈhabət/ an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary
Have you ever driven to the grocery store and thought- how did I get here? I don’t even remember the drive? Or what about this: we don’t think about each step we need to take in order to back out of the garage. When we use the bathroom, we flush the toilet. We don’t think “ok now I’m going to flush the toilet”. Sounds ridiculous, right??? These are HABITS.
Our brain wants to be efficient- it looks for ways to save mental energy so it forms little pathways. These are called “neural pathways” and they make those things that we do over and over again easier. For instance, take a mountain bike trail, the trails that have a lot of use are the trails that are easier to find. If that trail gets less use, weeds grow and fill the path in, so it is harder to ride and less easy to find. It works the same for our brain. Wanna know something cool? WE can make healthy choices automatic by creating new neural pathways. How??? By PRACTICING new habits!
There are THREE major parts to a habit.
-CUE: THE TRIGGER that causes you to do “that thing”
A SIMPLE example: You are frying an egg.
-ROUTINE: "THAT THING"- the action you take after the cue
You are frying an egg > you reach for the utensil drawer on the left of the stove to grab a spatula.
-REWARD: THE RESULT from the action
You are frying an egg > you reach for the utensil drawer on the left of the stove to grab a spatula > you put the egg on your plate.
You don’t think- “ok, I’m going to move my left arm to grab the drawer to the left of the stove, open it, look for the spatula, grab it, close the drawer, lift the egg off the pan, and place it gently on the plate”. Your body does it without you thinking about it.
NOW GET THIS. You rearrange your kitchen. You decide that the utensil drawer is better to the RIGHT of the stove. So the next day, you are frying an egg. You automatically open the drawer to the left to grab the spatula, but it isn't there. Oh, that’s right! You moved it! So you have to THINK, I need to grab the drawer on the right! The next day, you do the same thing. The NEXT day, you might reach for the drawer on the left, touch the handle, but remember it’s on the right, so you adjust right before you open it. The NEXT day you reach to the left but remember it’s on the right before you touch the handle and then you adjust. The NEXT day you reach to the right. A NEW neural pathway was formed. You no longer have to THINK about where the utensil drawer is, it has become automatic. This doesn’t mean that you won’t sometimes reach to the left. Just like a mountain bike trail that is closed for re-vegetation, it takes a while before you don’t see the trail anymore. And that’s ok.
The key to starting any healthy habit is to attach it to a cue that already exists. Start small and give yourself some grace. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
When you start to feel bored/stressed you take a walk around the block instead of opening that snack cabinet.
You sit down to eat dinner and drink a glass of water before you drink anything else.
While your coffee is brewing in the morning you meditate.
During commercial breaks do squats/push-ups/sit-ups/run the stairs- YOU choose an exercise during this time and mix it up!
The ideas are endless! And remember: you might go back to that drawer on the left every once in a while, and that’s ok. You have created something healthy in your life. The more automatic our healthy habits are, the more healthy habits we can make! The key is this: START SMALL. START NOW.