Building Healthy Habits

Habits and routines have the power to shape and redefine our lives

HABITS FORM ROUTINES

A routine is essentially the pattern and manner in which you consistently perform tasks. Picture it as linking together various habits. However, those regular habits can either benefit or harm your well-being.

Creating positive habits can be challenging, as we often opt for the easier choices, which may not always be the healthiest – fast food versus the healthier home cooked meal. Once established, routines play a crucial role because they alleviate the mental burden of decision-making.

MYTH

It takes 21 days to form a new habit.

FACT

Research shows that it can take 18- 254 days to develop a new habit. The more complex habits take the longest (Lally et al., 2009). For instance, developing a habit of regular gym visits takes about 6 months (Buyalskaya et al., 2023).

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO BREAK A BAD HABIT?

When we engage in certain activities, our nerve cells release dopamine, a chemical that produces a pleasurable feeling. We then seek to repeat that behavior to recreate that feeling.

When choosing good habits, look for things you enjoy to get that same boost.

TIPS FOR FORMING GOOD HABITS

1. Start Small and Go Gradually

2. Set Clear, Specific Goals

3. Create a Consistent Schedule

4. Find Enjoyable Activities

5. Try Habit Stacking

WHAT IS HABIT STACKING?

Our brains are filled with connections between neurons (nerve cells) called synapses. When we repeat certain things (habits) over and over again (a routine), we increase the number of synapses and even strengthen the existing ones by boosting the amount of neurotransmitters, the chemicals in the synapses that relay signals between neurons. This ability of our brains to do this is called neuroplasticity.

An easy way to adopt a new habit is to stack it next to an already established one and take advantage of that strong neural connection. Why create a new road if you don’t need one? For instance, if your morning habit is to boil water for tea, use that time to unload the dishwasher. Habit stacking provides a cue, like boiling water, for a specific task, such as unloading the dishwasher, making it easy to make small changes to your routine. Just look for things that you do regularly and stack a new habit.

Habit Stacking was first described by S.J. Scott but has also been written about by BJ Fogg, PhD, in his book Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything, and by James Clear in his book Atomic Habits.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

-Aristotle