Changing Habits.

Tips and strategies for changing those unwanted habits!

The process of changing habits can be very challenging. It depends largely on the strength of the habit you want to change.

The problem with a habit is that it is an activity that has been repeated so often that it occurs with out thinking and is therefore hard to stop.

Most of our general behaviour however is habitual in nature and it is our habitual thought and behaviour which to a large extent forms our character.

Life would be very tedious if we had to consider every move through out the day. So to free up brain space for the more important tasks, the every day repetitive ones go on auto pilot!

How a habit is formed.

The brain… consists of millions of cells called neurons. Thoughts and actions form connections and pathways through this massive network of cells. New thoughts or activities, open up new routes through this network and constantly repeated actions follow the same routes.

Each time the same thought or action occurs that particular neuron path takes on a stronger ‘imprint.’

A pianist for example, by practicing a piece over and over again establishes a complex, repetitive neuron pathway. These pathways become so strong over time, that by simply playing the first few notes, the pianist feels as if the rest of the piece simply plays its self!

The action simply follows the familiar path of least resistance and old habits take over.So activities like tying your shoe lace or brushing your teeth having been repeated so often become automatic and require no real conscious thought, freeing up our mind to concentrate on new ideas and activities.

Habits inhibit change.

A constantly repeated action means that the same neuron patterns and associations are being used over and over again. Familiarity is comfortable and it can be easy to stick to what you know and not try anything different.

However by doing so the neurons left unused become redundant and die. The mind shrinks! This is why changing habits,(even good ones!) and venturing out of your comfort zone is really important. By trying out new things you give your brain a 'work-out'opening up new neuron patterns and connections.

However habitual behaviour, is hard-wired into our brains and difficult to shift. It explains why it’s so difficult to kick those unwanted habits!

Changing Habits.

We all have bad habits that we want to change. It may be smoking or drinking, biting our fingernails or over-eating. These habits are stubborn and so changing habits like these can be difficult. One of the main reasons for this is that habits are often closely linked with our emotions.

Habits fulfil a need.

We may light up when we feel anxious, or have that extra drink simply because we’re bored.

1/ Identify the need.

So to change a bad habit we need to address and then replace the original ‘need.’ To do this you need to closely monitor, over a short period of time, the habit you want to change. Perhaps keep a journal for a week noting at what times you reached for the cigarette or the extra doughnut! Is there a pattern? Once you can see the pattern and identify the emotional trigger or need, the next step is to replace the old habit with a new substitute. You want to rewire the brain to elicit a different acceptable behaviour from the old unacceptable one!

2/ Changing Habits by Replacing the bad habits with new positive behaviour.

Once you’ve identified the habit you need to work out the bad habit’s tipping point. This is the point just before your mind and body go into automatic pilot. This is where the good change needs to happen. Set yourself up with a trigger or reminder at this point to avoid the negative behaviour or thought.

For instance, suppose that you want to eliminate evening snacking. You’ve noticed that you tend to reach for the snack each night about 9pm. Pre-empt your bad habit by preparing a healthy snack beforehand and make sure that you eat it 15 minutes earlier!

3/ Changing Habits by Removing Temptation!

It’s hard to kick a chocolate habit when you have a large stash of the stuff in your kitchen cupboard! Get rid of it and put a healthy option in its place. It’s also going to be difficult to cut down on alcohol if you spend every night in the local pub. Consider the environment and the friends that you hang out with!

4/ Confront your worst fears.

Imagine what you and your life would be like if you were to continue with this habit. Confront your worst fears. How would it affect your life, work and relationships?

5/ Imagine the new you.

Once you’ve imagined the worst case scenario then visualize the new you! Shut your eyes and really picture how you look. Imagine friends and colleagues commenting on your success. Enlist all the senses in this visualization. The sounds and smells, the things and the people around you. The more senses that you can visualize the more powerful it will be.

6/ Changing Habits by Enlisting help and support.

Make your habit changing intention known. By verbalising the intent and enlisting the help and support of family and friends you will be much more likely to succeed.

7/ Changing Habits by Giving yourself lots of rewards!

After every single small success. Give yourself a reward. It’s important to acknowledge each small step forward. Have a larger reward in mind for when you finally manage to change the habit.

8/ Slips and ‘failures’ are inevitable.

There will be times when the old habits get the better of you. This is inevitable. They have been plaguing you for a long time! Accept that you will sometimes succumb. Don’t feel guilty. Just put yourself back on track and re-double your efforts.

9/ Positive thinking.

It’s not always going to be easy to think positively when you’re changing habits. However by doing so you prime your mind for success which is vital.

10/ Sleep, diet and exercise.

Working on getting enough sleep and a healthy diet will mean that you’re mind and body are nourished and strengthened for the task. Exercise is massively useful in helping to kick unwanted habits. A daily run or walk will get the heart pumping, send oxygen to the brain and will release endorphins, the body’s natural feel good chemical.

11/!!!( you can’t always have just 10!!)

Changing Habits require Commitment and Motivation.

I think for me this is the most important tool in the box. With real focused commitment and determination you will succeed. To help keep this in the forefront of your mind, renew daily, your commitment and motivation for change. Self talk and affirmations are great. Work out a little mantra to keep you on target and repeat it until it becomes a habit! Post reminders on the fridge, TV, kettle… anywhere to remind you of your purpose.

And lastly….

How long does it take to change a habit?

There are all kinds of time spans sited as to how long it takes to change a habit. The most commented upon, being 21 days or three weeks.

I think these numbers are unhelpful. Every one is different and some habits are going to be tougher for some people to shift than others. I think it is the determined on-going commitment to change, which is the most important factor here. If you have this attitude and stick with it, then the habit will be changed in the quickest possible time for you!

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