How to Change Habits: 5 Proven Tips

Note: This post is written by Gabriel Smith Almost half of the decisions you make are simply based on habits. According to a paper published by Duke University, habits are neurological shorthand that frees our minds from the stress of decision making. This behavioral shorthand gives us more bandwidth to focus on unique tasks of our lives. Most of us form habits unconsciously, wiring our brains into life-sucking routines that are seemingly impossible to short circuit. Quitting bad habits can be hard, but new research shows you can make a permanent change with the right tools. Here are five tips on how to change habits. 1. Recognize Your Triggers Recent research in neurobiology has changed how researchers think about habits. Past research focused on changing the routine of the habit, not on which cue triggers it. By studying triggers and rewards, researchers have gained more insight into how habits really form. Habits are routines triggered by cues, like a time of day, and reinforced with a reward, like food or socialization. In order to change the routine, you need to become aware of the cues that create a habit and what reward you gain out of it. Charles Duhigg, the author of “The Power Habits,” summarizes this research well: “Scientists have explained that every habit is made up of a cue, a routine, and a reward. The cue is a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and which habit to use. Then there is the routine — the behavior itself — which can b...
Source: Life Optimizer - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Attitude Learning Source Type: blogs