How to change habits

 

Habits are automatic processes and you shouldn't blame yourself.

 

You can easily end up blaming yourself if you try to break a habit and don't succeed. But the reality is that habits are automatic processes. In fact, research shows that from the moment you wake up to the second you fall asleep, nearly half of what you do is automatic. You're not even aware of making a decision.

 

Yet whenever you want to change something about yourself, you rely on your willpower. You hope that being determined will be enough.

 

But what if you could harness the amazing power of your non-conscious mind to reach your goals?

 

Most habits are a loop: a trigger that leads to an automatic behaviour that leads to a reward. When your brain gets the trigger it remembers the reward and gets you to do what it takes to get it.

 

Understanding this, and then making changes, gives you the power to change the outcome.

 

If so many habits are automatic, how do you break bad habit loops and make good habits automatic?

 

To change a habit, you need to name the habit. Write it down.

 

Then, identify three things.

 

1. The trigger. What's triggering your habit? Nearly all cues can be grouped into one of five categories: time, location, who's around, a previous action and emotional state. For example, grabbing the biscuits at 4pm when you're tired at work.
2. The reward. This is easy: the biscuits in the cupboard, the cheese in the fridge, the extra 15 minutes in bed when you feel tired. But understanding the craving behind it is more challenging. Why do you grab the biscuits? Is it hunger? Do you feel tired? Lonely? Try different rewards until you find something that satisfies the urge.
3. The routine. Now you know the trigger and the reward, you can start changing the behaviour. A simple way of doing this is to use if-then phrases. For example, "If I feel tired at work at 4pm, then I will get up and walk about for 5 minutes because it relaxes me."

Why not try an app like HabitShare or if you love games, why not change habits, fight monsters and earn gold with Habitica?

 

Alternatively, download our habit changer tool now to get going.

 

Watch this video to understand how to form habits that stick and why understanding your triggers is so important.

 

 

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."

 

Keystone habits are powerful habits that can help make changes stick. Watch this video now and learn some of the secrets of successful habit formation.

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