Introduction
In this section we are going to talk about habits, what they are and how to form them. The aim of this video is to learn a few strategies for how to take what may begin as a very deliberate, intentional behaviour and turn it into something that’s almost automatic. Jason Hreha defines habits “simply, as reliable solutions to recurring problems in our environment”. That’s exactly what they are – they are unconscious, pretty much automatic solutions that we employ to deal with life’s challenges. We are going to explore a few strategies for habit formation adapted from James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results”.
The first thing that is important to understand is that with a habit is essentially a system you have created to support your goals. We are often super focused on our goals while neglecting to take a look at of the process of how we get there. James Clear explains it so well, “If successful and unsuccessful people share the same goals, then the goal cannot be what differentiates the winners from the losers”. The strategies we will address will focus on the process and implementing systems to support your goals on a daily basis. You have to constantly ask yourself if your habits are getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow, next month, or next year.
Habit Stacking
The first strategy of habit formation is called habit stacking. Habit stacking is where you introduce a new habit by tacking it onto a habit you already engage in consistently. For example, if you are trying to increase your daily water intake, you could try drinking a glass as soon as you’ve brushed your teeth in the morning. This will make it easier to incorporate this new habit into your already established schedule tacked onto something that you already do pretty much automatically. An important point to consider here is that you can start small. James Clear emphasizes making the first two minutes of a new habit easy. Initially, it should not require a crazy amount of effort otherwise it might be hard to tackle. For example, if one of your goals is to read more, start with a manageable page goal, say two pages, and tack it onto another habit such as right after your skincare routine before bed. You are way more likely to be consistent with this manageable goal of two pages than trying to jump right into 50 pages a day that may feel quite daunting. Once you’ve been successful in hitting your initial page count consistently, you will likely have way more success upping your goal in the future.
Implementation Intentions
Another strategy that we can use to build a habit is by forming implementation intentions. An implementation intention is also known as an “IF-THEN” statement. If I encounter situation X, then I will initiate behaviour Y. Creating implementation intentions helps you to form an action plan, holds you accountable and increases the chance that the behaviour will become more automatic. An example of this would be “If I have time this evening to watch TV, then I will stretch for 10 minutes during” or “if it’s sunny tomorrow then I will walk home from work instead of taking the subway”.
Priming
Priming a behaviour means making it more obvious to you. James Clear argues for “[making] the cues of your good habits obvious and the cues of your bad habits invisible”. Priming involves introducing cues to take away some of the thinking involved in completing a task. The goal of priming is to help set yourself up for success by making it easier to engage in the habit you’re trying to build over the alternative. An example of this would be getting your gym bag packed with your outfit planned the night before a workout or unplugging the TV in your bedroom to help improve your sleep hygiene. Priming is also used in stimulus control or environmental design strategies which we’ll explore more in the video on “Adherence and Relapse Prevention”.
Make it Satisfying
Lastly, one of the most important aspects that will reinforce a habit is how enjoyable it is. We are far more likely to be motivated to continue to engage in a behaviour that brings us pleasure, joy, or satisfaction compared to one that we dread doing or that brings us discomfort. Not all habits will be genuinely enjoyable. You have to remember that the reward is not the habit itself but the gratification you get from completing it. We need to design our habits in a way that prioritizes a positive experience so that we subconsciously create motive to seek it out again. You might need a little help with this at first through the use of external rewards as motivators such as a treat for completing your new habit consistently all week. Eventually, you’ll start to associate that same feeling of pleasure that you get from the reward with the satisfaction of completing the habit itself which is when you’ll know that you’ve formed a habit.
Conclusion
To wrap this section up, we have introduced a few strategies for kickstarting a new habit that include habit stacking, implementation intentions, priming and prioritizing a positive experience. The key is to start small and focus on consistency. These approaches can be applied to any area of your life where you are looking to make a change – especially for healthy lifestyle changes. For more on habit formation, I encourage you to check out the link to James Clear’s book that I referenced in this series.
Amanda Morch
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