Break the Bad Patterns that holds you back

A U.S. Army major stationed in Kufa during the Iraq was faced with the challenge of calming down disturbances characterized by violence and chaos in the local plazas. Instead of sending his troops in gung ho with gunfire, the major simply had the food vendors removed. And the riots ceased. When the major was asked how he knew removing the food vendors would put an end to the riots, his answer was, “Understanding habits.” Crowds would gather; after a few hours they would grow hungry, but with the food vendors gone, they would get discouraged and drift home. By removing one simple aspect, he broke the chain of events and eliminated the cycle that led to the riots.

We can also break our bad habits with the same strategy. Charles

Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, explains the three key

stages of habit formation: (Habit loop)

The cue: This is the trigger that initiates the behavior, which

becomes the habit. It could be a time of day when you drive past

the doughnut shop or a social-media notification that leads you

to procrastination. It is the spark that leads to the routine.

The routine: The routine is the actual behavior. Duhigg gives a

personal example—at 3:30 p.m. each day, he’d look at the clock

and get a craving for a cookie. He’d then go to the cafeteria, buy

a cookie, and eat it while chatting with co-workers. That was

his habitual routine.

The reward: The reward is the release of brain chemicals

following your specific routine. This is what reinforces your “bad”

behavior. Your brain is experiencing “happy chemicals” even

though you’re doing something you want to stop doing.

Now that we have deconstructed the habit, here are two steps

to break it:

1. Deconstruct

Using the three stages of cue, routine, and reward, you need to

deconstruct your bad habits. Uncover what your triggers are, take a step back, and look at the automated routine you’re engaging in; then realize that you’re giving yourself a false reward. You need to pinpoint your moments of weakness. This means being honest with yourself. Keep in mind that removing just one of the three key factors can be enough to break down the entire bad habit.

For Duhigg, his real reason for getting the cookie wasn’t that he

craved sugar, but simply that he enjoyed chatting with his coworkers. When he realized he could socialize without buying a

cookie, he broke the bad habit.

2. Replace or Redeem

Some habits need to be abruptly and completely. Other habits can be replaced with healthier options or redeemed with slight

alterations. Rather than snacking on Reese’s Pieces, have some

dark chocolate. If you chew on your nails when you are nervous,

carry some chewing gum with you. Instead of checking your

social media accounts, read an intellectually stimulating

article online.

Start today. Now that you know the three key stages of

habit formation, you can work on breaking down your bad

habits immediately. I trust this was useful and please express your thoughts and views on this.

Source of reference: #Power of Habits# by Charles Duhigg