The Power of Routine We've probably all heard about how habits can be changed in 21 or 30 days. I don't totally agree with that, and neither does a University College London study in 2009 mentioned by Leon Ho of LifeHack. It is a good start, but think about the changes you've been working on over the years.
For me, one of the things I've been trying to make stick for years is my running posture. It was sometime around my first half-marathon, and someone mentioned that my shoulders were high. I have a tendency to shrug my shoulders, but rather than just drop them down, I rounded my back to relax them. I ran like this for years, and as you can imagine, ended up with some upper back pain.
Fast forward 20 years. I am still working on overcoming that habit of rounding my back. I notice it more when I'm tired and then have focus on what I'm doing. When I don’t, I notice slouching shoulders pretty quickly. And, in addition to changing how I carry my shoulders, I found that I had to change my running gait. Now, I have several things to focus on in order to have correct posture! Are you getting the picture about how this habit change can be a real struggle and take longer than 30 days?
Charles Duhigg, an expert on habits and the author of The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business, explains the Habit Loop: Cue - Routine - Reward. An important point that scientists found when studying the habit loop is pointed out by Duhigg, "...the reason the discovery of the habit loop is so important is that it reveals a basic truth: When a habit emerges, the brain stops fully participating in decision making. It stops working so hard, or diverts focus to other tasks. So unless you deliberately fight a habit—unless you find new routines—the pattern will unfold automatically." Here was my habit loop: Cue - desire to be in good physical condition. Routine - run (with my natural posture and gait since I never had any coaching, except for high shoulders). Reward - feeling of accomplishment and my clothes fit.
Even more, he goes on to state, "Habits never really disappear. They’re encoded into the structures of our brain, and that’s a huge advantage for us, because it would be awful if we had to relearn how to drive after every vacation. The problem is that your brain can’t tell the difference between bad and good habits, and so if you have a bad one, it’s always lurking there, waiting for the right cues and rewards."
I picked out three very crucial points out of those two quotes. First, we need to be very intentional, "deliberate" was the word Duhigg used, when finding and practicing new routines. Secondly, the focus isn't on the cues or reward, but an intentional, mindful routine. And, lastly, habits never go away! They are always stored in the deep, dark depths of our brains just waiting to pop out again. That can be intimidating! I don't want you to think it's a lost cause, though. There is hope!
According to the research that Duhigg found, our brains are driven by cravings. There's a cue that is craving to receive a reward. Routines get us that reward. The Golden Rule of habit change is as follows "...to change a habit, you must keep the old cue, and deliver the old reward, but insert a new routine," as outlined by Duhigg. Transfer that over to my running. One of the reasons I was forced to change my posture and gait was the pain in my back. Being pain-free, craving freedom from pain, is a big driver for habit change - good and bad. Cue - desire to be in good physical condition. Routine - run (with improved posture and gait that prevent pain). Reward - feeling of accomplishment and my clothes fit. And, when I allow that old routine to sneak up on me, the pain reminds me of my new routine. How long does it take to form a new habit? According to the study the University College London published in The European Journal of Social Psychology, it varies. For the 96 participants in the study, the researchers found 76 days was the average, with a range of 18 to 254 days. “When you ask how long it takes to change a habit, you also need to focus on replacing bad habits with good ones,” states Leon Ho, Founder & CEO of Lifehack. He goes on to explain, “the intention behind your actions influences the times it takes to change your habits, your capacity to break unfavorable patters, and the potential repercussions of changing (or not changing). Taking on unhealthy habits and replacing them with good ones is critical to living your best life, no matter how long it takes."
Here at InCourage Health LLC, we strive to find routines that will lead to your success. Habit change is possible, even though old habits may sneak up now and then. It's about intentionally practicing your new routine to make it stronger, more automatic, in order to reap the same reward in the end. Visit us at www.incourage-health.com for more information about certified health coach, Dani Birkeland, and to find a plan that works for you.
Sources:
Leon Ho. How Long Does It Take to Break a Habit? Science Will Tell You, LifeHack.org. Last Updated on March 23, 2023
Charles Duhigg. The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do in life and business. Copyright 2012, 2023
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