Power of habit

Cravings are what drive habits and a new habit can be created if we know exactly how to spark a craving. Basically, the process within our brains can be simplified into a three-step loop. First, when there is a cue, a trigger tells your brain to go into automatic mode and which habit to use. Then there is the routine, which can be physical or mental or emotional. Finally, there is a reward, which helps your brain figure out if this particular loop is worth remembering for the future. With properly selected cue and reward in the end, a habit can be cultivated and by understanding how the whole loop happens, we can rebuild those patterns in whichever way we choose. A good example of the application of this theory is the adding of chemical that generates foam into the ingredient of Shampoo – something expected by people it each time they wash their hair. Another example, it is the tingling feeling that reminds people to brush their teeth every day.

By creating the necessary triggers to make something a routine, we can make everything a nearly effortless thing that we can do it every day. I would like to try out on this theory and see whether I can somehow change some of my bad habits. When I reach home after work every day, since dinner is not ready yet and about 30minute is needed to prepare it, usually I snack a bit even though some time I am not really hungry but I simply have an urge to put something into my mouth and I cannot fight the urge, it is just like a roaring monster inside my mind that make  do something unthinkingly. In order to stop snacking, I need to find out the cue that triggers my craving for snack. The cue may be the omnipresent snacks on the cabinet that triggers my craving for something sweet after a long day in the office. Keeping all snacks in some hidden places may prevent me from being wanted to eat the snack. Also, if there is a new habit to take over the time slot and shift my focus to something else, I am more likely to stop snacking. Perhaps I can add in a small podcast listening session using my mp3 player. It sounds like a good idea; perhaps I can try it out tonight.    

“Sometime a change is able to touch off a series of changes that would ultimately radiate out to every part of one’s life.” This sentence makes me think twice about the number of habit that I want to change to maximize the possible impact on my life even though it is something of a rash decision to change lots of habits in a very short period of time. Perhaps I should give myself some time, start with one or two habits first and see how well I can change them before proceeding to change some other daily habits. Let make February 2018, a month for changes and will be here to write something about what happen this month later.

**With ideas and lots of quotes from The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

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