Vaishnavi Sridharan, Loughborough University, @vaishnavisridh1
As we step into a new decade, this post explains the formation of habits and how marginal changes accumulate to create a compound effect, thereby increasing an individual’s productivity, performance, creativity, and resilience. This small change also helps in reducing procrastination, improving relationships with oneself and others and finally achieving one’s fullest potential.
Here’s a quote by Darren Hardy [6] from his famous book ‘The Compound Effect: Jumpstart your income, your life, your success’-
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.”
Every new year we make resolutions to become a better person, get good sleep, maintain a healthy diet and exercise more, give our 100% always, to do things on time, but do we really stick to it? Most of us don’t even make it till the end of January. This initial blast of motivation remains only for some while and later we go back to the same old ways of living.
At an age where productivity and performance are key to sustain that job, that title as an athlete, student or even to be a good parent, I wanted to understand as to how I can stick to good habits and not bounce back to the old, relatively damaging habits.
This made me explore this topic in depth and after reading several research papers, articles and books by psychologists and most successful businessmen and athletes, I am convinced that this evidence based self-improvement would make us atleast 23% [9] more efficient in whichever area we intend to improve. But to do so it is important to understand what habits are and how are they formed.
Science of Habits
Habits, simply put, are small decisions you make and actions you perform every day. According to researchers at Duke University, 40 percent of our behaviour in a day are habitual in nature. In a study conducted in 2002, they found that people reported between one third and half of their behaviours were things that they did almost every day and usually in the same location. And most of the time their thoughts wandered while doing those activities.
William James, Father of American psychology, was one of the proponents and a big believer in habit mentions:
“99%, or, possibly, 99.9% of our activity is purely automatic and habitual, from our rising in the morning to our lying down each night. Our dressing and undressing, our eating and drinking, our greetings and partings…even most of the forms of our common speech, are things of a type so fixed by repetition as almost to be classed as reflex actions” (p. 48).
In the initial ages of understanding habits, researchers highlighted the way humans learn stimulus-response associations. Such concepts are rooted in behaviourist principles and studies on animal learnings.
Ivan Pavlov’s [11] experiment on a dog led to the theory of classical conditioning which states that on presentation of an unconditioned stimulus (e.g. food) there is an unconditioned response (e.g. dogs salivate) to it. When this unconditioned stimulus is coupled with a new stimulus (ringing a bell before presenting food) and repeated several times, there is a response which is conditioned to the new stimulus (i.e. dog salivated when the bell rang before the food was shown).
Such associations only explained how the environment shaped an individual’s behaviour but could not completely explain all behaviours which were governed by nature of a person like altruism and lying. This led to developments in different theories of learning, one of which is operant learning, proposed by B.F. Skinner [13]. He used a special box called the Skinner’s Box to conduct experiments on animals where he provided rewards to rats after successfully completing the task.
According to this experiment, it was a simple understanding that behaviours which led to pleasant consequences is likely to be repeated and behaviours which led to unpleasant consequence was less likely to be repeated. For example, as a child you might have probably tried several behaviours and the consequence of it determined if you would repeat that behaviours.
This led to the concept of behaviour as an automatic response to the cues in the environment. This is governed by the consequence of the response received in terms of reinforcements (i.e. rewards or punishments). For e.g., Rafael Nadal, a tennis player,[8] uses drinking water and visualising about his surrounding in a format that matches with how he wants it, adjusting his socks before serving (response routine) to the cue of match point (stressful event) to gain focus and control leading to performing at his best (reinforcement).
But this also means that Nadal did not one day suddenly decide to do this routine in a match, it requires repetition for it to become automatic. In a high pressure environment [14] where there is no time to even breath, such an automatic learning would help gain control and focus back easily in a fraction of a second to perform better, provided it is a habit.
Formation of Habits
In the experiments mentioned above, rats were persistent to pursue the behaviour even when the reward was removed. Neurological studies [5,10] have confirmed similar neural processes are occupied in acquisition and practise of habitual responses in rats and humans.
The backbone for forming any habit and making them automatic are these four important processes or stages: cue-craving-response-reward. Each time we perform a behaviour, our brain runs these processes and when repeated, it becomes a habit [2].
Cue is the trigger to the brain to initiate a behaviour. For example, when a tennis player is annoyed because he lost a point due to a silly mistake, looking at the racquet nets would act as a cue to create a response to remind oneself to calm down and not let emotions come in between during the game. Our brain analyses the internal and external environment for cues leading to rewards. Thus, this is one of the most manipulative aspect of the habit loop.
Cravings act as the motivational aspect of the habit loop. Craving is usually linked to a desire to change your internal state. A football player would feel the craving to hit the goal when he is near the goal post instead of passing it to another team member who is in the same situation because the reward would be much more satisfying if he himself scores the goal. You are not motivated to brush teeth [17], rather it is the feeling of a clean mouth that pushes you to do it. Thus, the craving is not for the habit but the change it can bring in the internal state which is desired.
Response to these cues and cravings is the actual thought or action, the behaviour we are trying to develop. This depends on many variables like skill level, motivation, and ability [15]. For instance, if you are in a meeting and you receive a text message (cue) and you want to see the content of the message (craving), the response would be to grab your phone and read the message.
Rewards are the end goal of habit loop. Rewards satisfy the craving and forms the basis of repeating that behaviour in response to the cue and craving. In the above example, Knowing the content of the message (reward) is satisfying your craving to read the message and grabbing the phone becomes associated with phone ringing. A part of this feedback loop or mechanism that our brain uses is the feelings of pleasure and disappointment which distinguishes between useful and useless actions, thus is a key element to repeat the behaviour.
Lally and colleagues [1] conducted a 12 week period habit development study, where the participants were instructed to perform a self-chosen physical activity or diet-related behaviour (e.g., running) in response to a naturally occurring cue which was once each day (e.g., after breakfast). They had to record the number of times they performed the activity and how automatic did it feel to perform that activity.
Results showed that habit development takes place over a period of time, which ranges differently for different individuals. It also shows that habit development is not linear. Initial repetitions have the greatest impact on habit development. Thus, the most important time to sustain motivation is during the initial phase of habit development.
Neuroscience [1] reveals that greater repetition of task increases performance, reduces the necessity to think about the activity, attend to it and then respond to it, increasing the activation of neural system known as associative loop (forms associations between cue and response).
The brain area which is activated (prefrontal cortex) [3] during this process is also linked to self-control, planning and abstract thought. Self-control [4] does not seem to be a reliable source for change and thus wouldn’t be the most effective technique.
5 effective techniques to achieve your resolutions this year
Using the four laws of behaviour change- the very first step is to identify the habit that is to be changed or formed. Once you have a target or goal, you need to ask yourself four very important questions:
| Four laws | To form good habits | To break bad habits | Ask yourself |
| Cue | Make it obvious | Make it invisible | How can I make it obvious? |
| Craving | Make it attractive | Make it unattractive and disgust or disappointment provoking. | How can I make it attractive? |
| Response | Make it accessible, and easy, simple | Make it difficult | How can I make it easy? |
| Reward | Make it satisfying | Make it unsatisfying. | How can I make it fulfilling or satisfying? |
Often, our motivation depends on the rewards we receive, these can be internal or external rewards. Many investigations on motivation [7] reveals that the best form of motivation to sustain any behaviour for longer period is when it becomes internalised or introjected (automatic or part of a person’s identity). If the behaviour becomes a part of who you are, you are more likely to do it every day without thinking much [18].
For instance, an athlete practises his physical skills daily inorder for him to perform it automatically on a match day [16]. But often there is very less heed placed on mental training which is the defining factor when it comes to being No.1 and No.2. What sets them apart is this- mental skills training to deal with pressure or stress which helps in an automatic response or coping on the match day.
Pressure training [16] is not just restricted to athletes, such trainings can be used by companies, military officials, schools, universities, hospitals and others, for people to be better prepared and perform at their best even when adversity strikes. Such a training helps individuals to make the response automated due to repeated practise.
5 effective techniques [2] for habit change are:
1.HABIT SCORECARD:
A habit scorecard would be a tracking device on which you need to place different habits that you perform each day. Each Habit would be scored as effective (+), ineffective (-), and neutral (=) depending what is your goal and desire. Rate the habits as effective or ineffective based on long term goals. At first, there is nothing to be changed in the scorecard.
Any change in behaviour starts with awareness. The main reason to maintain a scorecard or techniques like pointing & calling (pointing out your habits and saying to yourself that they are bad) is to bring it to your conscious awareness. Hearing your bad habits spoken aloud makes the consequences seem more real. These would also help you to acknowledge the cues that trigger a habit and makes it possible to respond in way that is beneficial for you.
“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”- Carl Jung
2. HABIT STACKING:
Often human behaviours follow a cycle of event, e.g., you wake up, brush your teeth, take bath, drink coffee, eat breakfast and so on, meaning one event leads to another. Each action in this case becomes a cue to trigger for another. Habit stacking occurs when you tie your desired behaviour into something you already do each day.
For e.g., An athlete who lacks self-confidence could use positive self-talk or positive affirmations within their practise routines every day during practise sessions.
Positive statements: After I reach for training and am about to start, I will say 3 positive statements about myself or my game.
Stack habits on each other depending on the intensity of desired habit. Make the context or the environment in which you live, work, train, study your cue and stack new desired habit with the old one accordingly. According to Wood & Rünger [18], neural reactions to rewards received after performing a behaviour often ties context and response in the memory. This marks an association which does not require goals or intentions as mediators to achieve a desired habit i.e. context is a powerful predictor of engaging in a behaviour, thus use it to your advantage.
3. TEMPTATION BUNDLING:
Whenever we experience a reward our brain activates the dopamine reward loop which makes us feel satisfied and thus repetition of that behaviour which elicits such a response. Temptation bundling uses this mechanism and it works by linking an action you want to do with an action you need to do. This works on Premack’s Principle which states “more probable behaviour reinforces less probable behaviour.” A habit becomes attractive if you get to do one of your favourite things along with it at the same time. For e.g., you could only watch television, movies at the gym.
4. THE TWO MINUTE RULE:
The excitement to start something overpowers our ability to contain it for a long time and we start too big. We try too much at once and expect the results too soon. But as we progress our motivation fades and we gradually lose interest. So, it is important to follow the two minute rule, which states, “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two-minutes to do.”
All habits can be scaled down to a ‘Doing pre-performance routine every training’ can be cut down to ‘checking for pre-performance routines online.’
“Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.”
Samuel Smiles, Happy Homes and the Heart That Makes Them
As you master the art of the first two minutes it becomes a ritual at the beginning of a larger routine. The more you make a beginning of the habit a ritual, easier it’s slip into the state of deep focus that is required to great things. By doing the same warm up before every workout, athletes can benefit from this because it helps to get into a state of peak performance.
5. THE GOLDILOCKS RULE:
In psychological research this rule is known as the Yerkes-Dodson Law that describes the optimal level of arousal, which is necessary to get into flow and exhibit peak performance. This is the midpoint between boredom and anxiety. Maximum amount of motivation occurs when faced with challenges that are of “just manageable difficulty.”
Humans search for novelty, making boredom the biggest enemy to maintain any habit. The delicate balance between regular search for challenges that push you to your edge and continuing to make enough progress is the key to sustain motivation.
In his book atomic habits, James Clear [2] mentions about asking an elite coach who trains Olympic weightlifters that what do the really successful people do that most don’t. He said: “At some point it comes to who can handle the boredom of training every day, doing the same lifts over and over and over.”
These 5 techniques are based on the four laws of behaviour change i.e. the habit loop: cue-craving-response-reward.
Conclusion
Our believes and thoughts become our destiny which propels us to shift our attention towards detoxing our mind and building enhancing habits. One percent change every day would lead to a total of 37.78 percent better in a year. Such a slight change helps broaden coping and build long term resources [2] that promote resilience, adaptability and readiness to tackle change, stress or pressure.
Use the four processes to your advantage by making the cue obvious and something attractive for craving to increase. The response to the cue is the desired behaviour which should be easy and finally make the reward satisfying inorder to create a habit loop. If you find difficulty to maintain that habit use the 5 techniques of a) maintaining a habit scorecard, habit stacking, temptation bundling, two minute rule and goldilocks rule.
“Change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.”- Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business [19]
References:
[1] Balleine, B. W., & O’Doherty, J. (2010). Human and rodent homologies in action control: Corticostriatal determinants of goal-directed and habitual action. Neuropsychopharmacology Reviews, 35, 48–69.
[2] Clear, J. (2019). Atomic Habits. Random House Business.
[3] Fournier, M., d’Arripe-Longueville, F., Rovere, C., Easthope, C. S., Schwabe, L., El Methni, J., & Radel, R. (2017). Effects of circadian cortisol on the development of a health habit. Health Psychology, 36(11), 1059–1064.
[4] Galla, B. M., & Duckworth, A. L. (2015). More than resisting temptation: Beneficial habits mediate the relationship between self-control and positive life outcomes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109(3), 508–525.
[5] Gardner, Benjamin & Rebar, Amanda. (2019). Habit Formation and Behavior Change. 10.1093/obo/9780199828340-0232.
[6] Hardy, D. (2010). The compound effect: Multiplying your success-one simple step at a time. New York, N.Y.: Vanguard.
[7] Halson, S. L., & Lastella, M. (2017). Amazing Athletes With Ordinary Habits: Why Is Changing Behavior So Difficult? International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 12(10), 1273-1275. Retrieved Jan 3, 2020, from https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/12/10/article-p1273.xml
[8] Hove, N. (2019). How to Prepare a Business Meeting like Rafael Nadal – Mental Toughness Online. Retrieved 31 December 2019, from https://www.mentaltoughness.online/how-to-prepare-a-business-meeting-like-rafael-nadal/
[9] James, W. (1916/1983). Talks to teachers on psychology and to students on some of life’s ideals. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
[10] Knowlton, B. J., & Patterson, T. K. (2016). Habit formation and the striatum. In Behavioral neuroscience of learning and memory (pp. 275–295). Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2016_451
[11] McLeod, S. A. (2018, Aug 21). Classical conditioning. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/classical-conditioning.html
[12] Pedersen, M. (2018). The resilience of habit. Ephemera, 18(2), 331-339.
[13] Robbins, T., & Costa, R. (2017). Habits. Current Biology, 27(22), R1200-R1206. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.09.060
[14] Verplanken, Bas. (2018). The Psychology of Habit Theory, Mechanisms, Change, and Contexts: Theory, Mechanisms, Change, and Contexts. 10.1007/978-3-319-97529-0.
[15] Verplanken, Bas (2008). Beyond frequency: Habit as mental construct. British Journal of Social Psychology, 45(Pt 3):639-56.
[16] Verplanken, Bas & Orbell, Sheina. (2019). Habit and Behavior Change. 10.1007/978-3-030-13788-5_5.
[17] Wood, W., Quinn, J. M., & Kashy, D. A. (2002). Habits in everyday life: Thought, emotion, and action. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83, 1281–1297. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.83.6.1281
[18] Wood, W., & Rünger, D. (2016). Psychology of habit. Annual Review of Psychology, 67(1), 289–314. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033417
[19] Duhigg, Charles. (2012). The Power Of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life And Business. New York : Random House
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