The Hidden Architecture of Your Life: Why Your Habits Matter More Than You Think
On our journey towards a healthier body and mind, we’ve realised that habits play a huge role. Habits are patterns of behaviour that are often performed automatically, enabling us to carry out essential tasks such as getting ready for work in the morning without having to think about them. They also include habits that are good for our health such as exercising and eating well, and bad habits such as procrastination, nail-biting and being late. Good, bad or ugly, our habits build up the experiences that define the quality of our lives so it’s worth taking a closer look at them, to make sure we are on the right path.
The science
Anything that we do requires our brain’s input and this consumes a lot of our energy. But the brain has a clever skill. For frequently carried out actions (i.e. habits), our brain builds bigger neural pathways so less energy is needed to carry out the action, to the point where it becomes unconscious (think about how hard it was to learn to drive a car, and how easy it becomes so you don’t even have to think about it). Building new habits takes time as we build up the neural pathways, but as it is repeated it eventually becomes easier. Unfortunately the same is true for bad habits. A frequently repeated bad habit also has strong neural pathways, so it is best to nip bad habits in the bud!
Another factor that comes into play when developing a new habit is the feedback loop, where we feel the benefits of the good habit which then motivates us further to make it a standard part of our lifestyle. Exercise is a good example since people new to exercising are sometimes a bit resistant and it’s not until they feel the benefits of living with increased energy, strength and endorphins that they are motivated to exercise more.
How can we build new healthy habits?
It can take time – and willpower – to build a new habit, but luckily we’ve found a great trick to help you get started. Rather than building new neural pathways for good habits, you can simply hijack the neural pathways of a bad habit. What a boon!
For example, if you have a habit of sleepily hitting the snooze button when the alarm goes off, hijack this and sit up in bed instead and use your phone or a notepad to list two
things that you are grateful for. Or two things that you are excited about for that day
. This simple practice has helped many people develop daily gratitude and start the day in a positive state of mind. It’s worth trying at any point in the day, whether or not you want to hijack an existing habit.
While we’re on the subject of sleep, another habit that can make a big difference to your quality of sleep is switching off your phone early. With so many technology distractions, it’s all too easy to fall into the habit of scrolling endlessly through apps when we should be hitting the pillow. Try turning off your phone at 9.00pm each night to aid sleep. Using iPhone’s ‘Screen Time’ and Android’s ‘Digital Wellbeing’ features are a great way to help you do this and generally use your phone less.
Technology can be the root of all kinds of bad habits, but it can also help us create new healthy habits if we use it wisely. There are many apps designed for this exact challenge — many will nudge you to make the change and show how you are progressing. Simple reminder and calendar apps can work wonders to keep you on track to developing a lasting habit and lifestyle change. Habit-tracking apps like Streaks entice you to keep going by extending your streak each time you complete an action.
If tech is your thing, you might also consider a smart water bottle that sends alerts to your phone and tracks your daily intake — a simple nudge that can turn staying hydrated into a lasting habit.
Another good strategy is a ‘buddy system’. It’s much easier to start a new habit if you’re doing it with other people. A shared gym workout or yoga session at lunchtime is great for your health and can give you more energy in the afternoon. Taking 15–20 minutes to meditate together is another powerful group habit — it helps to motivate everyone involved and creates space to share experiences.
Another piece of old wisdom worth returning to: ‘Begin with the end in mind’, from the classic book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’. Focusing on the positive outcome of those healthy habits and how your life will improve makes it easier to instil them for the long term.
Have you got your own tips for building new healthy habits? What are your experiences? Let us know via social:
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