What is a habit and how does it affect you?

Habits play a key role in our daily lives, forming the basis of our actions and decisions. These are automated behavioral responses that we develop as a result of the regular repetition of actions or thoughts. They play a significant role in our lives, determining our daily routines, our way of thinking in general. In this article, I will look at how they are formed, their impact on behavior, and dangers. You'll read practical tips for creating good habits in the next article.

How are habits formed?

The process of habit formation is based on the principle of neuroplasticity of the brain – the ability to change its structure and functioning in response to experience. Every time we repeat a certain action or thought, a neural connection is created in the brain. As the frequency of repetition increases, these connections are strengthened, resulting in the action becoming more automated.

It is commonly believed that the younger a person is, the easier it is for him to form a habit. In part, this is true, and the reason for this is the phenomenon of neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to make neural connections when we gain experience. In children and adolescents, neuroplasticity is higher than in adults, that is, connections between neurons are formed faster. Therefore, it is easier for them to learn and acquire new habits. This doesn't mean that an adult won't be able to change his or her behavior patterns—it's doable, but it will require more effort and time.

Loop of Habit

To know how to influence habits, you need to understand how they work and what triggers these behaviors. This pattern is called a habit loop.

The first element in the chain is the trigger. This is a circumstance that causes an automatic reaction on our part. It can be both internal and external. For example, the first ones include the feeling of hunger or one's own worries. External environments include the environment (a colleague invited me to smoke) and aspects of the external environment (if you are cold, you want tea).

The trigger leads to the formation of a dominant, the second element, i.e., a need that is impossible or difficult to ignore. To satisfy it, it requires a mental, physical, or emotional action. The brain chooses the method of realization based on the experience and knowledge already at its disposal.

In the end, we get a reward, the third element, in the form of a positive emotional response. Reinforcement with a positive response signals the brain that it would be a good idea to memorize this schema and practice it further.

If you look at the habit from the point of view of the loop, it turns out that until you begin to consciously fight the learned program of behavior, you should not expect changes. The brain will fire a well-known plate as soon as you are exposed to the appropriate trigger.

That is, often a person simply has no choice: he becomes a hostage of a certain algorithm. And therein lies the main danger. After all, when you try to violate the chosen model, the brain begins to protest in every possible way, provokes anxiety and discomfort.

We are talking about seemingly harmless and harmless customs: going to work the same way, visiting the same shops, watching TV shows on weekends with a glass of wine.

As we get used to it, we become predictable and don't develop. There is a fear of change, and a person refuses to change even to the detriment of his own interests. He can stay in an unpromising job with a tyrannical boss until the last moment simply because he is used to it and is afraid to change something. And the obliging brain will come up with a thousand reasons to leave everything as it is.

Types of Habits

In a state of tension, we expend more energy, and habits help to preserve it. (The worst part is that the good ones tend to be harder to digest than the bad ones.) I will omit the details of the classification, which include professional, domestic, social, and individual. Let's discuss it better:

Useful skills are necessary skills that help a person to be healthy and successful, maintain balance in relationships with others, and make friends.

Harmful ones are those that prevent a person from realizing himself, ruin his health and have a bad effect on relationships with others. They are considered a manifestation of weakness, since a person is not able to limit his addictions even for his own good.

The most well-known are: alcohol consumption, smoking, gambling addiction, shopaholism, overeating, Internet addiction, incontinence, excessive shyness, perfectionism, etc.

You can't become a slave to your habits! You should learn to use them to your advantage!