The Psychology of Habit Formation
Habits are the invisible architecture of our daily lives. From brushing our teeth to checking our phones, they dictate much of what we do, often without conscious thought. But what is the psychology behind habit formation, and why are some habits easier to form than others?
Habit plays a crucial role in shaping our personality. Habits are the reflection of our lifestyle, thinking patterns, and undergoing changes that influence our lives. Habits are not formed in a day. A tiny change in our living can lead to the formation of habit, and with time how rigorously it can affect our lifestyle all depends on those tiny changes made initially. Studying the psychology behind the formation of those habits could give us insight and the ways to deal with negative habit loops.
Habits are defined as actions that are triggered automatically by environmental cues. Habit is the inbuilt archetype explaining what our lives look like. Habits are reflections of our daily life routine thus shaping our personality. From brushing to checking our phones to watching reels before sleeping every task has been conditioned thus leading to the formation of a habit. A habit could be positive, thus leading to growth while it could also impact negatively. Thus, knowing and understanding the logic and reason behind the formation of habits is important. The cycle of cue, routine, and reward, often called the "habit loop," was popularized by Charles Duhigg in his book The Power of Habit.
Research suggests that habits are rooted in the basal ganglia, a part of the brain involved in emotions, memories, and pattern recognition. Once a habit is established, it becomes automatic, thus it gets stored in our subconscious leading us to perform the daily habits without paying much attention to it.
The common belief that it takes 21 days to form a habit stems from Dr. Maxwell Maltz’s 1960 book Psycho-Cybernetics. However, more recent research by Dr. Phillippa Lally found that habit formation takes, on average, 66 days. The time required varies depending on the complexity of the habit and individual differences. A bad habit is much more likely to be attractive than a good habit. our brain easily adapts to the things that are easier and simpler to appear.
Bad habits often provide immediate gratification, making them difficult to eliminate. The psychology of breaking a bad habit involves:
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