7 Ways to Change and Sustain Habits for Good

If I asked you the question “what are you really good at?” I anticipate you’d cite a few things out that you’re naturally talented at. Perhaps it would be a creative hobby, a personal talent, your favourite pastime, knack at conversations, making people laugh and the list goes on. Have you ever stopped to think about the things you do without even thinking? The way you’ve programmed your body so perfectly that you don’t even need to think about it.

Imagine if I said to you to break down how you drive your car or ride a bike or clean your teeth. Imagine breaking your process right down into small details, then notice how many actions and movements you make during the subconscious process of something as simple as cleaning your teeth!

That’s a habit and you’re really good at it!

The thing is people often struggle with changing habits and think that a habit is for life, but this isn’t true. You’ve programmed yourself to activate certain processes when you do something and the same can be said for being really good at the things you don’t want to do. Perhaps eating when you’re not hungry – you’ve programmed yourself to associate food with emotion and so you’ve trained yourself to respond to it. The glass (or bottle) of wine every night is a habit that you masterfully created. Relentlessly scrolling on social media is another one. Or how brilliant you are at being slumped on the sofa when your intention was to hit the gym! Why is it so hard to change a habit?

There’s a very neuroscientific explanation as to why some habits seem to take a hold over us but when we try to change them, our intentions can be meaningful but not necessarily impactful. In this article I want to share about the role of neural pathways and the impact they have on changing and maintaining habits.

What are neural pathways?

Neural pathways play a crucial role in the formation and maintenance of habits. A habit is a learned behaviour that becomes automatic through repeated practice, and involves the activation of specific neural pathways in the brain.

When a behaviour is repeated over time, it strengthens the neural connections in the brain that are associated with that behaviour . This process is known as neuroplasticity and it allows the brain to form new habits and reinforce existing ones.

As habits become more automatic, they require less conscious effort to perform and then become controlled by a different part of the brain that’s associated with conscious decision-making. This is why habits can be difficult to break, as they have become ingrained in the neural pathways of the brain. Imagine them to be like little grooves on a record player.

Research has shown that certain brain regions, such as the basal ganglia, are particularly important in the formation and execution of habits. The basal ganglia are a group of nuclei located deep within the brain that are involved in motor control and reward-based learning and addiction. When a behaviour is repeatedly associated with a positive outcome, such as a reward, the basal ganglia become activated and the behaviour becomes more habitual.

Neural pathways also play a role in breaking habits. When we consciously try to change a habit, we need to create new neural pathways in the brain that can compete with the old ones. This can be challenging as the old pathways have been strengthened through repetition. However, with practice, new pathways can be formed and old habits can be replaced with new ones.

Neural pathways are essential for the formation and maintenance of habits. By understanding how habits are formed at the neural level, we can develop strategies to create new habits or break old ones.

How can I transform a habit?

Changing a habit can be a challenging process but it is possible with the right approach.

Here are some strategies you can use to change a habit:

Identify the habit that’s important for you to change: Notice the behaviour you want to shift and be specific about what the habit is and why you want to change it. My top tip here is to not change too many habits at once, focus on one at a time and work from a bottom up approach.

Set a goal: Set a clear and achievable goal for changing the habit. Make sure the goal is measurable and specific. For example, if you want to quit smoking your goal might be to reduce your daily cigarette intake gradually over time. Big goals should always be broken down into smaller goals.

Understand the triggers: Habits are often triggered by specific cues or situations that can be driven by emotions. Try to identify the triggers that lead to the behaviour you want to change. For example, if you want to eat healthier, you might find that stress or boredom triggers your snacking habits. Distract yourself with something you enjoy doing so you revert your attention on to something more helpful to you .This then activates similar happy hormones in the brain.

Create a plan: Once you have identified the habit and the triggers, create a plan to change the behaviour . Your plan should include specific actions you can take to avoid the triggers or replace the behaviour with a healthier alternative.

Practice: As I have mentioned above about neural pathways, you need to practice something long enough so new little grooves are created to form a habit and programme your body to respond. It does take time and practice so be be patient and kind to yourself and keep practicing the new behaviour until it becomes a habit.

Reward yourself: Celebrate your successes along the way. Reward yourself for making progress, no matter how small. This will help activate the reward chemicals in your brain to reinforce the new behaviour and make it more likely to stick.

Get support: Changing a habit can be challenging, so it’s essential to get support from others. Talk to friends or family members who can encourage and support you. You can also join a support group or work with a therapist or coach.

Remember that changing a habit is a process, and it may take time and effort. But with a clear goal, a plan and a commitment to practicing the new behaviour you can successfully change your habits!

I hope this article has been helpful to you. If you need a little extra boost on breaking a habit for good, fill out the form below and get in touch.