The ability to be powerful with habits

Habits are what keeps us moving forward without always thinking extremely hard about what we are doing.

We have lots of habits that we don't even know they exist until we have to change them. The easy ones to point out are how your brush your teeth, how you sit, your morning routine, making a recipe, etc. We have habits on how we manage stress, problem solve, interact with other, and how we think about ourselves. We all have negative and positive habits, but none the less they help us survive in our current environment.

Habits are built from repetitive actions that are linked to some sort of reward. The whole process of a habit is cycle. First there is a stimulus, something that triggers the actual habit. Then the actual habitual action or sequence of actions occur. Only because when the action(s) is finished there is some sort of reward. This reward could be a chemical reaction in your body or a physical reward like a treat. We continue to repeat this cycle because we like how the reward feels, thus we only go through those actions to get the reward -- not because we like doing the action.

Pavlov showed how to train dogs to do things by ringing a bell, the dog would do an action (salivate was the action Pavlov picked), then get a treat. We still train dogs this way with the pattern of a command which triggers an action then we say "yes" and give the dog a treat. Humans are a little more complex then dogs, but we still follow the same pattern; stimulus, action, reward, and craving for the reward.

Trying to change a habit takes a lot of conscious actions and decisions. You would need to know the actual actions in the habit, then back track to the stimulus. You would also need to figure out the reward you are getting for doing those actions, then only change the actions when there is the stimulus to get the same reward. This is difficult because different actions can lead to different results, thus finding actions that still give you the mental reward (because really a physical reward also has a chemical reaction connected to it) you are looking for can become the most difficult part of changing a habit.

When the shelter in place orders were first implemented we all had to change our daily habits. We all experienced how difficult it is to just change something -- and not because we are scared of change, but rather because we are on auto-polit. Now it has almost been a year since we were all told to go home, thus we have created new habits, new actions, and learning that we can find new and better results.

Personally, from the start of our shelter in place orders, I have tried to find ways to take this time to improve myself physically (more and harder workouts and healthier diet) and mentally (I have taken more classes the past year then I have in the past 10 years). I have worked hard to find ways to make better, healthier choices -- even through the COVID world, being laid off, and the darkness that winter brings. While I may not be where I think I should be in life, during COVID I have made the time to relook at my habits and focus on rebuilding them to a healthier, more empowering, and sustainable individual.

The power of habits is incredible. If you can master what you are unconsciously and consciously thinking and doing, then you can conquer anything -- no matter how dark it can become.

To learn more about the power of habits I suggest you read "The Power of the Habit" by Charles Duhigg.