Master the Art of Habit Formation: Build Lasting, Positive Routines for Success

Introduction to Habit Formation

Habits develop when actions are performed repeatedly over a period of time. They become automatic, and basically, a very minimal amount of effort goes into them. For instance, getting up every morning and brushing your teeth is a habit. One does not have to think twice about it as it comes automatically, and it requires very little effort.

Habits like brushing teeth develop consciously, as in they take time and practice. However, not all habits develop in this manner. Some habits develop unconsciously as well. These are generally negative habits, and they develop as a consequence of stress.

Understanding how habits are formed is crucial to developing healthy habits and breaking the negative ones. Habit formation is crucial to building lasting, positive routines for success and well-being in life.

The Stages of Habit Formation

Habit forming develops in four stages. Once these habit formation stages are understood, then building lasting, positive habits and breaking negative ones can become a little bit easier.

1. The first stage is a cue. The cue is the first step that facilitates a behavior. Your brain is always looking for cues, and the cue is the first indication of being closer to a reward.

2. The second stage is craving. Without craving, there is no drive to perform an action. For instance, sitting down on the sofa after a long, tiring day and automatically switching on the television becomes a habit. The reason for this is that the tired mind craves for something entertaining or somewhere else to escape to.

3. The third stage is the response. Response is the action performed, the real habit. The thing about responses is that they require little physical or mental effort, and also must be something that you are able to perform. If not, the response is not performed.

4. The final stage is the reward. Reward is what every habit gives you; it is the reason why a cue triggers the pattern of behavior that leads to a habit. Without reward, habit formation does not take place.

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How to Build Positive Habits

Once we have understood the stages of habit formation, the next step is to understand how we can build positive habits using these four stages.

The four stages of habit formation are cue, craving, response, and reward. The cue notices the reward, and the reward is the purpose of the craving. Craving initiates a response. If any of these four steps are not sufficient, then a habit will not develop.

We might often notice that people who have cultivated good habits in their lives rarely ever procrastinate, eat one more unhealthy burger, lay down on the sofa longer than necessary, or use their mobile phones for an hour longer than they intend to. The reason being, they have cultivated good habits that have become automatic for them, and they do not find the need to perform unhealthy ones.

Habit formation, especially positive habit formation, might sound difficult at first. The point is to make them come naturally so that they do not feel effortful anymore.

Set Specific Targets – Set a specific target for a goal in mind you want to turn into a habit. Let’s say you want to start exercising regularly, so defining the target clearly will give you a head start. For instance, “I shall work out every alternate day for 15 minutes,” is more specific and clear than “I shall work out regularly.”

Planning Needs to be Cue-Based – Cues are important for the brain to notice the reward, so it is important to set up cues that trigger a pattern of behavior leading to the habit. For instance, “I will work out every alternate day for 15 minutes after I have had my breakfast.”

Make the Action Fun – Sheer willpower alone cannot make you cultivate a healthy habit. This is where craving becomes important. The brain craves for something fun, so think about what makes healthy habits, like exercising, fun. Maybe instead of starting off on a treadmill, going to yoga classes with a friend is a more fun way to start off with exercising daily. It is easier to repeat here because having your friend for company is something you can look forward to.

Try to be Flexible – When it comes to habit formation, flexibility is allowed. Following rigid patterns can make you not want to continue with a certain behavior that you have started. So, make room for flexibility.

Social Support – Social support, while often overlooked, is very important for cultivating habits. Finding people who can help you on your journey to cultivating good habits can go a long way in cultivating those habits. They help find motivation and provide encouragement.

Breaking Bad Habits

The four stages of habit formation are cue, craving, response, and reward. If any stage is insufficient, a habit will not develop. By eliminating a cue, the pattern of behavior leading to a habit will never start. Similarly, if there is reduced craving or no craving, there is no drive to get to the reward. Making responses difficult means there is a diminished reason to perform the behavior. This is the key to breaking bad habits.

For instance, say you want to break the habit of eating unhealthy food while watching television in the evening, then you can start by thinking of replacing it with something healthier. Let’s say going out for a walk.

If you have your walking clothes laid out near the television, this will be a cue that will make you want to go out for a walk. To reduce the craving for unhealthy foods, replace them with healthier options like carrot sticks. While these are something to munch on, they are not unhealthy. At the same time, to make responses difficult, then you can remove all the unhealthy food from your house. Reward can be something that is a little tricky to achieve immediately, but like with cravings, it can be replaced with healthier but tasty options. For instance, treating yourself to a healthy smoothie after a walk serves as a reinforcement.

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Tools and Techniques for Building New Habits

Building new habits becomes easy with the amount of technology available. In the online world, you find many options that can help you create beautiful habit trackers that in themselves can serve as cues. Moreover, the oft-used task managers that serve to create to-do lists can also be used to remind you of habits, prioritize them, and so on.

There are apps that you can download and use solely for habit-forming purposes. For instance, Habitica is a game-type app wherein you can play as an avatar and make points by performing habits. Or, there is HabitShare, where you can even bring in your friends and family to support you in your habits.

With new habits, there is also a need to have a good social support system that can motivate and encourage you. For instance, you can start with accountability partners who are very beneficial for achieving your goals. They provide motivation, and encouragement, and also stay on track in terms of building habits.

Habit Formation in Recovery

When it comes to recovery, especially from Substance Use Disorders (SUDs), habit formation plays a very important role. The stages of habit formation are especially useful for breaking the cycle of substance abuse and preventing relapse.

Identifying the Cues – These are triggers that have led to substance use in the past. These can be related to stress, peer influence, family environment, and so on.

An Alternative Reward System – People generally reach for substances because they are rewarding, especially in terms of how they make a person feel. By establishing an alternative reward system, craving for something new albeit healthy can be introduced.

Planning Ahead – Once the cues or triggers are identified and an alternative reward system has been established, the next step is to implement a plan that involves identifying the cue and performing a new habit. For instance, when stressed, instead of drinking alcohol, maybe try going for a brisk walk or a hot bath.

How Long Does It Take To Form A New Habit?

As per Phillippa Lally’s study on 96 participants over a twelve-week period, it was found that it takes 66 days for a new habit to become automatic. This is just a little over 2 months. However, it depends on person to person, and the window is anywhere between 18 days to 254 days.

The key is to start small, as small changes in life make bigger changes easy to implement. Try incorporating one habit at a time, and that becomes the foundation for lasting changes in life.