Day 57 - Understanding Habits As Neurological Cravings

I was in the airport this past summer and had quite a long time to kill waiting for delayed flights and upcoming long layovers, and decided to peruse the book store to pick something out to help me pass the time.  I came across Charles Duhigg's The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life And Business and was instantly captivated.  I read half of the book during that trip, and as I returned to real life and my available reading time dwindled, I finally finished the book about a week ago and wanted to share what I've learned using several quotes from the book over a few different posts.

I've always heard about bad habits, good habits, breaking habits, making new habits, but hadn't really thought that much about the fact that really, when it all boils down, my struggles with my weight are ALL because of habits.  Habits are technically defined as "the choices that all of us deliberately make at some point, and then stop thinking about but continue doing, often every day."

Duhigg uses real stories about companies and individuals including research studies and documented evidence to teach his readers about what habits are and how to overcome unfavorable ones.  The core of the book is understanding the habit loop and then figuring out how to switch the routine.  "This process within our brains is a three step loop.  First, there is a cue, a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and which habit to use.  Then there is the routine, which can be physical or mental or emotional.  Finally, there is a reward, which helps your brain figure out if this particular loop is worth remembering for the future."

So if I'm feeling grumpy about something, my routine may be to go eat a cookie, which makes me happy.  And if I do that a few times, it becomes a HABIT.  Then, any time I'm feeling grumpy, I now engulf sweets, which still makes me happy, until later I realize that my emotional eating doesn't keep me happy long-term, but does add weight long-term.  And NOW we have a "bad habit."


I've grown to understand why habits are so automatic - "habits, scientists say, emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort"and "when the habit emerges, the brain stops fully participating in decision making" and just goes back to something similar to a reflex.  Don't get it? Think of how when you get dressed, you don't have to really think about HOW to put on pants like my 2 year old does.  It's because after you made the choice enough times about how to put on your pants, now you just do it.  Your brain doesn't take the effort to think about it anymore.  Honestly, when you wake up, think about the first 10 things you do in the morning, and chances are, very little thought goes into them.  Going to the bathroom, turning on the light, going downstairs, turning on the coffee machine, brushing teeth - many of these actions are actually habits.  Now think bad to those "bad habits" that we've made and how much more effort it will take to rewire our brains for all of those thoughts an actions - that's a lot of energy, and the brain, instead, likes routine.

"This explains why habits are so powerful:  They create neurological cravings."

So not only do I want chocolate because I LIKE chocolate, and because my body is used to TASTING chocolate and likes it, it's actually because NEUROLOGICALLY my brain craves it because of my past decisions that I'd repeated.  Holy crap.  NO WONDER IT'S SO HARD TO CHANGE!

Through this book, I've actually been able to really focus on a few habits (gotta start small), identified the aspects of the habit loop, and have started to change those habits.  I say 'start' because it's still wicked difficult, but I'm on the right track.  Understanding WHY I have the problem plus knowing WHAT to do to change it has been really helpful.  I'll share more in future posts!