SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies morning and stop at Dunkin’ for coffee and a donut. You go home (or shut off your computer) at the end of the workday and channel surf in front of the TV until bedtime. You’ve created a habit. Psychology Today shares what you need to know about the science of changing existing habits or making new ones: • Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not hard to change habits IF you do so based on science. • To change a new habit, you essentially must create a new one, so whether you are changing an existing habit or creating a new one, the “scientific” method for doing so is the same. • We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. – Aristotle Here’s an example of how I changed my habitual ice cream habit which packed on a few unwanted pounds during the pandemic. My ice cream cravings came from a feeling of daily anxiety; eating; ice cream became the reward which released dopamine (feel-good hormone) and a slight rush from the sugar. To let go of that bad (but tasty habit), I replaced it with a healthier one. When I felt anxious, I replaced the ice cream with a bowl of blueberries, a piece of dark chocolate or a handful of plain popcorn. I felt rewarded, but without the unwanted calories. I intentionally started small with ONE habit to change. Remember, the brain likes being comfortable, and if it’s pushed too far out of its comfort zone, it will just make your life miserable until you revert to your old ways. Changing your habits, one small step at a time can go a long way. “When it comes to forming positive habits, it comes down to being very consistent for the first 66 days,” says James Garrett, a scientist who has dedicated nearly two decades to unpacking the brain science behind what makes human beings thrive. “Picking up new good habits or letting go of old bad ones is a skill you can master,” Garrett says. “When you set out to master habits and you crush it every single day, even when it’s hard, you still do it relentlessly, and you’re consistent, that’s what instills that sense of what psychologists call self-efficacy, this confidence that you can do this again. And what it gives you is a sense of personal mastery. It teaches you that whatever you set your mind to, you can master, you can get good at.” Do these things when you want to let go of a bad habit and you will be successful. Changing your habits, one small step at a time can go a long way.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ2Nzk4