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You probably remember the last time you showered. But what if I asked you to take a closer look at your daily routine? You may find some empty spots. Which hand do you use to pick up the shampoo bottle? Which armpit soap do you use first?
Taking a shower, brushing your teeth, driving to work, making coffee are all core habits. In 1890, psychologist William James notice Creatures are nothing if not A “cluster of habits” Habits, according to James’s worldview, are a bargain with the devil. It makes life easier by automating your routine behaviors. (I would like to pay attention to what I read on the news in the morning. rather than focusing on the little things about how I drink my tea each day), but when actions become habits You can ignore the things that trigger it. Or if you really like it (Maybe the tea would taste better if I steeped it longer.)
During the New Year, countless people vow to reform their bad habits and introduce new, better ones. But the science of habits reveals that those habits do not always follow our desires. “We like to think that we do things for a reason, that everything is driven by purpose,” Wendy Wood, a professor emeritus who studies habits at the University of Southern California, told me. But goals seem to be our primary motivation simply because we are aware of them rather than the strength of our character. In fact Being aware of your invisible habits can increase your chances of successfully creating new, effective habits or breaking harmful ones this season. So you can live your life by defining more of the things you like. and less than what you are used to.
James is careful about his character. Even though he described those traits more than 100 years ago. habitual action It “continues within itself,” he writes. Indeed, modern researchers have clever Habits are almost automatic. “Context Response Association”– Occurs when people repeat actions as a result of certain stimuli in the environment. After you repeat the action several times You will act irrationally if you are exposed to signals and surroundings. “That doesn’t mean people can’t remember what they did,” David Neal, a psychologist who specializes in behavior change, told me. “It just means that your conscious mind doesn’t have to be involved in initiating or executing that behavior.”
Our conscious goals may motivate us to repeat certain behaviors. And it serves as the spark that keeps the habit mechanism going. In fact “The best achievers are those who intentionally create habits to do certain things that they do automatically,” Benjamin Gardner, a habitual behavioral psychologist at the University of Surrey, told me recently. He developed a flossing habit by flossing each day in the same environment (the bathroom), in the same context (brushing). I can’t remember if I flossed my teeth yesterday.But I just believe I can definitely do it. Because it is an important part of my daily routine,” he said.
But even intentionally started habits are worth re-evaluating often. Because when these habits are stable can be freed from the goal that inspired it If our goals change The context will still trigger habitual behavior. 1998 meta-analysis meet Intentions can only be predicted for occasional actions, such as getting a flu shot. and not an action that is repeated on a regular basis, such as wearing a seat belt. One study Since 2012, students who frequent the stadium have raised their voices when they see pictures of the stadium. Even if they didn’t mean to. And scientists have shown that habitual behavior and goal-directed behavior are related. different brain tract When actions become habits Actions will become more automated and more dependent on sensors. When scientists destroy parts of the brain of animals involved in goal-directed behavior The animals will begin to behave more habitually. (There is still some left. debateHowever, can human action truly be goal independent?)
Still, people often explain habitual behavior by appealing to their goals and desires. A Education 2011 It found that people who said they would eat when in a moody mood were actually no more likely to snack in response to negative feelings. Eating behavior is better explained by habits. In a 2022 study, Wood and her colleagues asked people Why they drink coffee Participants said they did so when they felt tired. But in reality When they record coffee drinking It only had a slight correlation with their fatigue. “They have no desire to drink coffee,” Wood said. “It’s just a time that they normally do during the day.”
The temperament also maintains independence without being overly sensitive to rewards. If you don’t like something the first time you try it, You will never repeat this experience. But habits can persist even if the results are unsatisfactory. In one study Wood worked with Neil and other colleagues. People who have a habit of eating popcorn in movies will eat more. old popcorn than people without habits People who had a habit of popcorn later reported that they could tell that popcorn was repulsive. But they continued to eat it. “It’s not like they’re not aware that they don’t like it,” Wood said. “The behavior is still driven by the context in which they’re in.” It’s not a bad thing. But consider the consequences for more complex habitual actions, such as work-life balance, relationships, or technology. Pending until beyond the expiration date
When faced with invisible habits Awareness and attention are powerful weapons. In the recent period studyGardner asked people who slept less than six hours a night to describe their bedtime routines in more detail. Doing so reveals dangerous bedtime habits they never knew existed. Author James Clear Atomic habitshas similarly suggested that we do “Habit Index” A written list of all your daily habits. This includes a rating of how positively, negatively, or neutrally those habits affect your life.
neutral habits, such as yoga time It’s the hardest thing to consider. And if they’re just humming a tune to make your life easier Identifying them can feel pointless. But because of habit, it doesn’t always take into account your most recent intentions. It’s worth keeping an eye on those habits to make sure they don’t start to negatively affect you. Like it or not? People are conditioned to habits. But knowing how they work—just realizing how much we don’t know about them—can help you live your life with as little stale popcorn as possible.
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