Psychology Today: 6 Principles to Form Healthy Habits

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"The present article summarizes six principles of habit formation, as discussed in a recent paper by Harvey et al., published in the March issue of Perspectives in Psychological Science.

1, Habits do not depend on goals

To form healthy habits, the first step is to set goals. As you pursue set goals, your behaviors can become habitual.

2. Habits are cued by context

To form healthy habits, be as consistent as possible: Try to perform the desired behavior in the same context, in the same mood, with the same individuals, at the same time.

3. Habits are learned through repetition

Life can be unpredictable, so in order to continue to practice the habit regularly, it is necessary to use effective problem-solving techniques. In short, prepare and plan.

4. Habits are automatic

You can break the automaticity of negative behaviors—including negative automatic thoughts and thinking habits (e.g., “I am worthless” or “This will never work”)—by conducting behavioral experiments. For example, if you often justify self-criticism as actually helpful or motivating, experiment with being more self-compassionate for a couple of days each week. See whether the results of the experiment show you are less or more motivated when being self-compassionate.

5. Habits are promoted by reinforcers

Use continuous reinforcement initially in order to create a strong link between the behavior and the reinforcer; subsequently, use partial reinforcement. Anything you find rewarding—be it praise, a favorite snack, or an extra hour to play video games—may work. However, rewards sometimes lose their power to motivate and need to be replaced.

6. Habit change takes time

Be patient and focus on forming just one new habit at a time. You did not develop bad habits overnight, so do not expect to be able to change multiple bad habits and replace them with healthy habits in a short time. "

• As a habit, it consists of a learned tendency to repeat past behavior. Overeating, exercising, meditating, and biting one's nails can all be considered habits.
• It is a habit that is automatic, goal-independent, and cued by specific contexts, such as internal cues (such as hunger) or external cues (such as the time of day).
  
• Developing habits takes time (from a few weeks to several months or more) and reinforcers are essential to the process.

Read the complete article here

💬 Do you think you have a healthy lifestyle? Have you created any healthy habits in recent years? If so, how? / Is there any healthy habit you would like to create in the upcoming year?