Recently, I was asked to list my habits and for some reason, I could only name a few at the top of my head which consisted of regularly checking my phone and going to sleep late just to name a few. Both of which I am sure most people can relate to. I’ll focus on my habit of sleeping late for today. After contemplating it for a few minutes I decided I wanted to change this habit of mine and try sleeping a 11 pm and waking up earlier the next day. In the beginning, I followed through with this promise to myself and I was surprised that my body adapted so quickly to the change, unlike previous attempts. However, after the first week my willpower to do so weakened and bit by bit I had been going to sleep later and later until I got to where I started, being around 12:30 am.
This is not the first time I tried to break a habit, or even start one for that matter. For instance, when I get a sudden boost of motivation, I declare to myself that I will start exercising, however, similarly to my sleep schedule, this didn’t last long either. A TedTalk I watched today called ‘The Power of Habit’ by Charles Duhigg made me realise that a common factor in both my failed attempts among many others was the loss of willpower. In the beginning, I had the motivation and willpower, however as time went on it faded and I was back to square one.
Charles Duhigg spoke about the habit loop which consists of three things: the cue, routine and reward. Most articles and videos I’ve seen before focused on the routine, however, Charles Duhigg conveyed the significance of recognising what the cue and reward were in order to break our habits. To put that in context, a habit Charles Duhigg previously had was buying a cookie every day at work from the cafeteria during his break. No matter how many times he told himself that he wouldn’t, when the option presented itself, he ate it. Then he tried something different, he pinpointed the cue of this habit, being the time of his break, hence he decided instead of going to the cafeteria with his friends like he usually does, he would talk with another friend in the office to avoid going to the cafeteria. Since the cookie was no longer a reward, something had to replace it, which he decided would be some gossip with his friend. His recognition of the cue and his change in reward resulted in him eliminating his cookie eating habit.
Tonight I will attempt to put this method to use, with a cup of tea being my new reward for waking up early. Hopefully, this will be my first step to finally rid myself of my bad habits.
