Most all of us have got some habit we’d like to deal with, whether it’s overcoming an unhealthy one or establishing a new, awesome one that has real staying power.

With what we know now about how the brain works, we have a better understanding about how habits get established. Read on for more about the brain and habit, and how you can leverage a really simple thing like ritual to help your brain get the hang of new behaviors.

To your health and happiness,

Sunny

Using the power of ritual to make big change

The good news is that our brains love habit.

Habits are the things we do automatically, without having to think through every single step that’s required. We brush our teeth and get dressed and reach for a glass in the cupboard in the dark without even having to see what we’re doing. Our brain’s ability to store and simply re-use this information has a huge advantage: it’s super efficient and frees up cognitive space in the brain for other more urgent things, like navigating busy traffic or preparing for an important presentation.

The bad news? Same deal: our brains looooove habit. In fact, they actively look for ways to keep us in habits. The brain doesn’t really care all that much whether the habit is a healthy one or not; it just loves repetition, familiarity, and the path of least resistance. So, it fights change sometimes like a cranky two-year-old, kicking and screaming (neurologically speaking).

As we’ve written about before, the way the brain entrenches us in automatic behaviors is through something called the habit loop.

In the three phases of the habit loop, the basal ganglia communicates with the prefrontal cortex and basically takes a behavior and makes it a habit. First, there’s the cue, the thing that “triggers” a certain behavior.

Next comes the routine, or the behavior itself (this is what we observe as a habitual action). Once the action is taken, the brain releases feel-good or reward neurotransmitters, like dopamine or serotonin; these signal the brain to store both the trigger and the action for next time, so that we can be prompted to do it again. (A reward is only needed to create a habit, not to maintain one — so once the habit is established, the reward can diminish, and we’ll still feel prompted to do the same thing. Sneaky, huh?)

So, in the game of creating healthier behaviors, we need to pay attention to the habit loop: What’s the cue? What’s the behavior? And what’s the reward? What is it that our bodies, minds, and spirits are really craving? A great habit serves the deepest need of the whole person; an unhealthy habit might take the edge off or serve a surface desire momentarily — but it still leaves us wanting for something more, more fulfilling, more nourishing.

Personal and nutritional trainer Benjamin Tormey swears by the use of ritual to cement healthy behaviors in the routine phase of the habit loop.

And as it happens, the things that help his clients lose weight and get strong are also the same things that can help any of us do anything new, because ritual is a perfect fit for how the brain takes in and uses new information via the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex in the habit loop. Here’s how Benjamin uses routine, and how you can use it yourself:

1. Be totally mindful, totally present to what you’re doing. We talk a lot about mindfulness in our Higher Brain Living® practice — because it really does alter the physiological structure of the brain. It is a powerful tool. Practice being aware of what you’re doing before, during, and after a desired (or undesired) behavior. Notice what influences your feelings and your actions.

2. Pay attention to triggers — internal and external — and use them to your advantage. Do you always reach for the candy after stressful meetings? Do you crave a cigarette when your co-worker gets out of his chair to go outside? Do you reach for your smart phone whenever you feel uncomfortable in public? Learning to identify the split-second feeling or event before you act is a huge step towards gaining control.

3. Lay it out step by step. In an order that makes sense and flows naturally, decide how you’re going to approach the new behavior. If you’re trying to quit smoking or checking your smart phone all the time — intentionally create a series of tiny actions that will lead you through those moments. Follow them exactly each time. Think of them like stepping-stones across a river.

4. Repeat. As with so many things, establishing habit just takes practice. As Benjamin says, “A ritual creates the right environment and encourages focus. It helps develop mastery… This isn’t a hack. It’s not about making it easier, it’s about getting better at doing it.”

This is exactly how the brain takes simple, small behaviors and turns them into habits. The refreshing bit of good news is that we get a say in how all of that happens.

The work I do with Higher Brain Living® can help the prefrontal cortex in its communication with the basal ganglia (and other parts of the brain, too!). When the higher brain has access to more energy, it contributes to clearer thinking and better decision-making. If you’ve not yet experienced a Higher Brain Living® session, I offer a low-cost 2-Session package to new clients so they can try it for themselves.

To schedule your first session, give me a call or reply to this email.

If you have already experienced a session, please forward this email to your friends, family and co-workers who may want to try this for themselves.

I look forward to seeing you!

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