We all have certain habits. Before starting to address the technique itself that will change your toxic habits, let's look at why everyday habits are so easy to create and so difficult to break. Research in behavioural psychology has long since shown how easily repetitive activity can become a routine and, from a neuroscience point of view, there is a very good reason for this.
Basically, it's easier for the brain to get used to something than actually to think because thinking requires more energy. In this sense, the habits we create are useful. For example, imagine how difficult it would be to drive a car if every journey resembled your first time behind the wheel. On the other hand, habits are difficult to change. The habit area of the brain (striatum) is a feature we share with reptiles: it is a long-term part of the brain that works quite automatically, regardless of consciousness. Behaviour is thus quickly formed by repeated choices.
The direction of our attention, our choices, and even the thoughts we focus on creates an impression in our minds. A sufficiency of impressions, in turn, creates the power of habit, which is largely the opposite of reflection. Thus we are gradually coming to the method that can help us reverse our established habits and, most importantly, get rid of bad habits. This is Volitional Attention.
It is the will that is essential to redirect old brain behaviour. But to make a change, you need to engage your energy — your mental will — and pay attention to a particular habit and what you want to replace it with.
The visionary William James wrote in his abridged version of The Principles of Psychology: "Temporary effort is the effort of attention." This means engaging the will to draw attention inward to find what is beneficial. No wonder there is a strong link between meditation and this ability for inner, reflexive evaluation.
Research also shows how to improve your introspective awareness. This allows you to activate the so-called Reflect and Relate module in your brain. This refers to a part of the prefrontal cortex, a highly integrative area of the brain located behind the crest of the eyebrows, which is responsible for insight, empathy, and even feelings towards oneself.
Once your Reflect and Relate module goes online, you can access your values and take the time to identify and evaluate how beneficial or harmful a particular habit is. Does your next behavioural action really match the image of the person you want to be? Pausing over reality and thinking will allow you consciously to create new, more positive habits. This is genuine exercise of free will and its power.
How to do it?
If you really want to shape the behaviour and habits that matter to you, you must first and foremost pay close attention to what you want to change. This will give you the strength to change. As an example, let's try a short experiment that literally retrains the brain to think. Turn your attention inwards for a moment and consider the following questions:
- What would my choice in a certain situation look like and how could it be positively influenced if I first stopped and thought about it?
- How would my life change if it were to reflect my personal values and their application in practice?
By stopping for a few moments to concentrate and reflect, you will have just strengthened a key area of your brain, the prefrontal cortex. By purposefully strengthening the Reflect and Relate module in your brain, you can restore lost concentration and use the intention to shape the life you want.
For more inspiration, see Donald Altman's book Reflect, which offers more than 100 reflexive methods to strengthen your will and change your habits.
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