Your Low-Stress Guide to Leveling-Up Your Bedtime Routine
Are You Burnt Out or Depressed?
But are you as unpredictable and whimsical as you think?
This is especially true ofhabits, good or bad.
Theyre, well, habitual, meaning that our brain follows along without a ton of conscious thought.
And that makes them really challenging to tweak.
Its called the habit loop, and it might be just the ticket for overhauling your tired routines.
licensed psychologist, researcher, lecturer, and public speaker on the psychology of habitual behavior
What is the habit loop?
A cue that leads to something we do.
His ideas were supported by years of psychological research.
Rats quickly learned that if they turned toward the right-hand side of the T, theyd find chocolate.
It is far easier to modify or improve current habits than to break them completely.
Cues can be physical, emotional, or environmental; even a specific person or time of day.
Cues arent always obvious, though.
But they didnt, says Dr. Gardner.
We got them to go through step-by-step what they do before bed, andthey realized theres a sequence.
licensed psychologist, researcher, lecturer, and public speaker on the psychology of habitual behavior
Step 2: the routine
A routine represents the actions that form a habitual behavior.
So why do some routines become automatic?
I did it and I enjoyed it, says Dr. Gardner.
Now, he follows the routine on auto-pilot.
I no longer need to think about it.
I just pick up my mug, go to the kitchen, and make a cup of tea.
Step 3: the reward
A reward represents the satisfaction you feel when you follow a routine.
To your brain, rewardsrepresent a burst of dopamine, afeel good neurotransmitterthat it is hardwired to seek out.
Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately), habits may stick around even when theyre no longer rewarding.
Trying to skip the morning coffee?
You might opt for fresh juice instead, but that likely wont scratch the same itch.
The thing about habit is that it doesnt directly generate a behavior.
When I arrive at my office, habit doesnt immediately make me go make a cup of tea.
Trying to break a habit without considering its cues and rewards can feel insurmountable, and its rarely sustainable.
It is far easier to modify or improve current habits than to break them completely, she says.
Associate a routine to its cues
Step one is to single out a habit that you want to change.
As with anything, starting small can help build momentum.
Say you have a habitually messy bedroom, and youd like to tidy it daily rather than sporadically.
Once youve picked a routine, you oughta map its cues, which will take some time.
Write things down, suggestsChandler Chang, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and founder of Therapy Lab.
Soon enough, youll start to see a pattern.
The cues dont necessarily have to change, but your response to them does.
The most important thing is to verify the new reward is at least equal to the old one.
When you go searching for a new reward, dont forget toexperiment.
But what if the real reason you drink coffee is because you love the taste?
The new reward needs to satisfy (or completely overpower) the urge youre trying to resolve.
Tracking things in a journal might be a helpful way to cultivate that awareness.
And, if youre scolding yourself for your current habits, take it easy.
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