Charles Duhigg’s book The Power of Habit is a highly illuminating read and one I frequently recommend to clients. It offers fascinating insights into why habits form, how they shape our lives, and why changing them can feel so challenging. Many of my clients find it frustrating that despite their best intentions, their efforts to build healthier habits often fizzle out over time.
It’s not that they don’t know what to do or don’t want to do it; rather, their behaviours seem to revert. This is a common battle, but understanding the mechanisms behind habit formation can be the key to unlocking lasting change.
Habits: The Role of Cues and Rewards
Duhigg explains that habits are driven by a loop of cues, routines, and rewards. However, many of us focus too much on the cues and rewards, overlooking the behaviours themselves. To build sustainable habits, it’s crucial to be deliberate about recognising cues and intentional in structuring rewards.
Cues can be things like a specific time of day, a place, a person, or even a post-ritual feeling. Rewards, on the other hand, might be something simple, like enjoying a cup of coffee or a small piece of chocolate. Recognising rewards as actual rewards – no matter how small – makes them inherently more rewarding.
For example, knowing you’ll feel better after a brisk walk not only encourages you to take that walk but also amplifies the reward itself. Over time, the novelty of certain rewards may wear off, and this is where many people lose momentum. What initially feels like a treat – a moment of satisfaction for sticking to a behaviour – might lose its appeal as the behaviour becomes routine.
Why Do Habits Fade Over Time?
When someone operates on autopilot, their brain still experiences a small reward, even if they’re not consciously aware of it. For example, eating a healthy meal often results in an intrinsic reward: feeling lighter or more energised afterward. However, the brain craves variety, and sticking to the same reward system can eventually feel dull.
This is why it’s important to switch things up. To keep a behaviour alive, we need to continually provide the brain with rewards – even if they’re small or different from the original ones.
How to Maintain Habits Without the Same Rewards
This raises an important question: how can we maintain a habit if the reward becomes less rewarding over time? Let’s consider the example of over-reliance on caffeine. You may know that six coffees a day isn’t helping your anxiety or insomnia, but breaking the habit feels insurmountable.
One crucial insight is that you can’t completely break an old habit – the neural pathways still exist. Instead, the focus should be on reshaping the habit: responding to the same cues but replacing the behaviour and reward.
Swapping Behaviours and Rewards: A Practical Example
If your habit loop involves caffeine to feel energised, try replacing your afternoon coffee with another hot drink. For example:
- Replace with non-coffee beverage: Try hot water with fresh ginger, or one of the hundreds of delicious herbal teas you can buy. This alone might be enough to deliver the same comforting ritual
- Mimic the bitter flavour: If a herbal infusion just doesn’t hit the same, why not try a naturally caffeine-free chicory “coffee” which delivers an earthy flavour and nutty aroma reminiscent fo the real thing
- Or is the craving for caffeine itself? This is reasonably likely. If so, try gradually replacing some drinks each day with decaf (or even mixing them 50:50) until you reach a number of caffeinated drinks you feel is right for you
Banish the instinct for self-punishment – this mindset will only stifle your capacity for growth. Just as a scientist wouldn’t view a failed experiment as a defeat, neither should you. Each adjustment is part of understanding what works best for you.
What Science Says About Habit Change
The process of habit change is backed by research into neuroplasticity, which shows that our brains are capable of forming new pathways at any stage of life. By creating new habits around old cues, we strengthen these pathways and reinforce positive behaviours.
Final Thoughts: Small Changes, Big Impact
Breaking unhelpful habits and building new ones takes time, patience, and experimentation. Remember, there’s no “failure” in the process – only opportunities to refine your approach. By focusing on small, sustainable changes, you’ll gradually rewire your brain to support behaviours that align with your goals.
So next time you catch yourself reverting to an old habit, don’t despair. Instead, ask yourself: how can I respond to this cue in a way that still feels rewarding, but supports my long-term well-being? With deliberate effort and curiosity, you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve.
