How long did you say?!

What is the key to making a habit that lasts?

As we prepare for the beginning of the new school year, many of us will be thinking about the schedule we will be getting back to after the fun, more relaxed routine of summer. As much as we love summer and all the fun that comes with it, sometimes we miss the routine of the school year. When it comes to health and fitness, I have found that routine is a key component in my success.

Dr Maxwell Meltz stated "....it requires a minimum of about 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to jell", in his book Psycho-Cybernetics. But, this statement was based on his observations of his patients and himself, not on actual scientific studies. However, his book sold over 30 million copies and so this idea that it only takes 21 days to make a habit really took hold. Self help gurus like Zig Zigler and Tony Robbins also took this information and used it in their advice. I, too, have heard this "magic" number of 21 days many, many times so I decided to dig deeper and see what I could discover. Charles Duhigg wrote a book that I found greatly insightful called "The Power of Habit: Why we do what we do" In his book, Duhigg really breaks down what drives our habits. He teaches that when we can find the cue that leads to the routine that leads to the reward, we can start figuring out what is driving our habits. So, we find ourselves in a habit loop: Cue---->Routine (Habit)----->Reward. This loop continues unless we do something to make a break in the loop. So, identify the routine that you would like to change. For example: sleeping in instead of going to the gym. Next experiment with your reward. Is your reward that extra 20 minutes of sleep? Is your reward being able to just relax on the couch for a bit before you go to work? Once you figure out your reward start experimenting with a new reward. Would your reward be that you can give yourself permission to go to bed a little earlier? What about the ability to have your evenings open because your workout was done already? See what reward will outweigh your current one. Next you need to isolate the Cue that triggers this routine (habit) Is the Cue your spouse rolling over and staying asleep even though your alarm is telling you to get up? Is your cue whether other people are going to be at the gym that you know? Lastly, make a plan! Once you know your reward--what you are getting out of your current habit, and you know the cue that causes you to fall into that routine, you can make a plan! When that cue comes up, have a plan in place to interrupt the habit loop.

One study by Phillippe Lally found that on average it took over 2 months for a new habit to feel automatic--66 days actually. In fact, some people took up to 254 days before it felt automatic.

Don't let this discourage you if you believed the 21 day habit hype. Today could be day 1!!

If you want some help and encouragement to get into a habit and develop some goals and routines that will help you move in the direction of a healthier lifestyle, Wellness Coaching could be what you are looking for. We will do a health assessment, we will talk about goals and then we will make a plan to implement the changes that you want to make. Contact me to set up an appointment!