Wikipedia defines habits as, “a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur unconsciously.

Habit formation is the process by which a behavior, through regular repetition, becomes automatic or habitual. This is modeled as an increase in automatically with number of repetitions.

Lally et al. (2010) found the average time for participants to reach the asymptote of automaticity was 66 days with a range of 18-254 days.

As the habit is forming, it can be analyzed in three parts: the cue, the behavior, and the reward. The cue is the thing that causes the habit to come about, the trigger of the habitual behavior. This could be anything that one’s mind associates with that habit and one’s mind associates with that habit and one will automatically let a habit come to the surface.

The behavior is the actual habit that one exhibits, and the reward, a positive feeling, therefore continues the ‘habit loop’. A habit may initially be triggered by a goal, but over time that goal becomes less necessary and the habit becomes more automatic.”

For example, I feel stress because my employer is asking me to complete a project a week early. I go in search of chocolate (dark, of course, because it’s healthier). I eat several pieces of chocolate. At that moment, my stress decreases.

You may wonder why habits are important around the holidays. The issues of stress, anxiety, depression, and the need to please increases more quickly. We want to be aware of our habits, healthy and unhealthy.

The holidays are prime time for feelings of guilt due to overeating and overspending, trying to decide what family members to visit, did I spend enough money on this particular person, and will they appreciate it. And the cycle begins. None of us like to feel vulnerable. We rely on our “habits” to get us through.

Before our lives get too busy, pick one habit you want to change. Make an action plan. Take ten (10) minutes per day to work on it. Remember to be kind to yourself and that change takes time. Reward yourself with something healthy each time you resist the urge to give in to the unhealthy habit.

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Top photo credit: Day 54 | 25 May 2008 | Baking via photopin (license)