How To Create or Develop Healthy Habits

Naturally we are creates of habits, we have the tendency to act simply out of habit. Habits are present in culture and religion through rituals and practices. Habits are also present in personality traits through attitudes and behaviors. Our habits can act as comfort zones, for example, a person can express discomfort in doing something one way simply because it feels  comfortable doing it his or her way. Our habits can also give a false sense of stability, for example, some people have their early morning routine of drinking coffee or smoking while reading the newspaper, without their morning routine they may experience a disruption in their morning. Part of life is learning how to make and break habits rather than letting our habits make and break us. We can do so by recognizing habits for what they really are, forms of adaptation; it is one of the ways we adapt in life. 

With the simplest meaning, habits are adaptive behaviors formed from our traits and experiences. Genetic studies on traits show identical twins that lived separate lives (after being place apart in adoption) turn out to have very similar lives including habits. As far as experiences, we can see something, try it, like it, continue to do it until eventually it become a habit. Apparently we tend to stick with what we like, what we know or what is familiar to us. However, it is our responsibility to monitor the habits we adapt to know whether they healthy or unhealthy.

In self help or self development books on change, it is suggested that we can create or develop a habit within 30 days or less if we consistently and frequently work towards the desired habit.  Think of creating a habit the same as memorizing a poem; through consistent repetition you will develop the ability to recite the poem without even thinking about it because it will become second nature to you. Cognitive-behavioral studies point of our ability to function automatically or simply out of habit through the illustration of teeth brushing. When brushing your teeth you do not have to think about it, instead you may think about what you have to do during the day or what you are going to wear for the day; brushing your teeth is second nature to you.   

When wanting to change unhealthy habits in our lives we must have a willingness to change. Our lives can get stuck in a rut due to habits of thinking a certain way or behaving in a certain manner. Recognizing and making a decision to change these habits is the first step creating healthy habits. From that point on it is a matter of consciously and consistently practicing to develop a healthy habit.   

Some habits remain with us throughout our lifetime and other habits change along with our life changes.  Changing our habits appears difficult when the fact of the matter is it is easier to create habit than it is to break a habit. Our tendency to resist change presents challenges making habits difficult to break, in turn, weakening our ability to adapt to life changes. It is important that we recognize and accept change to create and develop healthy habits.