Sydney Remedial Massage | The Secret to Creating Healthy Habits

Habits, whether good or bad, are the routine behaviours that a person engages in, usually on an automatic basis, based on a cue that has been associated with that behaviour. For example, most people will wash their hands after going to the toilet because it has been ingrained in them. In the creation of this automatic process, there is a common misconception that it only takes 21 days to form a new habit.

This myth has been twisted over time to become “accepted truth” due to the observations of Maxwell Maltz – a plastic surgeon in the 1950’s, who found that on average, it would take approximately 21 days for someone to get used to seeing a new nose on their face. Similarly, if someone had had an arm or leg amputated, they would often feel a phantom limb for around 21 days before they grew accustomed to their body (1).

Part of the reason behind this myth, is that Maltz was recorded to have reported that it took a “minimum of 21 days” and not the magic 21 days itself. This unrealistic expectation of time that is needed to create a new habit can unfortunately be detrimental to us forming our new habits, as people may give up after just 3 weeks of trying something new.

So how long does it actually take to create a new habit?

Studies by Benjamin Gardner, Phillippa Lally and Jane Wardle, published in the British Journal of General Practice have reported that it, in fact, takes on average, 66 days for people to form a new behaviour (2).
Gardner and colleagues have identified several phases of the formation of a new habit –
1. Initiation phase – this is when the new behaviour and context in which it will be done are chosen
2. Learning phase – repeating the chosen new behaviour consistently over time, leading to the action becoming an automatic response. This phase strengthens the bond between the cue and the behaviour
3. Stability phase – at this point in time, the habit has formed and continuing to do it requires minimal effort or deliberation.

They also note that choosing simple actions is easier than complex tasks – Eg. Getting off the bus one or two stops earlier and walking that distance is much easier and less daunting than trying to walk to and from work every day if the distance is quite far. In addition, by making one small change, it can also increase one’s confidence to work towards larger changes in the long run.

So, how do we go about it? Here it is….

The Secret to Creating Healthy Habits

Choose a goal that you would like to achieve for yourself and write it down on a card that you can carry with you. Be very specific and make sure that it is clearly defined and refer to it often during the day
Create a simple action plan, which you can do on a daily basis. Include in it, what and when you will do it and what is the trigger for doing it so that you can do it consistently every day of the week. Remember to make it simple. Tip: If you link your action to something that you already do, then it’s just an easy add on to your current routine. Use this format – AFTER I , I WILL
Commit to doing it for 60 days – and if you miss one day, just start the 60 days again
Do your goal action every time the situation arises
Celebrate your success!

Here is a fun example of something most of us hate and/or forget to do:
1. Goal: I would like to floss my teeth every day
2. Action plan: After I brush my teeth, I will floss one tooth
3. Commit to doing it every night for 60 consecutive days. If you miss a day, know that you can start the 60 days again – there is no consequence of not doing it….
4. So, when you brush your teeth each night before bed, follow it up by flossing just one tooth
5. Celebrate: Tell yourself you’re awesome!

“For me, cracking the code on flossing was to put the floss right by the toothbrush, and to commit to myself that I would floss one tooth — only one tooth — every time after I brushed. I could floss them all if I wanted to, but the commitment was just one tooth. [This works] because I was training the behavior. Maybe once every few weeks, I’d only actually floss one tooth, but a majority of the time I’d end up flossing them all.”
– Professor BJ Fogg, Founder of www.TinyHabits.com

So, what are you waiting for? Get excited and start creating all the healthy habits that you’ve been promising yourself today.

References:
1. Maltz M. Psycho-cybernetics. New York, NY: Prentice Hall; 1960.
2. Benjamin Gardner, Phillippa Lally, Jane Wardle. Br J Gen Pract. 2012 Dec; 62(605): 664–666.