The Power of Habit
Kahn 1
Jason Kahn
Prof. Kurt Meyer
EXP 399
29 September 2014
An Alternative Brew
The human mind is full of wonder, and the inner workings of the human brain and processes can be equally complex and wondrous. The human ability to reflect, to understand and to choose is one of our greatest evolutionary achievements. The modern human age affords us with a multitude of choices. Thankfully, our brains are also energy efficient organisms and are adept in finding ways of saving space and processing power. Thus, the formation of the habit.
That autonomous routine that allows for more complex issues to take up the majority of our mental capacity. Whatever the inclination of the habits, good, bad or neutral, they are quickly established and take up a permanent residence in our minds. Creation of these habits is simple, it is choosing which to create that is not. Through the words and theories of Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, we see that habits can change. Identifying my own habitual tea drinking and its development through the habit loop, pin-pointing the craving that drives it and using the golden rule of habit change, I believe, with the support of others, I can redirect those routines into ones of benefit.
We start with habit creation. Duhigg coins the term “habit loop” as a form of mental computer program consisting of three elements, the first piece being the “cue.” According to Duhigg, the cue is, “a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode” (Duhigg 19). This could be your alarm going off in the morning, a specific time of day, or even a feeling or sensation. Tea
Kahn 2 drinking is so engrained in my psyche that my tea drinking routine is initiated by many aspects within my day. Any period of down time habitually initiates a cup of tea to facilitate the relaxation. The tea drinking prepares me for the day ahead, settles me down to study, and caps off the day before
Jason Kahn
Prof. Kurt Meyer
EXP 399
29 September 2014
An Alternative Brew
The human mind is full of wonder, and the inner workings of the human brain and processes can be equally complex and wondrous. The human ability to reflect, to understand and to choose is one of our greatest evolutionary achievements. The modern human age affords us with a multitude of choices. Thankfully, our brains are also energy efficient organisms and are adept in finding ways of saving space and processing power. Thus, the formation of the habit.
That autonomous routine that allows for more complex issues to take up the majority of our mental capacity. Whatever the inclination of the habits, good, bad or neutral, they are quickly established and take up a permanent residence in our minds. Creation of these habits is simple, it is choosing which to create that is not. Through the words and theories of Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, we see that habits can change. Identifying my own habitual tea drinking and its development through the habit loop, pin-pointing the craving that drives it and using the golden rule of habit change, I believe, with the support of others, I can redirect those routines into ones of benefit.
We start with habit creation. Duhigg coins the term “habit loop” as a form of mental computer program consisting of three elements, the first piece being the “cue.” According to Duhigg, the cue is, “a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode” (Duhigg 19). This could be your alarm going off in the morning, a specific time of day, or even a feeling or sensation. Tea
Kahn 2 drinking is so engrained in my psyche that my tea drinking routine is initiated by many aspects within my day. Any period of down time habitually initiates a cup of tea to facilitate the relaxation. The tea drinking prepares me for the day ahead, settles me down to study, and caps off the day before
Cited: Duhigg, Charles. “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business” New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2012