Habits are the key to success

Habits!

What is a habit? It’s an action you take on a regular basis, either intentional or automatically. Your brain is adept at creating smart shortcuts that enable you to multi-task the way you do. 

A wondrous network of neurones that are live wired to fire together, they help you do everything from ride a bike to brew a cup of tea. Without you even thinking about it it. 

How are habits formed?

Habits are formed over days, weeks or years. You’re not born with habits, they are created based on your external environment and your interpretation of that environment. 

Habits usually start because they are a mechanism which keeps you safe, secure and able to function effectively in the world around you. 

When habits become a problem

But sometimes those habits become outdated, and just don’t benefit you in the way that they were originally intended.  

Some habits like nail biting may help you reduce anxiety (a good thing), but create painful and unsightly nails (not good).

Picking at food may push feelings down like anxiety, loneliness and boredom, but make you feel unhappy, unhealthy and guilty at the same time. 

Some habits may be created by an unconscious inner need to protect. Think of the woman who was eating all the time, gaining weight.  When she saw a therapist, it was found to be because she was frightened of surgery she had to have. By gaining weight she stopped herself having the surgery. 

Hypnosis and habits

Hypnosis can accelerate changes in habits by helping you to understand how a habit might have formed, but also replaying a new habit over and over in your mind so it embeds itself quickly and change can happen, sometimes without you even having to try. 

You can start change today..

Here’s how! 

Set a goal, has to be achievable If you have a long term goal break it down into smaller goals, hourly, daily or weekly. This may be listening to your audio tracks.

Watch out for interruptions! These are the devilish things that pop up to stop you achieving your goal. Us humans love short term rewards as they release dopamine which makes you feel good. When we are creating a habit like running, or going to the gym may not be a pleasant experience to start with. 

The short terms rewards like lying on the sofa with a bar of chocolate can seem more appealing but they are just dopamine distractions - think of them of gremlins.  Those cute fluffy little creatures, that are really not what they seem. 

To help with this 

Watch, listen or do something that you like, but only do it while you are doing the new habit you are creating. So for example, taking a walk while listening to a podcast, or watching a series you like while on the treadmill can be ways of doing this. ( I am currently working through This is us, and I only watch it on the cross trainer!) 

Now over to you. 

What’s a habit you’d like to create, and what’s the first step in moving towards it. Plan something tomorrow. Or maybe even tonight is time to make that first step, listen to your track or make the change you want. 

Remember. Change can start in any moment.