Do You Really Want that Cookie or is it a BIG HUG you Need ?

Habits are very powerful things that get their claws in us and will not release us until we reprogram our brain. According to Charles Duhigg, author of the New York Times Bestseller "The Power of Habit," "A habit is a choice we make at some point, and then stop thinking about it, but continue doing it. Often we do it everyday. Put another way, a habit is a formula our brain automatically follows: when I see this cue, I will do this routine in order to get that reward."  Sometimes we think we need a cookie, but we really need a hug. Read on.....

If you have ever played the piano, you may have some insight into this subject. When you practice a song and play one part incorrectly over and over, you are programming your brain and fingers to play it incorrectly. To change wrong to right, you have to play it correctly at least 20 times before your new habit takes hold. Have you ever dialed the wrong phone number of a number you call frequently? When you redial it correctly, you can feel the muscle memory in your fingers and the comfort ( or rightness) of dialing the number correctly.

Any habit can be eliminated but we need to do some homework and experimentation to figure out how our habit dug in so hard.
Charles Duhigg says there are four steps to manifesting the change you want to embrace:

1. Identify the Routine
2. Experiment with Rewards
3. Isolate the Cue
4. Have a Plan

This is a solid approach to changing behaviors that are getting in your way. You can buy Charles Duhigg's book or read this detailed article adapted from the book in EXPERIENCE LIFE Magazine: http://experiencelife.com/article/the-power-of-habit/.

What habit would you want to experiment with?

To Your Best Health,

Denise Lovat
Health Coach