You
probably already know how addictions are formed; how the human brain responds
to hits of dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone. You already know that alcoholics
serious about kicking their addiction must remove all traces of alcohol from their
environment. You grasp the concept of how clearing your home of junk food helps
you shed bad eating habits. And so on.
But
understanding how and why this happens is a fascinating science and can be
encouraging because it means you can train or retrain your brain to respond the
way you want it to.
In
his book, Atomic Habits, James Clear
explains the four-step process of Cue, Craving, Response, and Reward. For
example, you see a plate of cookies. That’s the Cue. The second step, Craving,
is the way you interpret the cue—as in, “I should eat one.” The third step,
Response, is the action (you eat one). And lastly, the Reward. It tastes good.
All
of that is easy enough to grasp.
What
I found intriguing is what studies of the human brain reveal. Once we become
addicted, the dopamine spike in our brain does not happen at the point of Reward,
or even the point of Action. It spikes at the second step, the Cue. In other
words, it’s the anticipation of the
reward, not the reward itself, that triggers the rush. A gambler’s dopamine
spikes when he sees the dice, not when he throws it.
What
does this tell us? Perceived value
motivates you to act. Which means perception, at any point along this path, can
change the whole outcome. So, whether you’re trying to develop a good habit or
break a bad one, four laws of behavior change accompany these four stages: make
the habit obvious, attractive, easy, and immediately satisfying.
On
the flip side, if you’re trying to break a bad habit, the four laws are the
opposite: make it invisible, unattractive, difficult, and unsatisfying. This
all takes a little creativity, but the book provides tricks. The best news is
that often by addressing only one or two of these steps, you can successfully
change your habit.
Here’s
one way I stumbled into this. For years, I used to read my Bible and a short
devotional while I ate breakfast. Both were good habits—physical and spiritual
nutrition all at once. Then I switched my breakfast from granola to smoothies.
Drinking a smoothie did not require sitting, so I took it to my bedroom and
sipped on it while I dressed, put on my makeup, and did my hair. I was having a
more nutritious, lower calorie breakfast and saving time.
The
only problem was, after a while I realized I was no longer reading my Bible. I
had “unbundled” my habits and lost something precious in the process!
Last
December, I accepted a challenge to read through the book of Luke, a chapter a
day. I bought a pretty journal and sat beside the Christmas tree before dawn
with my favorite coffee. I lit a candle and turned on my fake fireplace. Soon I
was loving the experience so much, I didn’t want the month to end. The highly
welcoming atmosphere had tied itself to the habit I was trying to form.
With
the tree put away, I was able to keep the habit going at my desk—by keeping my
Bible and a new journal handy on my desktop and using a favorite new fountain
pen I received from my son for Christmas. Of course, I kept the candle and
coffee. It seems silly, but it worked. It’s several little things, but they
made the experience obvious, attractive, easy, and immediately satisfying.
Which
is the whole point. Little things. Every day. Over time. Equals results.
