How to Use the Habit Loop to Break Bad Habits and Create New Ones

Table of Contents:

• What is the Habit Loop?

• Applying the Habit Loop to Your Life

• General Tips through this Process

Whether we realize it or not, habits shape our everyday life. When we wake up, we typically have the same routine and list of things we complete every day; some of us sit on our phone, some of us get right out of bed, others go to make a cup of coffee, and the list goes on. Habits are personalized based on our likes, dislikes, and tendencies that we have followed for extended periods of time. Habits also have the ability to set us up for success, and in some cases, failure. The Habit Loop can be used to understand why we have certain habits, help us form new ones, and break ones that we want to leave behind. 

What is the Habit Loop?

The habit loop is a cycle that can help explain why we complete certain actions and habits every day without even realizing it the majority of the time. There are 4 stages of the habit loop: cue, craving, response, and reward. The cue represents the trigger that starts the habitual behavior. An example of a cue could be walking past a burger shop every day on your lunch break at work; the smell of the burger could be a cue and make you want to go in and purchase one. The next stage is the craving, which is the motivational force that is the reason for the habit - like you are craving the outcome of performing the habit and the feeling of relief you get from completing it. Next, we have the response, which is the actual habit or action itself. It can either be a thought or an action. In the example of smelling the burger shop, the response would simply be buying the burger and eating it. Finally, the last step of the habit loop is reward. The reward is the result of performing the habit, which in most cases is just satisfying the craving. Once you understand each step of the loop, you can analyze the habits that you would like to change, or some habits you would like to create, and use it to your advantage!

Applying the Habit Loop to Your Life

Making changes to your life can be difficult when you have been completing the same routine; the key to making a change to an old habit that may not be serving you anymore is to break the loop! The first step is to identify the habits you wish to change, or a habit you would like to start implementing. Whether we realize it or not, humans run on a reward system and they can be very effective in helping us complete certain tasks. A great place to start is to try out different rewards and note how it adds motivation for you to do the action or habit. Another thing you can do is to identify your personal triggers that cause you to do the habit. This can be a location, a time, an emotion, or anything that makes you want to complete the habit. In the burger example I gave above, the trigger would be the smell of the burger, causing you to want to then purchase and eat the burger. If you want to change this habit, you might try walking a different loop on your lunch break. If something like stress is the trigger (which would be difficult to remove in certain circumstances), and your habit is to eat when stressed, you may try to alter your stress response to be taking a walk or reading a book when stressed. Over time, your brain will automatically link stress relief to walking or reading, and it would become a natural response. Each habit is different, so there may be different points in the loop where you have to focus on and try to manipulate.

General Tips through this Process

If you wish to change certain habits or add new ones, it is important to realize that this can take time and try your best to have patience! The first step is simply trying to change and be willing to allow your current habits to be disrupted, and this in itself can be hard for many people. It is also helpful to note that this may require some trial and error. Changing routines allows you to see what aspects of your life work for you, and what do not. In the end, it will be very rewarding and it will help you create life-long habits that feel purposeful and helpful towards your goals.