Healthy Habits - Dr Sangeetha Madhu and Sanjhna Shetty

      “Healthy habits are learned the same way as unhealthy ones-through practice.” While healthy habits improve the overall well-being of individuals, it may feel difficult for some of us to inculcate these habits due to various reasons. The American Journal of Psychology defines habit as a more or less fixed way of thinking, willing, or feeling acquired through previous repetition of a mental experience. Leading a healthy lifestyle is not only suitable for the physical health but also the emotional as well as mental health of individuals.

While habit and routine involve repeated behaviour, routine is not a response to a deep-rooted impulse. In other words, routine is followed when an individual feels the need to do it, without an impulse.

A few tips on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle:

1. Writing the goals down
2. Start small
3. Keeping a check on mental health and stress levels
4. Staying hydrated
5. Planning one’s meals
6. Sustainable health diet
7. Planning a physical workout (any form of exercise)
8. Cutting back on screen time
9. Adequate sleep
10. Heading outdoors to absorb sunlight
11. Avoid alcohol, smoking and other forms of drugs
12. Keeping a check on dental hygiene
13. Repetition of behaviours until they turn into habit
14. Reaching out to someone for support

Habit Formation (Habit loop)

●       The process of habit formation consists of four elements namely the cue, craving, the routine, and the reward.

●       The Cue refers to a trigger that encourages the behaviour (a person, event, feeling, etc.)

●       Craving is the motivation or desire behind habit

●        Routine refers to what comes before and after the habit

●       Reward refers to the outcome achieved.

Habit formation has shown that behaviour is likely to become habitual when it is frequently and consistently performed in the same context. It is easier to set smaller goals and reminders in comparison with longer goals in maintaining good habits.

References

Making Healthy Habits That Last. Psychology Today. (2020). Psychologytoday. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-well-being-toolkit/202003/making-healthy-habits-last.

How to build a healthy habit. Verywell Mind. (2020). Verywellmind. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-long-does-it-really-take-to-build-a-healthy-habit-2224073.

Habit Formation. Psychology Today. (n.d.). Psychologytoday. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/habit-formation.

Gardner, B., Lally, P., & Wardle, J. (2012). Making health habitual: the psychology of ‘habit-formation’ and general practice. British Journal Of General Practice, 62(605), 664-666. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp12x659466

The Psychology of Habit Formation (And How to Hack it). Lifehack. (2020). https://www.lifehack.org/889303/habit-formation.