It is estimated that 40% - 45% of everything we do each day we do out of habit, with little or no conscious thought or intent. This isn't necessarily a bad thing at all. Habits allow us to complete routine, repetitive tasks without having to devote a lot of mental energy to them. Whether it is brushing your teeth, making your morning coffee or driving to work, the odds are that habit plays a big role in getting these things done.
But not all habits are good habits. At one time they may have served us well but no longer do. How and what we eat, whether we have a drink every day when we get home from work or spend two hours on the couch watching TV before bed are all habits. And because they are, we often just do them without choosing to, or even realizing we are. When a habit no longer serves us well, we would do well to be rid of it. Unfortunately, that is much easier said than done.
In his book The Power of Habit, New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg takes us on a deep dive into the world of habits. After exploring the brain biochemistry of habits, Duhigg offers a prescription for getting rid of habits that impact our lives in negative ways: Replace old habits with new habits. Here is a summary of his approach to building new, positive habits. Suffice it to say that intention, effort and time will be required.
Circling back to the 95% of dieters who regained all their lost weight, a better solution for them than a diet would be to examine their habits regarding eating and exercise, and replace those empowering them to mindlessly gain weight with new and better ones. Yes, its harder than going on a temporary diet for a while. But it might also work.
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