How to make or break a habit

Like to make healthier choices? In our everyday lives, we’re all creatures of habit. And while some habits can be beneficial, like a morning routine or eating your greens, some can be not-so-good for you (like not getting enough sleep, or smoking).

But the good news is, no matter how long you’ve been doing something, if you’d like to make a change – you can. Here are some things to know, according to science.

How are habits formed?

When trying to change any habit, it helps to first understand how it came into being in your life. Like, when did it start? What caused you to do it?

According to multiple scientific sources, one of the key theories about how habits are formed is the habit loop, or the “3 Rs”: reminder-routine-reward.

• Reminder – A cue or a trigger, which can be a conscious behaviour. For example, if you have a sweet tooth, then your cue may be looking at a dessert menu or video. Or if you are a smoker, then a work break could be your cue.
• Routine – This is the behaviour that follows the cue (for example, you watched a dessert video, which made you crave and go buy some cake). If you do something repeatedly, the behaviour can become routine.
• Reward – Know that feeling you get after doing something you like? It’s the ‘reward’ you get from that behaviour, which also helps it become a habit. Doing something you enjoy releases dopamine in your brain (the feel-good hormone), which can make you want to do it again.

Now that you have some idea of how a habit forms, what can you do to help curb it?

Steps to changing a habit

Like to break a habit? According to psychology and neuroscience expert Elliot Berkman, “It’s hard to stop a behaviour. We are action-oriented creatures.” Rather than trying to quit something, try starting something else.

Keeping the ‘3 Rs’ in mind, here are some science-backed steps to help you make (or break) a habit:

• Identify your cues – It can help you then change those cues and behaviours.
• Replace an old habit with a new one – Say you’d like to quit smoking. According to Berkman, if you start to chew gum every time you’d like to smoke, your brain has a more positive ‘action’ to do, instead of having it stop something altogether.
• Focus on why you want to change – It’s a good reminder and uplift for your personal journey.
• Start small – Check out this handy read on one simple way to make a new healthy habit stick.
• Surround yourself with supportive people – It helps to have someone in your corner who can cheer you on along the way.
• And lastly, be kind to yourself – Breaking a habit can be difficult, especially when it’s deeply entrenched. So, make sure you take the time to acknowledge your journey, and most importantly, don’t allow a setback to discourage or deter you from trying again.

Like to talk?

Dropping some old habits can not only be good for your health, but also for your wallet. For example, if you smoke, you may have loadings added to your insurance policy (which means you’re likely to pay double the premiums than a non-smoker with no other loadings). But if you decided to quit smoking (for good) for at least 12 months, you can ask the insurer to move you to non-smoking premiums, and save money over the long term.

As insurance advisers, we are here to help you with key relevant information so you can take the appropriate decisions for your financial and overall wellbeing. So, if you have any insurance questions for us, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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Disclaimer: Please note that the content provided in this article is intended as an overview and as general information only. While care is taken to ensure accuracy and reliability, the information provided is subject to continuous change and may not reflect current development or address your situation. Before making any decisions based on the information provided in this article, please use your discretion and seek independent guidance.

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