Part 1: The Habit Loop

Our brains are magnificent at identifying and recognizing patterns. So, when we want to turn desired behaviors into habits, why not use our psychology to our advantage? Understanding the “Habit Loop” is a great brain-hack!

You may remember learning in Psychology 101 (…or ‘The Office’….) about the scientist Pavlov who trained a dog to salivate at the sound of a bell. By ringing the bell, then giving the dog food repeatedly and consistently, the dog quickly formed an unconscious association: Bell=Food. Soon, when the dog heard the bell, even before the food was in sight, he began salivating: and automatic response to the anticipation of the food.

In this example here is how each part of the habit loop is represented.

Cue: Bell

Craving: Anticipation of food

Response: Salivation

Reward: Food

Every time the loop is completed, it reinforces the association until the behavior becomes automatic.

Our desired habit fits into the “response” category, and we can build cue and reward systems that make us crave and look forward to our habit day after day.

So many of us think we should just be able to form a new habit using will power and discipline. “I’m just going to tell myself to write everyday.” But that is exhausting, inefficient and ineffective. Pavlov would have been a very bad scientist if his strategy to get the dog to salivate was to yell “salivate!” at it every day.

Yes, forming meaningful and positive habits takes a little discipline at the beginning. But that discipline should be channeled into creating meaningful and repeatable patterns, not just into performing the behavior alone. .…Once the patterns create associations, our habit becomes automatic, thus eventually eliminating the need for discipline altogether.

Stay tuned to learn how to put the habit loop into action!

If you want to deep dive on the Habit Loop, check out: “Atomic Habits” by James Clear and “The Power Of Habit” by Charles Duhigg.