A habit is a propensity to respond to a given situation in a certain way. The more deeply ingrained a habit, the more consistent the response. Because an action or thinking pattern is habitual, we don't need to think about the response. It happens automatically, because a neuromuscular habit has been formed in my brain.
Did you know that when a habit is formed it actually changes the gray matter in your brain?
The more you repeat an activity, the network of brain cells (neurons) that work together to perform that activity fire more frequently and easily the next time. Hebb's law. Brain cells that fire together are wired together. So, the more often I repeat an activity, the easier that activity becomes. If I do something once (eat ice cream OR walk away from the dessert table), the neutrons want to do it a second time. If I do it again, then it's easier to do it the third time. We are in the process of getting a new brain every time we learn something.
Huh. I didn't know that. I learned that through the educator Charlotte Mason and Bill & Maryellen St. Cyr with Ambleside Schools International.
So, is it normal to think that we will gravitate toward familiar habits over the next 90 days? Yes.
In the past, I would have called this FAILURE.
But what IS failure?
We're Here to Practice Habits
As we start this 90 days together, let's be certain of one thing. We are here to begin PRACTICING the habits we want in our life. The more we practice them, the easier they become.
As Bill St. Cyr points out in the video I've included today, "If I frame the poor behavior as a habit, then there is something I can do about it. But if I frame is as a medical diagnosis or a disorder, then I am stuck. I become a victim of my neurobiology. We may have a brain that isn’t well-tooled for healthy habits, but if we practice habits…we can retrain our brain."
So today, we are practicing habits that we are learning one at a time.
Today, we will either enjoy or struggle through the day with the support of all of us here on this blog, the people who love us and those who can encourage me to keep going.
We will not speak poorly of ourselves and tell ourselves that we are stupid (or made-to-be-fat)--because we am not.
We will practice!
Today's Challenge:
TO PRACTICE...- Eating 6 small, healthy meals a day
- Drinking water
- Getting activity into this day
- Going to bed in time to get 8 hours of sleep
- Saying "no" so I am not overwhelmed and overly stressed
- Breathing
- Love
For me, when I look at it this way, it doesn't matter how long it takes me to make these habits stick...I know I can keep practicing them and valuing their importance in my life.
Let us know where you've succeed today and where you see that you will need much more practice! Check back to the blog comments often, because we'll all be chattering away today, I hope!
For more information on "What is A Habit" by Bill St. Cyr--here is his 8 minute video:
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