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Change Starts With a Tiny Habit

Zen Breaks
Change Starts With a Tiny Habit
By Zen Breaks • Issue #46 • View online
ZEN BREAKS 46 - Small and easy is the best way to start

“Once you understand that habits can change, you have the freedom and the responsibility to remake them”. - Charles Duhigg
129. How to create new habits
Forget big change, start with a tiny habit
Forget big change, start with a tiny habit
We usually think that modifying our behavior is something very complicated.
Our habits have a lot of strength and introducing changes is very hard, it seems to require a lot of motivation and effort.
Is it really so?
BJ Fogg is a scientist who is interested in studying behavior and who has some very interesting ideas on this topic.
Heading a research laboratory at Stanford University, he has been studying these topics and developing a model that brings us good news.
After all, maybe it doesn’t take so much motivation and effort, there are alternatives when these factors are not at their maximum.
Image from BJ Fogg TED Talk video
Image from BJ Fogg TED Talk video
“Here’s the simple way to explain it: "Behavior (B) happens when Motivation (M), Ability (A), and a Prompt (P) come together at the same moment.”
In other words, it is possible to introduce new habits - such as practicing relaxation breaks or exercise in our daily lives - even if we are not very motivated to do so or willing to make a great effort.
The key to his model seems to be in the balance between 3 elements:
- level of motivation
- effort level
- prompt/trigger to practice the new habit.
Image from BJ Fogg TED Talk video
Image from BJ Fogg TED Talk video
I invite you to watch the TED Talk in which he explains this behavior change model in a simple way and with very easy to understand examples.
The most difficult riddle seems to have already been solved by him: how to introduce a new daily habit?
The secret he discovered is that the simplest way to do it is to associate that new behavior with an existing habit, and practice it after that one.
For example, after brushing your teeth, saying a motivating phrase, after putting your clothes away, doing a push-up, etc.
Why not use this strategy to get into the habit of introducing small breaks during the day to avoid stress building up?
It’s worth testing if it can help us live better, do you agree?
Try it and share your results and this method.
MORE SUGGESTIONS
MORE SUGGESTIONS
"Positive Words" Personal Journal
"Positive Words" Personal Journal
Positive Words Journal: One Positive Word a Day Journal. A Notebook Journal for a Happy Life (Get to Know Yourself Journals)
"How To Be Calmer" eBooks
"How To Be Calmer" eBooks
“How To Calm Down” eBooks series - simple and practical ways to reduce stress in you daily life, by Zen Michael.
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