I Am Currently Reading This Book
I'm back on track with my self-improvement journey. It definitely has it's dips and peaks, but currently I'm on the uphill again and reading a new book called 'The Power of Habit' by Charles Duhig. I thought it was going to be more of a self-help book, and it is, but it also does an outstanding job of first explaining the neurobiological research that went into obtaining its findings. The case studies that it intros with are quite remarkable stories.
Anyways, I have just finished chapter one which is all about 'The Habit Loop', which is a cycle that is learned after we engage in a specific pattern and receive a reward or punishment for the behavior we engaged in. It starts with a cue. For example, let's say my cue is the feeling of boredom. If I continue going to the kitchen to grab a snack when I'm bored, the salty/sweet taste of the snack activates the reward receptors in my brain, reinforcing the behavior and making it more likely that I will repeat that behavior the next time I have the same cue. The habit loop goes Cue -> Routine -> Reward
I thought that picking up this book was so timely for me because I had just written a post about me falling back into old habits not even a full 24 hours ago.
https://similarworlds.com/4359146-I-Express-Myself-Through-Writing/3024405-Do-you-think-there-are-some-people-in-the-world
This chapter has helped me make sense of my current situation a little better. I think for me, being in a relationship is the "cue", and my routine is to become pessimistic about the prospect of the relationship working out so that the reward is that I am less affected emotionally if it doesn't work out. If I change my routine, I risk being caught off guard when things don't work out and having my heart broken. But if I don't change this routine, I don't think I'll ever be able to fully commit to a relationship.
It's a hard cycle to break, but I think the first step is being aware of the pattern and cues... onto the next chapter!
Anyways, I have just finished chapter one which is all about 'The Habit Loop', which is a cycle that is learned after we engage in a specific pattern and receive a reward or punishment for the behavior we engaged in. It starts with a cue. For example, let's say my cue is the feeling of boredom. If I continue going to the kitchen to grab a snack when I'm bored, the salty/sweet taste of the snack activates the reward receptors in my brain, reinforcing the behavior and making it more likely that I will repeat that behavior the next time I have the same cue. The habit loop goes Cue -> Routine -> Reward
I thought that picking up this book was so timely for me because I had just written a post about me falling back into old habits not even a full 24 hours ago.
https://similarworlds.com/4359146-I-Express-Myself-Through-Writing/3024405-Do-you-think-there-are-some-people-in-the-world
This chapter has helped me make sense of my current situation a little better. I think for me, being in a relationship is the "cue", and my routine is to become pessimistic about the prospect of the relationship working out so that the reward is that I am less affected emotionally if it doesn't work out. If I change my routine, I risk being caught off guard when things don't work out and having my heart broken. But if I don't change this routine, I don't think I'll ever be able to fully commit to a relationship.
It's a hard cycle to break, but I think the first step is being aware of the pattern and cues... onto the next chapter!
31-35, F
