The Science Behind Habit Formation: How Our Brains Develop New Routines

It happens to the best of us, that feeling of needing to wake up earlier, cook and eat better, or simply stop consuming content late at night. Still, most of these good intentions are left on the wayside every day or at least become subservient to the allure of previous habits. So, why does behavior change prove so challenging?

Let’s consider the intriguing science of habits and how our brains are truly wired to create the newest routines.

The Habit Loop

At the core of every habit is what researchers have appropriately called a “habit loop,” a three-step process that controls our automatic behaviors. It is something straightforward yet incredibly powerful: cue, routine, reward. You can click here to find new ways to have fun with instant games. Trying something new has something in common with developing habits. 

1. Cue: This is what really initiates the habit. It can be anything—a time of day, an emotional state, a specific location, or even a particular sound or smell. The cue signals your brain to go into autopilot and initiates the routine.
2. Routine: This is the behavioral response itself—the action that you take once the cue has been triggered. Whether it’s reaching for a snack, checking your phone, or lacing up your running shoes, the routine is the habitual response to the cue.
3. Reward: This is essentially what your brain tries to do when it recalls this loop in the first place. This can vary in rewards, like a tasteful piece of chocolate, to intangible ones, like the feeling of achievement one experiences after actively exercising. The reward strengthens the habit loop and increases the likelihood that your brain will remember the cue and the habit loop in the future.

We must understand this loop since it indicates to us that habits are not just actions performed randomly. They are deeply grooved circuits in our brains, forged through exercises in repetition and reinforcement.

The Power of Repetition: How Habits Are Cemented

Habits are formed through repetition. The more you repeat a given behavior over and over, the more connections in the brain become stronger. Think of these connections like a well-trodden path through a forest. The more you walk the path, the clearer and easier it becomes to follow. But if you stop using it, the path gradually fades away from the overgrowth of the forest.

That’s the reason consistency is extremely crucial when trying to substitute a practice with another one. Each time you repeat your habit loop and the sequence—cue, routine, reward—you will further strengthen the already established neural pathway, and the automaticity of the behavior continues to increase. Over time, the behavior becomes second nature.

That said, the opposite of hacking a new path is equally true when breaking habits. However, hacking through new undergrowth is hard work, and by keeping at it, the new route can, on the other hand, displace the old one. 

The Role of Dopamine

Our brains are designed to be pleasure-seeking and pain-fearing, and this is where dopamine comes into play. In most cases, dopamine is called the “feel-great” neurotransmitter because it is stimulated in the brain’s reward pathway during pleasurable experiences. It is, therefore, a potent reinforcer in that it makes us want to repeat behaviors to get rewards.

Dopamine is essential for habit forming. Whenever you finish a routine and get a reward, your brain releases dopamine in an attempt to remember the habit loop. Over time, anticipation of the reward can cause a release of dopamine, making them more likely to act it out again.

That explains why so many habits, positive or negative, are so darn hard to break. That’s because the pairing is making its way to the brain’s reward center: an interconnected circle of cue, routine, response, and dopamine.

Hacking the Habit Loop

How do we do something with it to our advantage? Here’s how:

• Rehab one small habit: Trying to rehab your whole life at once is a recipe for failure. Focus on one little habit at a time. Start small, then build incrementally without going overboard on your brain’s limited decision-making resources.
• Identify triggers: Observe the cues that naturally lead you to your routine. Once you identify the cues, you can start disrupting the habit loop or replacing the routine with a more positive behavior.
• Use rewards wisely: Be sure to strengthen new routines with a pat on the back, positive reinforcement, or something that doesn’t necessarily need to be significant. Even a small reward can boost dopamine levels and strengthen the habit.
• Be patient: Habituation may take time. You need not be depressed by the length of time it may take. Eventually, new routines will become second nature as long as you keep trying.

The next time you almost give in to your old ways, remember this: your brain is one powerful piece of machinery. And, with just a bit of knowledge and the correct dose of persistence, you can rewire it to live the life you want.