We all have ways of behaving and acting, many of which we don’t even realize we are doing. This is because they have become part of who we are and how we operate.

These can be useful and they can be harmful. Because this show is all about YOU as the whole person, and getting free from things that hinder all of us from doing that, I wanted to share some thoughts on HABITS and PATTERNS we often live from in our lives without thinking

• What they are,
• How they begin,
• Why we need them and
• How they work for and against us
• How to change them

The human brain is fascinating and amazing! It uses approximately 25% of the body’s energy per day, many of the functions happen without our input. Because of this, the brain needs to make as many functions as possible as efficiently as possible to conserve energy. One of the ways it does this is by creating habits for behaviors we do frequently.

Every habit has 3 main parts:
1) The Trigger: What starts the loop. It can be something we are trying to avoid, create, or feel.

2) The Behavior: The next thing we DO, after we act on the trigger

3) The Reward (Reinforcement): The feeling or experience that you were expecting and desiring that keeps you triggered and behaving that same way.

How I eliminated a poisonous habit that had 3-4 triggers,  that I had tried to stop many, many times over my lifetime, in one, single action and how you can use that technique RIGHT NOW to do the same.

Why if you want to extinguish a negative habit, you need to have a positive one ready for action right away.

Habits never really go away, BUT they can be “overwritten” by a stronger habit and keep the negative habit neutralized as long as the positive one is being used.

PATTERNS

Patterns are behaviors that are based on our motivations and values. They are somewhat automatic but now ruled so much by a reward system. How we do anything is how we do everything, across all different areas of our lives, relationships, education, careers, and recreation.

These can be difficult to change especially because most people don’t realize that they exist! But once you can become aware of your behavior patterns, it’s easier to figure out whether they need to be changed, why and how to do it. Patterns are established pretty early in life and are often hard-wired into our psyche.

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast: