Same itch, different scratch

How to replace a bad habit with a better habit?  One of the things I learned from the book "The Power of Habit", by Charles Duhigg, is that every habit starts with a cue or a trigger.  Something happens first, and then you respond with the habit.  For example, a dog feels and itch and then responds with a scratch.



Duhigg says that you often can't easily avoid the itch.  The trigger is going to happen, perhaps every day of your life.  What do you do if you tend to respond to that itch with a bad habit?  What can you do about it?  Just decide to stop and then use your willpower every day?


Duhigg recommends that you accept the fact that the itch is going to come, and find a new, healthier way to scratch it.  He sites research showing that people usually can't just stop the behavior with willpower alone.  It is much more effective to recognize the trigger and find a better way to respond to it.  The new habit has to address the itch.  It has to be rewarding, or it may not stick.  But if you can find a rewarding response and can remember to do it often enough to form a strong habit, you won't need willpower to change your ways.


A perfect example in my life happens Monday through Friday at about 10 am.  I'm at work.  I've been pushing myself intensely at work for two hours.  My concentration starts to fade.  I just can't maintain that kind of intensity all morning.  This is my itch.  My old, bad habit was to go to the break room to get yet another tall cup of coffee.  I don't really NEED the coffee.  By this time, I've had plenty of coffee.  If I have another cup, I'll just get jittery.  A short burst of energy is likely to be followed by an even bigger slump, and it's probably not good for my blood pressure.



With Duhigg's book in mind, I decided to accept my itch.  I accepted that I'll always have a mid-morning loss of energy and focus.  And I thought of a better way to respond.  For the last few weeks, I've left my desk and walked around several floors in the office building, stopping to talk to people whenever it feels right.  I've found this rewarding on many levels.  I catch up socially with people I would not otherwise see.  Sometimes I run into people that I need to talk to about work and end up resolving issues quickly.  Other times people ask me for advice, and it feels good to help them.  And even mild exercise like this provides more lasting energy than a cup of coffee.  So the itch gets scratched--I gain energy--and the new habit requires no willpower because I find it rewarding socially, spiritually, and for getting things done at work.