POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: Old habits die hard but change is possible when we really want to make it

MANY of us are creatures of habit.

We like the comfort of routine. We like sameness. We repeat behaviours. We choose the same things. Many of us pick the same dish from a menu when we eat out or choose the same seat in a lecture theatre. We form habits and these habits become automatic. We perform them without thinking.

And there are advantages to this: it is efficient, we don’t have to think about everything all the time when it’s unnecessary. Many habits are a source of comfort and familiarity. Indeed, evolutionary theory is that our brains are hardwired to resist change.

In certain situations, a part of the brain called the amygdala (think of it like our internal smoke alarm) interprets change as a threat. This stimulates the production of stress chemicals, adrenaline and cortisol, in order to help us flee or fight. This is a deeply rooted automatic unconscious process. Hence we can perceive change as threat.

However, habits are not always productive and efficient and sometimes we engage in ones that are not helpful. Changing these habits can be difficult as they are so deeply ingrained and automatic. Research tells us that our resistance to change as human beings has emotional, cognitive/thinking and behavioural components as well as neurological ones.

At the start of 2023, in this column, we discussed the challenges we face when we make new year’s resolutions. Often these resolutions require behaviour change.

For example, we want to be healthier this year; maybe that means breaking a habit such as over-consumption of food or alcohol or stopping smoking. Or maybe we want to introduce a healthy practice into our lives, for example, going to the gym or walking after work.

How well we “succeed” with these resolutions is often linked to how we talk to ourselves. We highlighted how the psychological research has shown that self-criticism is actually linked to much less motivation and poorer willpower. In another recent article we discussed this in light of over-eating specifically.

Over-eating is often a habit that sneaks up on us; we eat when we are happy, we eat when we are sad, and before we know it we are gaining weight and shaming ourselves to try and break this habit. In contrast, self-compassion - being understanding and supportive to ourselves - is linked with greater motivation and self-control.

By extension, if we support ourselves the way we would a loved one or a friend, we are more likely to succeed in making and maintaining the changes we want to make in our lives.

We find as therapists that helping people make sustainable change can be difficult. It’s not as simple as just doing it. You have to really want to do it, or in other words really value the change you want to make. You have to be ready to do it, so timing is important. If you are currently coping with a lot of stress, then it might be better to wait until the stress load is lighter and you have more emotional coping resources.

In the late 1970s researchers James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente were studying ways to help people stop smoking. They came up with the stages of change or transtheoretical model. This model has been found to be an effective aid in understanding how people go through a change in behaviour. Any significant change you'd like to make in your life, whether it’s giving up something, or introducing something into your life, can potentially benefit from applying the transtheoretical model.

There are six stages in this model. While they are progressive and build on the one before, it is common to revert to the previous one, before moving forward again.

The first stage is called Pre-contemplation. There is no change here or even any acknowledgement of a problem or a need for change. The second is called Contemplation. Here there is acknowledgment of the problem but you are not convinced that change is what is needed.

The third phase is more active and is called Preparation/Determination. It is more about getting ready to make the change. This can be facilitated by doing some research and investigations about how best you can support yourself in making change happen. Active behaviour change is the fourth stage and is when the action happens; this requires commitment, willpower and follow-through.

The fifth stage is about the maintenance of the change behaviour that has been established in stage four.

There is a final stage, stage six, which is called relapse. In any behaviour change, relapses can occur and need to be expected. However, relapse can result in feelings of failure, disappointment, and frustration.

It is important in this stage not to let the relapse undermine self-confidence. We can deal with relapse. We can analyse what has happened, for example, by identifying a trigger and we can plan how this may be overcome in the future.

There is another tool that we often use with clients when they want to make changes. It’s a tool that was developed in the 1980s for business management and has the acronym SMART.

Let’s take an example. Imagine you want to exercise more in 2023. That’s quite a broad goal; we need to be more specific (S). So we would tease out with the client what kind of exercise they like and is doable for them.

Progress has to be measureable (M), so if the exercise is running and you want to be able to run a 5k ultimately, you keep track of your distances.

The exercise has to be attainable or achievable (A). If you have a problem with a hip or a knee this may not be the best form of exercise for you at that time.

The goal has to be relevant (R) to you; so it has to line up with what you value. If you value health and fitness, learning to run a 5k distance fits well with this value.

The (T) stands for time; if you want to run a particular 5k race on a particular date, you have to consider if this time-frame is sensible.

It’s April now but it's not too late to try to apply these tools to effect change, whether it be related to resolutions made on January 1 or even a challenge you may have taken on for Lent.

As clinicians as well as humans, what we find so encouraging is that change is always possible. Our brains are neuroplastic. We can create new neural pathways and connections throughout the life span.

This interior neurological change can influence actual physical behaviour change for the better and improve our quality of life.

Julie O'Flaherty and Imelda Ferguson are chartered clinical psychologists, both based in private practice in Tullamore. Through Mind Your Self Midlands, they run courses on Positive Psychology and mindfulness throughout the year. They can be contacted through the Psychological Society of Ireland www.psychologicalsociety.ie (Find A Psychologist section) or on their Facebook page, Mind Your Self Midlands.