How to stop eating at night and start running: instructions on how to form a habit

MSS business coach, executive coach

Habits are specific mechanics that determine the function of our brain. We are talking about learned behavior, the implementation of which brings a person satisfaction.

Alas, sometimes they also become the cause of dissatisfaction. For example, when the result of their realization is weight and figure problems. How does it all work and what to do to form useful habits?

Why everything is so complicated

The brain always memorizes significant circumstances and then reproduces them verbatim. Let’s say I’m a coffee addict. I have a habit of drinking coffee. After all, it’s nice, it’s flavorful, it’s warming, it helps me wake up. So every morning my brain will reproduce this very need. It’s the same with the smoking habit. There is no need to smoke everywhere and always, but there is a habit of doing it.

The habit is formed after repeated repetition of some behavior under certain conditions. Then our brain becomes more interested in the process than in the result. To understand how this happens, it is important to understand the term “dynamic stereotype”.

A dynamic stereotype is a complex of conditioned reflex reactions that we implement in the right sequence. It is reproduced in a particular situation in the way it was formed under its conditions. We are talking about a formed neural connection.

Besides, there is such a notion – dominant centers. Habit is formed in the brain, and consciousness is assigned the role of explaining (justifying) this or that action, which we evaluate positively or negatively.

For example, why does a person’s favorite activity after work is going to the refrigerator (in order to eat something harmful for the figure)? He knows that he should not do it, but… The brain has already decided that the bun will be eaten. Then the consciousness pulls up and justifies this action. Possible arguments – a difficult day, a difficult period in life, etc. Arguments about the benefits of sweets for the brain, the nervous system, etc. may also come up. In general, the brain will get the right facts.

So, the main difficulty is that a habit is a strong neural connection, the reproduction of which is beneficial to the brain, and therefore the consciousness will always find a justification for it.

It’s even more complicated than that

Popular psychology often simplifies the topic by reducing everything to willpower alone. For example, there is a myth about developing habits in 21 days. It is believed that you just need to repeat something during this time, and the habit will form. But there’s one big problem here.

Remember when we talked about how everything we do is a habit? Well, right now, the person who wants to start running in the morning has a habit of sitting with a cup of coffee at that time, tucked away on their smartphone. That’s when that particular neural connection is activated.

To talk about something new in life, you have to realize that it’s always about pain and stress. It’s about getting out of our comfort zone, because we need to get rid of an old habit, change an established routine. This breakup is the breaking of an existing neutron bond. Replacing it with a new one is an energy expenditure.

Therefore, it is impossible to say that doing the same action 21 days in a row, you will definitely get the result. It is necessary to do something more and be ready for difficulties.

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Get rid of the old

It is important to determine – from what specific habit you will get rid of. Understand what action is not satisfactory. Here we can allow ourselves to design – to answer self-reflective coaching questions:

• Why do I want to get rid of the habit?
• What is its harm to me?
• What is its benefit at the moment?
• What does it bring to the table?
• How will I compensate for its absence (because I’m in danger of stress)?

The next point is strict control. Different practices help here: food diaries, support groups, daily reports, bragging to someone, personal trackers.

You not only need to form a motive, but also provide support (the right environment) for it. For example, if you want to lose weight, you don’t need to keep sweets and other junk food in your fridge. Just don’t buy it.

New instead of old

If instead of standing in front of the refrigerator at night, you want to do something else (useful for your figure), then you need to start breaking up the old dynamic stereotype.

This is where answering the questions will help:

• Why do I want to do this?
• How will I support myself?
• What will appear in my life when introducing a new habit?
• What will I do if I do nothing and leave it as it is?

Let’s say the alternative is an evening jog. As soon as you get home from work, your eyes should see sneakers, athletic pants, and related accessories. It’s important to have everything on hand and not cause any inconvenience. You need to stop yourself from finding excuses to postpone a drastic change until tomorrow.

Remember that there will always be excuses. Clearly define the task and create the conditions. Answer the questions: what, where, when, how much?

1. What am I going to do? The answer is to run.
2. Where will I run? The answer is in the park.
3. When will I run? Answer – after work.
4. How long will I run (time, distance)? The answer is 3 kilometers.

As soon as you give yourself a task and create the conditions, the process of introducing new habits will start.

The next important point is positive reinforcement. Earlier our brain was looking for endorphins in the process of eating junk food, and now it has to get the missing pleasure somehow. We need to support ourselves. Run – get praise or buy something (useful and tasty). Only then a new habit will be formed. Good luck!