As with every recommendation I make, please take responsibility for your own well-being and please consider everything as an optional invitation.
3 keys to forming new habits.
(Enjoy the 7 minute video below by Dr. Andrew Huberman)
Visualization Stage: What new habit would you like to form?
- Identify a new habit you would like to establish? For some additional ideas I have a post identifying 3 Five minute routines to transform your life which goes hand in hand with this post.
- Visualize: In your mind’s eye, walk through each step involved in the desired routine or habit.
- Bracket: what activity will happen just before the habit/routine and what will occur just afterward?
- Associate positive feelings: As you visualize the pre-habit activity, the habit, and the post-habit activity, try to connect with emotions of gratitude toward yourself for taking on this challenge, anticipation for how good you will feel afterward, and satisfaction at what you’ve accomplished.
Example: Application to the 5 Minute Morning Light Routine.
- Visualize each step to get it into procedural memory: If desired, close your eyes and visualize yourself setting your alarm for a certain time or leaving your curtains open so the sun wakes you. Picture yourself waking up, using the washroom, putting on a sweater if needed and immediately stepping outside into the sunlight. Imagine standing like superman, imagine humming a song or two as you stand facing the sun. After 2 minutes imagine adding in a few additional stretches. Imagine enjoying this for 5 minutes.
- Bracket the routine: What do you or will you regularly do just before and just after this morning ritual? Think through where in the morning this would fit. Ideally it would be close to the first thing you do when you wake up. Just after getting up, using the washroom and getting a glass of water. What would you do just after? Sit down and say a morning prayer? Start making breakfast? Sketch an outline of the day’s plans? (If you are a coffee drinker, note it is recommendable to wait to drink coffee until at least 1 hour after waking up.)
- Associate your just before and after moments with positive feelings: Go back through the step above and as you visualize the moments just before stepping outside, infuse them with a positive feeling of thankfulness for the freedom to go outside, for air to breathe and the freshness of the morning, and anticipation of how this simple routine is going to help you feel better and have more energy. Picture yourself finishing the routine and feeling better, more alert and more alive all day long.
I highly recommend also applying this to the Brain Reset Routine and Evening Routine
Make it Real: Enjoying the Effort
Enjoy this video by Andrew Huberman further clarifying how to move from an extrinsic reward motivation to an intrinsic reward motivation by attaching dopamine/the feeling of reward to the effort itself not to any external prize.