Automate Healthy Habits
Mindfulness is the awareness that arises when we pay attention in the present moment, purposefully and non-judgmentally.
Mindfulness offers an alternative to how we have typically approached habit change. The headline on why this is a more effective way to change behavior rests in the fact that mindfulness is all about self-regulation and controlling our attention. When we allow experiences to unfold with curiosity, openness, and acceptance rather than relying on willpower, we are more tuned in to the behavior and what causes it. Here is a graphic of the brain's two systems to understand how mindfulness is involved in forming habits.
The default network (mindless) is where habits reside. It is activated when our attention is focused on the past or the future. When we are mindful, the direct network is activated. This means we experience the world in real time. Here are two examples of how these two networks operate.
Example: Washing Dishes
Default Network – Mindless: Being on automatic pilot or mindlessly washing dishes means we are thinking about other things. This is fine unless there is broken glass or a knife that we forgot about, causing us to cut our fingers because our attention was focused elsewhere.
Direct Network—Mindful: When we wash dishes and pay attention to the water temperature, the texture of the objects, and the motion of our hands, we are more likely to notice broken glass or a hidden knife before we cut our hands.
Example: Driving
Default Network – Mindless: Most of us have had the experience of driving to work and do not remember how we got there. It’s as if we were a robot. Everything we do is automatic. We travel the same route to work daily without noticing any environment outside our car. That works until something goes wrong, and we don't see a stopped car in our lane.
Direct Network—Mindful: When we engage the direct network, we notice colors, smells, sounds, traffic, and other people. We experience the world in real time. We might even notice how our body knows how to operate complex machinery. Because we are present, we see the car slowing in front of us and begin to slow the vehicle so that it can safely stop.
Mindfulness and the Habit Loop
Mindfulness helps us make changes in our behavior in three ways:
You can't change behavior you aren't aware of. If locked inside our heads, we are moving through our routines automatically, without intention. For example, when eating, we might notice the signs that we are full once we experience the consequences of feeling overly full.
Evaluating outcomes. When we perform everyday tasks with intention and purpose, we can assess the outcomes of our behavior. If we eat because we are stressed or want to numb ourselves from painful feelings, we only get temporary relief. We may not remember the uncomfortable feelings afterward, like guilt.
Unforced freedom of choice. When we are present and tuned into our body and mind, we start making choices that support self-care in a way that feels effortless rather than forced. Each time we repeat a behavior, we rewire our brains to make choices aligned with self-care, leading to a more self-compassionate way of being.
In summary, mindfulness training can directly target core aspects of reward-based learning through this three-step progression.
