Before delving into any subject, it helps if we look at the science behind it to get a better understanding of how it can be applied to achieve optimized results. For example, one who knows the science of combustion & technology of automobile engines will be able to apply the knowledge to modify his driving style for better fuel efficiency. Similarly, one who knows the science of lighting & photography will be able to apply that knowledge to shoot better photographs. Today, let’s look into the science behind formation of habits so that it becomes easier for us to develop & control the habits we want.

Most of us, especially from eastern cultures, would have been advised by our elders to never miss the 3rd day of school after a long vacation or the 3rd day of any new activity for that matter (3rd day of exercise, 3rd day of job etc). While the advice might sound superstitious, the intention behind that advice is to adhere to it as a routine.

Most of the motivational speakers & coaches advice us to repeat an activity for 21 days to turn it into a routine or habit. Recent psychological studies have shown that it takes 66 days to develop a habit. However, the underlying idea is that it is all about repetition. In Buddhism as well, lot of emphasis is laid on repeating an activity to turn it into a habit. It is called “lesu rungwa” which means “flexible mind”.

How is a habit formed? What really happens when a certain activity is done? Why should an activity be done regularly for a certain number of days to turn it into a habit? These curious questions can be analyzed from a scientific perspective to get some clues of how it works which in turn might answer such questions.

The brain by itself is nothing but just a mass of jelly. But what lies within this mass of jelly is a wonder which is no less than a cluster of hundreds of super computers. It is the complex neurology of the brain which really makes us humans. It brings out the creativity, scientific temper, linguistics, emotions and high level intelligence which includes abstractions, opinions, philosophical thoughts & more.

While all these above mentioned characteristics are conscious and requires some effort & thinking, there is a whole different world underneath it which is subconscious, in which activities run in auto-pilot mode. Some examples include daily chores (brushing, bathing etc), behavior (how the person responds to situations), character (how the person presents himself to others) and qualities like efficiency (the ability to focus) & productivity (how the person can avoid himself from getting distracted). These qualities work subconsciously and the person might not even be aware of it unless he is given some feedback or he does self appraisal or introspection. It is these qualities which become part of the habit. i.e A habit is something which is done in “auto-pilot” mode without much conscious or mental effort by the person.

Lets go a little more in depth and see how the brain works and its relation with behavior & habits.

The brain has a complex neurology network comprising of more than 100 billion neurons. Each neuron has almost 7000 connections to other neurons. An average human brain has 1 quadrillion (A million billion) combination of connections!!

In the most basic form, a neuron consists of Soma which contains the nucleaus, axon which carries impulses (like a cable) and extends to interconnect with other neurons, resulting in a neuron network.

Every action or behavior corresponds to a flow of electric pulses across neurons in a specific pattern in the brain. i.e Whenever there is a flow of electric pulses across neurons, it triggers a certain behavior/action in the person. This is how the brain coordinates the body resulting in certain actions.

Since the neurons are similar to relays carrying tiny electric pulses, the flow of such pulses forms a pathway, similar to a circuit. What really does circuit mean? It means a path. In electronics, circuit is the path through which electrons flow i.e current flows.

The amount of current flow through a circuit (path) depends on the resistance. It is but natural for current to flow through a circuit which has least resistance i.e high conductance. As the conductance increases, the circuit becomes better. That is the reason why some of the critical paths of a high end electronic circuit is made of Gold (due to its high conductivity).

Coming back to neurology, similar to an electronic circuit, a neuron network also provides a path for the neural pulses to propagate which in turn results into actions. Now comes the wonderful fact. Unlike electronic circuit boards, the conductivity of these neural pathways can actually be modified!! This is called “plasticity” of brain. Circuits of neural pathways can be “etched” whenever we wish to, by putting the right efforts.

Here is an illustration of how it works. Let us take an example of an activity like brushing (assuming that it is an activity never done before). Lets assume that it corresponds to the flow of neural impulses through the following path from point A to B.

Since the activity is new, the neural pathway is not created. By consciously doing this activity (which requires effort), as the neural impulses propagate through this pathway, due to plasticity of the brain, it slightly increases the conductivity of this path.

So, the next time the same activity is done, it becomes slightly easier and hence lesser conscious effort and as a result of doing it, it further increases the conductivity, thereby gradually & recursively reducing the conscious effort necessary.



To put it in other words, every time the activity is done, it gradually “etches” the corresponding neural pathway, resulting in a circuit. After a few repetitions, the pathway would be so deeply etched (the circuit’s conductivity increased so much) that it hardly requires any more conscious effort and becomes a part of the sub-conscious mind running it in auto-pilot mode, thereby effectively turning it into a habit.

Since not all habits require equal efforts and nor are all people equal, the time required to develop a habit is contextual. For example, a person who has better self control might need lesser number of days to develop a habit compared to another person who is volatile. Developing the habit of brushing (maybe a week) might take lesser number of days compared to developing the habit of being punctual (maybe months).

Although one can use external support like technology, or feedback mechanism from computers or smart devices (or a coach or regular self-inspection) to shorten the time required and to increase the probability of sticking to the habit (by etching the right pathway), the fact remains that the key to developing the habit is “repetition”.

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References:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/ghsu-hf122111.php

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z41BTeAU7DI

http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~dana/Ch3.pdf

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2Wlf0b/www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm%3Fid%3D100-trillion-connections

http://www.livescience.com/6557-brain-works-autopilot.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonselk/2013/04/15/habit-formation-the-21-day-myth/

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0908/09080401