What are habits? They say habits are how we fill around 40% or more of each day. They're the things we repeatedly do, with little intention, thought or effort. Some habits serve us well while others don't, but they are all the result of repeated behavior.

...no matter how automated your responses may seem, if you have the will and ability...

Development period

A habit in psychology is said to be a neurological loop that consists of three steps - a cue, a routine and a reward. Not all habits have or require a reward, particularly if they're intrinsically motivated habits that either have the prospect of a long-term reward or are done purely for the sake of doing it, because it brings pleasure or has simply been done many times before.

When an activity reaches automaticity, that's when it has become what we call a habit. Various studies over recent decades have found habits take anywhere between 18 to over 250 days to form, and most researchers agree consistency is the key factor in bringing about automaticity.

Consistency is key

As numerous studies have indicated, consistency was the most common factor in participants' successful conversion of an activity into a habit. But how do we define consistency?

The Oxford Dictionary defines 'consistent' as "acting in the same way over time, especially so as to be fair or accurate". In a study by Kaushal and Rhodes, exercise as a habit was observed to form after 30-40-minute sessions at least four times per week, after six successive weeks.

Furthermore, the frequency of a past act is said in psychology to be an indicator of future acts, so if we repeatedly do the things we want to be doing, with each repetition, we should be more likely to repeat it again. That's why having a detailed schedule that aligns to your goals and have-tos is essential. Not only does it provide meaningful focus, it drives you to repeat tasks you've chosen to form into habits. In addition to repeated action, repetition can occur as a trigger or 'cue'.

Cues must be managed

Cues are the first step in a single habit's loop. A cue is a recurring circumstance, such as waking up in the morning or sitting down at your desk. They can occur naturally in your environment or as a result of something else. After repeatedly doing something after the cue, your brain makes an association between the cue and your response, and after a while, you have formed a habit.

For example, buying chocolate chip cookies and storing them in a cookie jar prominently placed in the kitchen could cue a chocoholic into eating one each time they pass the jar. A positive cue could be seeing your water bottle on your desk that you know keeps your drink cool. Each time you see it, you check your glass, refill it and drink. A naturally occurring cue could be the stress you feel after a tense or heated debate at a work meeting. Having been a smoker for years and having had your share of disagreements, your immediate reaction is to go outside and have a cigarette.

Cues generate a habitual response, something we've done repeatedly after that cue. As described, cues arise from the environment or emotions, but they can also emerge as an event or being around a certain person.

The first step in managing cues is to recognize them. Think about a habit you want to eliminate. When does it happen? Is there a common feeling, object in the environment, certain company or temperature you have that precipitates the habit? The same goes for changing or swapping a habit.

Stop it in its tracks

Eating well is a challenge for many, and as we're all affected by food we'll use this as an example of change. What's important to note here is that habits are often formed and repeatedly performed if they're somewhat easy. Studies have found the level of difficulty, accessibility and our general comfortability with a habit determines how likely we are to repeat it. Add to that step three in a single habit loop - reward - and the wrong things, such as choosing delicious but unhealthy food, become bad habits that are hard to kick.

If ease is important, then make healthier choices easy. If comfortability is important, find healthful foods that are appealing to you. Then, just like the cookie jar, surround yourself with healthy options by keeping them in plain sight. Use Post-Its to remind yourself to consciously choose foods that are good for you. And keep doing this until you gravitate naturally towards the quinoa and kale. It's that simple, but it requires some analysis and preparation on your part.

Just do it

We haven't focused on rewards much, as habits that are worth forming should be meaningful habits, that is, those that are intrinsically motivated. Additionally, artificially adding a reward may complicate the desired habit making it impossible to form. Instead, think about why you're doing something - what's the benefit? I will lose weight. I will earn a higher GPA. I will be a better person. I will feel happier about having done it.

For the bad habits, think about long-term consequences. I won't be where I want to be in six months or one year. I won't reach my savings goal and have the deposit for a home.

Strong intentions have been found to be successful in overcoming strong habits, so no matter how automated your responses or habits may seem, if you have the will and ability, you'll manage to do and do again until a habit has been formed.