Habits.
Our Brains Shortcuts.
An essay by Maggie Stevens.
Habits.
We all have them.
Maybe you bite your nails,
Salt your food before you taste it,
Leave cabinet doors open,
Always order the same meal at a restaurant,
Shop online when you're bored,
Eat when you're sad,
Blame every problem you've ever had on your mother.
You don't have to raise your hand.
This isn't confession.
We all have habits,
Though they are as individual as we are.
Habits are the brain's way to save energy,
Which is important as it already uses about 20% of one's metabolic energy.
If the brain can find a way to save itself time and energy,
It will create a habit or routine rather than expending energy to think through an activity.
We tie our shoes,
Get dressed,
Make a sandwich,
And drive to work without a lot of thought.
Our brains use a kind of autopilot so we can plan,
Remember,
Or ruminate during these activities instead.
It's a great system,
Right up until the time that it's not.
We can unintentionally create habits that cut us off from experiencing our life.
When was the last time you actually enjoyed a shower,
Savored the water on your body,
Took in the smell of your soap,
Felt your muscles ease?
Habit energy cuts us off from the present moment.
A habit is an unconscious activity.
If we aren't paying attention an hour,
A day,
A whole life can go by without us taking an active role in it.
Habits are also created as a form of protection.
When we were young,
We relied on others to keep us safe.
We aligned our behavior to the will of others to ensure that they would care for us.
These habits don't go away when we age.
We may acquiesce to another person's choice,
Even though it doesn't meet our needs.
We may replay negative stories that have no basis in today's reality.
No doubt you have positive habits like brushing and flossing your teeth,
Washing your hands,
And eating your vegetables.
Habits aren't all bad news.
In fact,
The good news is that we can change habits that we don't like or that don't serve us well.
Brain research has discovered that our brains can continue to change in positive ways as we age.
This function is neuroplasticity,
Which the National Institute of Health defines as the ability of the nervous system to change its activities in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure,
Functions,
And connections.
We can choose to change unconscious routines and patterns through awareness.
This is a practice that requires patience and time.
We are laying down new pathways in our brains so that they will override the old unhelpful ones.
Developing a sitting practice can help us tackle our habits.
As John Aaron,
A meditation teacher at the New York Meditation Society shared,
The beauty of a formal practice is we get to create a safe space in which we can experiment and begin to see our mind's habits without acting on those habits.
As we sit,
We can observe our minds without judgment.
We can recognize that our brain creates thoughts the same way that our lungs breathe.
It's what they do.
We can recognize that we have thoughts that may or may not be true.
We can observe that a thought or emotion is an old reaction,
Which isn't connected to our present experiences.
Often,
Our time on the cushion will bring us insights.
And just as often,
We will sit and our mind will be a runaway train.
Either way,
We're practicing.
You can choose to have a formal practice,
Which involves setting aside a time and space to practice every day.
You can also choose to practice by opening up to the present moment,
By opening your senses and being present to your experience.
Either way,
You are increasing your awareness and decreasing habit thinking.
As Henry David Thoreau,
American writer and philosopher,
Is often quoted,
Only that day dawns to which we are awake.
