There is no person who hasn’t acquired some habits throughout life. Each of us has them, the desirable ones and the undesirable ones, some that we are aware of and some that we may never become conscious of. And precisely because they are so present, we accept them as inevitability and, if they don’t bother us, we don’t pay attention to them. However, there is power hidden in habits that can greatly influence the quality of our life. Habits can become a burden that we drag through our own existence, a burden that prevents us from living as free, creative human beings.
What are habits?
Habits are learned patterns of behavior that arise as a result of repeating certain actions, feelings, thoughts. Once formed, they do not require the effort of will or a conscious intention to behave in a certain way. It is enough to have an initial stimulus to set the mechanism in motion and effortlessly and consistently repeat the habitual behavior, wake up familiar feelings or think familiar thoughts. In these moments, a person is like a machine that operating according to a pre-established internal program. There is no need to think, focus attention, make decisions, it is enough to just surrender to the familiar, usual, habitual behavior.
In itself, the mechanism of habit is neither good nor bad. Simply, the human, as well as the animal psyche, have the ability to adopt and then automate certain behaviors and reactions. In this way, we adapt and become more effective because we easily perform what initially required time and energy. The workspace we are used to facilitates concentration, the people we are accustomed to make us more relaxed, small everyday rituals, such as morning coffee drinking, give us the opportunity to distance ourselves from problems and relax, etc. In short, habits make daily functioning easier for us, allowing us to direct our consciousness and attention to what is important and useful at that moment. However, this is also the only justification for their existence.
The problem arises when this The mechanism extends to our inner world, to the way we feel, understand, and experience different life situations. We always like the same things, are afraid of the same situations, get annoyed by the same people, distrust the unknown, or don’t want to disrupt our established life rhythm. In these cases, habit has become so strong that it imposes its own laws on our psyche, strongly resisting any attempt at different action. Anyone who has tried to break a habit has experienced how difficult a battle it is with oneself.
Needless to say, in these situations, habits do not make daily life easier, they do not save but drain energy, and become chains. When we react to the same life situations in the same way, we become prisoners of our own habits, predictable and thus chained by our own view of the world, missing opportunities for new experiences, new learnings, and personal change.
How do habits form?
We adopt all habits in the same way, and Following suit. In the beginning, there is an intention or inclination towards a certain behavior. Through repetition, the behavior stabilizes and strengthens until it becomes fully automated. A young child who develops the habit of morning hygiene is reminded by their parents to brush their teeth every morning. After some time, parental reminders are no longer necessary. The behavior is learned, solidified, and through continuous repetition, becomes a habit. The child no longer needs any external motivation and will automatically go to the bathroom and brush their teeth every morning.
In the same way, we adopt mental and emotional habits. If we have experienced being belittled many times, we will become insecure; if we have been encouraged and motivated, we will have self-confidence. This leads us to see ourselves as capable or incapable, fearful or brave, intelligent or foolish, proactive or passive. Once we allow this perception to solidify, it becomes a habit that will influence our future actions and overall behavior. Similarly, we are influenced From the education and culture in which we live, we learn to love what the majority loves out of habit, strive for what the majority strives for, accept prevailing values, and express accepted opinions. Alternatively, we rebel against all of that, forever dissatisfied and critical. The way we react to life problems, how we accept new ideas, how we handle unfamiliar situations, how we cope with stress, religious or political beliefs – everything can become a habit. Most of the time, we are not even aware that our psyche is shackled by habits, so when we come across ideas, thoughts, and attitudes different from ours, there arises aversion, intolerance, fear. Changing our perspective and looking at the world through different eyes, or respecting different opinions, becomes an impossible mission.
How to defeat habits?
We all know that it is very difficult to get rid of established habits, especially mental and emotional ones, because we do not recognize them or simply do not admit them. If we do not have a clear+\ understanding of our habits, it is unlikely that we will be able to make any real change. Despite the difficulties in everyday functioning, we reconcile with them and accept ourselves as we are.
On the other hand, the wisdom of ancient, traditional teachings tells us that humans are beings who develop and awaken their human consciousness. In other words, we learn how to be human beings. If this statement seems odd to us, let us reflect on the virtues that we do not possess and do not express in our daily lives, and it will become clear to us that we still have a lot of work to do in awakening our human consciousness. Therefore, it is absurd to accept ourselves as complete or perfect at any stage of life, without the desire and effort to change and become a little more human than we were yesterday. It is evident that habits oppose such development. They make us static rather than dynamic, imitators rather than creators of ourselves.
Habits are inevitable and we cannot destroy them or prevent their formation. However, we can learn to consciously redirect their energy towards behaviors that aid our development and give meaning. la koja nas vodi ka ispunjenijem životu.
Habits can be formed in two ways. One is to passively surrender to various internal or external stimuli and allow the habit to form without the participation of our consciousness, which also means without control over which behaviors become habitual. Turning on the television every evening and mindlessly watching whatever is on is certainly not a conscious choice, but it can become such a strong habit that a power outage can cause nervousness, irritability, and even anger. The main cause of these unconsciously formed habits is a lack of attention. We don’t pay attention to the influences we are exposed to, the behaviors we repeat, and ultimately, the habit we have adopted.
The second way is to consciously choose and actively participate in forming a habit. Instead of watching television, we can teach ourselves to read something inspiring and enriching every evening before going to bed. By intelligently choosing such habits, they cease to be shackles that imprison us and become tools and guides that lead us to a more fulfilling life. A game for a better life. Here we are our own masters, we control the situation and become creators of ourselves.
And finally, how to overcome already established bad habits? No matter how strong they may be, just as they have developed, they can also disappear. The prerequisite is to recognize and become aware of them, which means paying attention and getting to know ourselves. We can overcome existing habits only with a willpower stronger than theirs, and that is the power of will. No habit is stronger than our genuine intent and firm decision to change and become unconditional, free, and authentic human beings.