Creating Habit-Based Success
When it comes to supporting clients in habit creation, there are a couple of simple but powerful frameworks that we can put in play.
Cue, Craving, Response, Reward.
The first is the habit sequence: Cue, Craving, Response, Reward.
Every time we perform a habit, we execute a four step pattern: cue, craving, response, reward. Understanding these stages can help us put techniques in place to ensure that the habit catches on, and is upheld in the long term.
1. Cue
For example, a client has got into the habit of eating late at night. The cue for this is time driven: they put the kids to bed, and as they come downstairs, they automatically head to the fridge for a glass of white; and to the cupboard for a snack – even if they’re not hungry.
2. Craving
It’s important to remember that the craving isn’t for the action itself: it’s for the change in state the person experiences when they do it. In our example, the late night snack might be a way for the client to reward themselves, after a day of doing things for other people. They feel cared for and ‘nourished’ – physically and mentally. So as they’re walking down the stairs, they feel a sense of craving for that state.
3. Response
This is the actual habit that the person performs – it could be a thought or an action. Whether the habit is performed or not depends on how much friction there is in play. If our client had run out of wine, would the craving be enough to overcome the friction of having to go to the shop to buy more?
4. Reward
The reward is the change of state a person experiences when the habit has been performed. It’s not always easy to see what reward ‘bad’ habits give us, but there will always be one. Helping a client understand what that change of state is, and how they can get that need met in another, healthier, way, is an important part of the process.
Practical Application
In our example, the four steps of the habit sequence are pretty clear. But in our lives we are constantly undergoing this process in a rapid loop, every second that we’re awake. When habits are really engrained, It’s a powerful impulsion that can be difficult to recognise and unpick.
Habit formation
The second helpful tool is the habit formation sequence.
This states that to form new habits, you need to make them obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying.
To use Clears’ example, let’s imagine a client wants to form a new habit of eating more fruit, instead of always reaching for the pastries.
Practical Application
They could implement four simple steps to help make this new habit easier.
- Make it obvious. Instead of hiding fruit in the fridge, they could keep it in a bowl in a prominent place so their eyes fall on it as soon as they walk into the room.
- Make it attractive. They could choose a few pieces of fruit that they really like, and make sure the bowl is always topped up with these. This means they’ll actually want to eat one when they see it.
- Make it easy. They should try to avoid unnecessary friction by choosing fruit that’s easy to eat. A pineapple or mango, for example, would be less easy to grab and snack on than a punnet of blueberries or an apple.
- Make it satisfying. Have them choose a fruit that is satisfying and makes them feel good.
Although you may not lay this process out for the client any time in the first 30 days, having an understanding of how to support habit change gives you insight into how people may be struggling; and what you can do to help.
Exercise: Habit-Based Strategies
Now, head over to the Digital Workbook to complete the Habit-Based Strategies exercise.