Replace Bad Habits With Good Ones; Always Remembering Nature Abhors a Vacuum

As I’m sure you’ve picked up on through my previous posts, I seem to have a tendency to slip into bad habits or behaviors. When things get really difficult or said behavior causes enough discomfort, I can find the ability to abstain, often times for long durations; with the almost 8 and half years of sobriety following my car crash a prime example. While both addiction or behavior modification are both complex and multi-faceted topics, one key to recovery and positive change that I’ve found to be paramount is the need to replace any negative behavior with a positive one.

I can’t imagine further discussing this topic without taking a look at the thought that “Nature abhors a vacuum”. Originally attributed to Aristotle, the concept that the relative lack in voluminous matter caused by sudden or developed void causes the space’s filling with a familiar or similar substance has really been expanded over the years. I first think the concept was brought to my attention by my dear friend Barry Dyke who constantly reminded me that when modifying habits, it was essential to begin positive behavior patterns when ceasing those I was looking to end. I can hear his calm voice on the other end of the phone saying, “you have to replace the bad habits with good ones.”

This conversation really can get off the rails, and while I’m doing my best to stay on topic, concepts from Charles Duhigg’s book “The Power of Habit” are flashing on the internal projection screen in my mind. In his examination of habits, their effect on our lived experience, and how to ultimately change these patterns of behavior to improve our lives, Duhigg explores “The Habit Loop”. To simplify, the habit loop consists of three parts: 1) The cue- thought, occurrence, event which begins the cycle of habitual behavior 2) Behavior- the action one finds themselves repeating and is often looking to change 3) Reward- a benefit or positive outcome resulting from the action.

Now if you’re wondering why when there is this positive outcome/reward at the end of a pattern of behavior (habit loop) that one would look to alter the loop or cease the pattern; because after all, no habit=no reward, right? You’re one step ahead of me…so let’s follow the thought path!

Obviously, any behavior has a genesis, or put in simpler terms, an underlying cause. Take for example an office worker who’s looking to lose a few pounds and determines part of the undesired weight gain comes from the midday donut scarfed down in the office break room a few times a week. To anyone who has ever began a day with the thought that, “I’m not going to do (any undesired habit) today” and finds the habit loop repeated, the seeming inability to interrupt the pattern can be puzzling. Perhaps the reason for the difficulty lies in the concept Aristotle introduced long ago: Won’t the void left by the cessation of a behavior leave a vacuum with a tendency for filling with a similar behavior. Or to simplify, the stopping of a negative behavior which causes duress will often lead to other troublesome actions that can become habitual.

I can still remember the trouble I had understanding this concept. Thinking myself of at least functional intelligence, with many years of secondary education (Thanks Dad!), I thought that simply the removal of negative consequences would solidify behavior change. Wouldn’t an improvement in my overall lived experience be enough to buttress new attitudes and actions? As I’ve found difficulty with maintaining the cessation of injurious habits, the part of Aristotle’s observation that’s seems pertinent is the tendency for the familiar to reappear: After all, like a pebble in your shoe which isn’t necessarily enjoyable, you may find you miss it when it’s gone!

So what is one to do? Change is hard and we all like the familiar which becomes comfortable, or at least is predictable and satisfying a need. For the answer, or at least a possible recipe for creating new a pattern, let us return to the example of our donut scarfing worker (who may or may not be ourselves). First we must identify the cue that initiates or drives the behavioral routine. Is our worker tired and looking for a jolt of energy or bored of a monotonous task lacking human interaction? If so, can we find an alternative action to take which remedies this? Maybe a brisk walk to the water cooler with a stop for chatting with coworkers will do the trick? After all, hunger is often boredom or thirst in disguise and a short burst of movement could be revitalizing.

Ideally some substitute that meets the need or responds to the cue will be put in place of the less desirable habit which ultimately causes less of a negative impact, or better yet a beneficial one. Despite my years of informal independent study on the topic of behavior modification, I can’t offer any silver bullet: Just that nature abhors a vacuum so try to replace bad habits with good ones!