The Psychology of Habit Formation: How to Build Better Routines
Why is it so easy to fall into bad habits — but so hard to build good ones? You don’t wake up one day magically disciplined. You don’t suddenly “become” a morning person, a gym regular, or someone who reads every night. Habits aren’t built on willpower alone. They’re built on psychology. Understanding how habits actually work — in your brain, your behaviour, and your environment — is the key to creating routines that stick. Let’s break it down. What Is a Habit, Really? A habit is a behaviour that has become automatic through repetition. When you first start a new behaviour, your brain is actively engaged. You think about it. You debate it. You resist it. But over time, repeated behaviours become encoded in the brain’s basal ganglia — the area responsible for automatic behaviours. Once a habit forms, it requires far less mental energy. That’s why: You don’t think about brushing your teeth. You don’t debate whether to check your phone. You automatically reach ...
