Change Is So Hard
– Musings of Dr. Jamie Hsu, 1.25.2019
Is change hard for you? It is very difficult for me. In the hope of alleviating my back pain, I have started to change the way I walk. I base it on the instructions of my therapist. But after 300,000 steps, I still have trouble making the new way of walking an automatic habit. The myth that “changing a habit will take 21 days” does not seem to apply to me.
According to various research, the repetition and time required to achieve automaticity depends on the difficulty of the task. It may only take a few days to form the habit of drinking more water or taking a good bath. But it may take months or even years to learn to exercise daily or to quit smoking. As a golfer, I know it takes years of practice to develop a good and consistent golf swing. Or in my case, that effortlessly smooth golf swing may never happen at all.
In order to accelerate the change or formation of any habit, we may need to employ different learning techniques to develop and reinforce the new skills. These different ways of learning include: memory, sensory, motor skills, logic, problem solving, social interaction, and emotional engagement.
Take walking as an example. We need to memorize the correct way of walking properly. We need to use all of our senses to observe and feel how we use our muscles in every step. We need to understand the science and mechanics of walking, and appreciate which types of walking can improve our health. And eventually, when the new walking experience produces good results and can be shared with friends, the emotional high will reinforce the adoption of this new habit.
As in walking, when all the different learning techniques are used in enough repetition for any endeavor, our brain will be hardwired and our muscles will learn to go through the motions automatically. In this way, new habits and skills will be internalized and become part of ourselves.
The question remains: Is it more difficult to form a brand new habit, to change an old habit, or to stop a bad habit totally? What is your experience? I would love to hear and learn from you.
要想改變？! 那還真不是件容易的事
– 作者 許俊宸博士
-中譯 薛乃綺
改變對你來說是困難的嗎？對我而言，的確如此。為了減輕背痛，我已經開始照我的治療師所說的去改變自己走路的姿勢。在走了30萬步之後，我仍然很難用新的方式自在地走路。 ”改變習慣要21天”的神話，似乎不適用在我身上。
根據許多研究顯示，要達到自律性的目標，所需要重覆的次數與時間是因事而異的。養成多喝水或洗個正確的澡，可能只需要幾天的時間。但要養成每天運動或戒菸，則可能花上數個月甚至好幾年。作為一個高爾夫球手，我知道需要多年的練習，才能發展出良好且穩定的揮桿動作。或者對我自己來說，輕鬆平穩的揮桿可能永遠不會發生在我身上。
為了加速改變或讓習慣成型，我們可能需要運用所有學習技巧來發展及加強新技能。不同的學習方式包括：記憶、感覺、運動技能、邏輯、解決問題、社交活動、情感投入等。
以步行為例，我們需要記住正確的行走方式；要用所有的感官來觀察及感受走每一步時如何使用肌肉。我們需要了解步行的科學和力學，並了解什麼類型的步行可以改善我們的健康。最終，當這種新的步行體驗產生良好效果，並且可以與朋友分享時，開心的情緒會強化這個新習慣的採用。
就像在步行中一樣，當所有的學習技巧都努力地用在重複練習上，我們的大腦會慢慢有意識的改變、在腦里造成了捷径。我們的肌肉會自律地學習去做這些動作。通過這樣的方式，一個新習慣和技能將會被內化成為自己的一部分。
不過，還是有個問題：究竟是形成一種全新的習慣難？還是改變既有習慣難？抑或是完全戒掉壞習慣最難？
你的經驗是什麼？請想跟我分享交流一下！
