那些改掉惡習(xí)的秘訣
當(dāng)你想要改變自己的某個(gè)習(xí)慣時(shí),首先會(huì)發(fā)生什么事?
你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn),就算在極為簡(jiǎn)單的事情上,失敗也到來(lái)得如此之快。
你可能也嘗試過(guò)冥想吧?不是一打坐就坐幾個(gè)小時(shí)那種,而是每天10分鐘見(jiàn)縫插針的冥想練習(xí)。但這對(duì)于初次嘗試的你,也是極其困難的。
這是為什么呢?跟時(shí)間沒(méi)有關(guān)系,再忙的人每天也不差這10分鐘。這也不是一件費(fèi)力的事,畢竟你不需要大老遠(yuǎn)的開(kāi)車(chē)去健身房擼鐵流汗。冥想無(wú)非就是坐著——換句話(huà)說(shuō)就是啥也不干。冥想唯一失敗的可能,就是你總想干點(diǎn)啥。
按理說(shuō),“啥也不干”應(yīng)該是非常簡(jiǎn)單的事了吧?但在這么簡(jiǎn)單的事情上,我們也會(huì)失敗。同樣的情形也會(huì)發(fā)生在任何你想改變的習(xí)慣上,比如堅(jiān)持寫(xiě)日記、按時(shí)吃藥,和每天多喝水。這些事在技術(shù)上沒(méi)有任何難度,但你就是堅(jiān)持不下來(lái)。不信嗎?你可以去書(shū)店看看,市面上關(guān)于改變習(xí)慣的書(shū)早已汗牛充棟。
如何改變習(xí)慣?
如果有個(gè)人來(lái)到你面前,認(rèn)真地跟你說(shuō),你應(yīng)該把洗澡的時(shí)間縮短一些,多走路少開(kāi)車(chē),記得要給垃圾分類(lèi)。這人不厭其煩講解了這些行為對(duì)環(huán)境的好處,然后送給你一個(gè)環(huán)保手提袋。那么,你會(huì)聽(tīng)他的嗎?
在英國(guó),已經(jīng)有研究人員這樣做了。他們走訪了800戶(hù)家庭,并向其中一半的家庭贈(zèng)送了環(huán)保小禮品,以鼓勵(lì)他們養(yǎng)成環(huán)保的習(xí)慣。好消息是,他們的努力是有效的。但壞消息是,只有一部分人真的改變了習(xí)慣。
實(shí)際上,這個(gè)社會(huì)實(shí)驗(yàn)證明,在習(xí)慣的改變上,有一個(gè)因素壓倒了其他所有因素。這個(gè)因素并非年齡、性別、收入或教育水平,也不在于這個(gè)人內(nèi)心的環(huán)保意識(shí)有多強(qiáng)。
這個(gè)決定因素就是,這個(gè)人在之前的三個(gè)月內(nèi)里有沒(méi)有搬過(guò)家。
如果某個(gè)人近期曾經(jīng)搬過(guò)家,那么他就比其他人更容易接受這些環(huán)保習(xí)慣。
這是為什么呢?因?yàn)閷?duì)于這個(gè)社會(huì)實(shí)驗(yàn)的大多數(shù)參與者來(lái)說(shuō),他們生活中唯一的改變,就是家里來(lái)了幾個(gè)素不相識(shí)的研究人員,來(lái)勸說(shuō)自己做一些新的事情。除此之外,他們的生活毫無(wú)變化,還是沿著同樣的路線(xiàn)上下班,去同一個(gè)超市買(mǎi)菜做飯,鄰居還是那些人。但對(duì)于那些近期搬過(guò)家的人來(lái)說(shuō),他們的生活發(fā)生了徹底的變化——上下班的路線(xiàn)、買(mǎi)菜的超市和鄰居都變了,他們的生活節(jié)奏也隨之被改變。
那些沒(méi)有搬家的人大概是很舒服的,他們就像一臺(tái)開(kāi)了定速巡航的車(chē)子,這部車(chē)子就叫做“生活”。改變是可能發(fā)生的,但這樣就脫離了“定速巡航”模式,自然不會(huì)有原來(lái)那么省心省力。
相比之下,剛剛搬過(guò)家的人,就像是一臺(tái)剛駛上高速公路的車(chē)子,他們還在適應(yīng)新的生活軌跡和生活習(xí)慣。所以當(dāng)素不相識(shí)的研究人員鼓勵(lì)他們養(yǎng)成新的習(xí)慣時(shí),他們正處于一個(gè)非常容易接受的心態(tài)。換言之,當(dāng)環(huán)境改變時(shí),人們更容易改為自己的行為。
為什么搬家有助于改變習(xí)慣?
你大概覺(jué)得,你的習(xí)慣改變過(guò)程是這樣的(以下也被稱(chēng)為行為改變的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化模型):
1. 觀察一個(gè)決定的利弊(開(kāi)車(chē)上班與乘坐公共交通工具)。
2. 根據(jù)自己的喜好做出決定(乘坐公共交通貌似對(duì)我更有利)。
3. 有意愿去執(zhí)行這個(gè)決定(也就是說(shuō),我有想法、有動(dòng)機(jī)去乘坐公共交通)。
4. 進(jìn)入執(zhí)行階段(開(kāi)始乘坐公共交通)。
這一連串的事件表明,你的行為是由你的動(dòng)機(jī)決定的,而你的動(dòng)機(jī)是由你的想法決定的。所以,你只要明確你的想法,你就有了行動(dòng)的動(dòng)機(jī),然后你的行為就會(huì)改變。
貌似很合理,對(duì)不對(duì)?
可問(wèn)題是,只有當(dāng)你進(jìn)入一個(gè)新環(huán)境,或面對(duì)一種不熟悉的情況時(shí),以上的事件鏈才成立。在面對(duì)新情況時(shí),你可以確定你的想法,產(chǎn)生行為的動(dòng)機(jī),那么你的動(dòng)機(jī)有很大可能會(huì)轉(zhuǎn)化為最后的行為。然而如果你的環(huán)境是靜止不變的,那么很有可能你的動(dòng)機(jī)并不會(huì)轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)樾碌男袨椤?/p>
換句話(huà)說(shuō),你可能有乘坐公共交通、冥想或者多喝水的想法。但你的想法,卻未并是你采取行動(dòng)的前奏。
這是因?yàn)椋?xí)慣并不是基于想法的,而是基于環(huán)境的暗示。
當(dāng)然,市面上也有不少關(guān)于心理建設(shè)的書(shū),教你如何養(yǎng)成或打破一個(gè)習(xí)慣。你也當(dāng)然可以給自己多做做冥想、多喝水、寫(xiě)日記的心理建設(shè)。但如果環(huán)境的暗示沒(méi)有發(fā)生改變,光靠你的良好意愿,幾乎肯定不足以推動(dòng)行為的改變。
那么,我們應(yīng)該怎樣通過(guò)習(xí)慣的改變,來(lái)改善我們的生活質(zhì)量呢?
可以看出,買(mǎi)一堆關(guān)于心理建設(shè)的書(shū),給自己做心理建設(shè),基本上沒(méi)有什么卵用。但是你可以改變環(huán)境啊!這樣你就能夠非常簡(jiǎn)單地改變習(xí)慣了。
改變環(huán)境,養(yǎng)成健康習(xí)慣
2014年,倫敦地鐵工人一度罷工48小時(shí)。在此期間,很多上班族無(wú)法坐平時(shí)的線(xiàn)路上班了,只得到其他站點(diǎn)乘車(chē),或者換乘其他路線(xiàn)。
可以想象,對(duì)于被影響的上班族來(lái)說(shuō),這種情形一定非常惱人。你帶著起床氣,走到了平時(shí)上班的那個(gè)地鐵口,卻發(fā)現(xiàn)它被一幫人封住了。你會(huì)怎么辦?八成是臉上掛著笑,心里罵著娘,然后走到下一個(gè)地鐵站,哀嘆一會(huì)兒開(kāi)會(huì)要遲到了。
但是等到罷工結(jié)束后,有趣的事情發(fā)生了——有5%的人不再乘坐以往的路線(xiàn)了,因?yàn)樗麄冊(cè)谶@兩天里找到了一條更快的上班路線(xiàn),平均每天可以節(jié)省6分鐘的通勤時(shí)間。
為什么直到發(fā)生了一場(chǎng)持續(xù)兩天的罷工,才讓人們意識(shí)到,他們能夠走另一條更快的路線(xiàn)去上班?這也是由于環(huán)境變了。這跟剛搬家的人更容易養(yǎng)成環(huán)保習(xí)慣、剛換工作的人更喜歡坐免費(fèi)班車(chē)是一個(gè)道理。
當(dāng)環(huán)境發(fā)生變化時(shí),我們的自然習(xí)慣也被打亂了,從而更容易接受變化。
如果影響你決策的環(huán)境沒(méi)有變化,你的日常行為習(xí)慣很可能也不會(huì)發(fā)生變化。
如果在倫敦地鐵工人罷工前,你問(wèn)倫敦的上班族們:“你想縮短通勤的時(shí)間嗎?”大家肯定都說(shuō)想。但他們不會(huì)采取任何實(shí)際行動(dòng)來(lái)縮短通勤時(shí)間,直到罷工導(dǎo)致了外部環(huán)境的改變。
當(dāng)我們改變了環(huán)境時(shí),我們的習(xí)慣就很容易發(fā)生改變,有時(shí)候甚至是環(huán)境的改變倒逼我們改變了習(xí)慣——比如那場(chǎng)罷工。再比如,我們?cè)具^(guò)著平淡如水的小日子,突然轟隆一聲巨響,疫情全球炸響。
改變習(xí)慣的三個(gè)小竅門(mén)
那么,我們?cè)鯓幽軌蛲ㄟ^(guò)環(huán)境而不是意志力來(lái)改變自己的習(xí)慣呢?下面給大家介紹三個(gè)小竅門(mén)。
1. 擅于將人生的重大時(shí)刻“變現(xiàn)”
一旦你意識(shí)到,行為變化是可能的,甚至是很容易的,你就可以尋找類(lèi)似的時(shí)機(jī),并且好好利用它,給生活“變現(xiàn)”。
比如,新冠肺炎疫情極大地改變了我們所有人的生活習(xí)慣。千百萬(wàn)人開(kāi)始網(wǎng)購(gòu)各種食材,學(xué)著在家里做飯、烘焙,一批自學(xué)成材的食神紛紛上線(xiàn)。很多人也找到了在家里健身和展現(xiàn)創(chuàng)意的新方法。
《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》雜志最近發(fā)布了一組谷歌搜索數(shù)據(jù),數(shù)據(jù)顯示,疫情以來(lái),圍繞以上話(huà)題的搜索量大幅飆升,而且這些話(huà)題具有很高的黏性。比如關(guān)于做飯、健身和手工藝的搜索量直到現(xiàn)在仍然高于正常水平。今年7月下旬,“啞鈴”和健身應(yīng)用程序Strava的搜索量仍然比正常水平高出60%,“菜譜”的搜索量比正常水平高出20%。在疫情以前,如此大規(guī)模的行為變化顯然不可思議的。
2.為“重大時(shí)刻”創(chuàng)造機(jī)會(huì)
當(dāng)然,我們也不用非等到疫情來(lái)了才培養(yǎng)健康的新習(xí)慣。你可以自己創(chuàng)造一些自己的“重大時(shí)刻”。
生活環(huán)境發(fā)生變化時(shí),也是行為改變最容易的時(shí)候。這些環(huán)境變化包括換工作、搬家、生孩子等等。有些手機(jī)應(yīng)用程序也能夠?yàn)槟愕纳钭兓瘎?chuàng)造條件,不過(guò)并非那種計(jì)步的所謂健身應(yīng)用程序,而是那種可以幫助你換工作或者搬家的應(yīng)用程序。
比如美國(guó)的房貸應(yīng)用程序“Open Door”,最快24小時(shí)放款,讓搬家變得十分容易。它將原本需要幾個(gè)月和跑大量手續(xù)才能夠完成的工作,變成了只要輕輕一點(diǎn),然后等上幾周就可以完成的事。
如果你已經(jīng)在考慮搬家了,這個(gè)應(yīng)用程序那個(gè)減少環(huán)境的重大變化給你帶來(lái)的煩惱和痛苦。這樣的大變化可以帶來(lái)一系列小變化,比如你終于養(yǎng)成了冥想的習(xí)慣,減少了糖的攝入量,并且堅(jiān)持每天走路。
如果你已經(jīng)在一棟房子里住了很多年,或者在一份工作上干了很多年,那么你的習(xí)慣可能也有很多年沒(méi)有改變過(guò)了。當(dāng)然,你也不至于為了改變習(xí)慣而年年搬家或換工作。但是偶爾給生活做出一些重大變化,對(duì)于你的人生和你的習(xí)慣都是很有好處的。
3.主動(dòng)設(shè)計(jì)生活的“重大時(shí)刻”
如果你沒(méi)有辦法搬家或換工作(這我們也能理解),你也可以采取“小步快走”的方式,逐漸改變你的外部環(huán)境。
首先,為一個(gè)嶄新的自己設(shè)立目標(biāo)。想一想,你希望在什么時(shí)間、什么地方以及怎樣開(kāi)始一個(gè)新習(xí)慣。你想早點(diǎn)起床嗎?想換一個(gè)時(shí)間洗澡嗎?想跑步或者學(xué)樂(lè)器嗎?想多做飯嗎?想多給父母打電話(huà)嗎?想少玩一點(diǎn)手機(jī)嗎?
進(jìn)行長(zhǎng)途旅行也是一個(gè)好方法。由于疫情的關(guān)系,很多人都在家工作——但這也意味著你能夠在任何地方工作。所以如果可行的話(huà),你可以去某個(gè)地方旅行兩周,改變一下你的空間環(huán)境。如果時(shí)間允許的話(huà),那么自然是越長(zhǎng)越好。
旅行給了你兩次改變習(xí)慣的機(jī)會(huì):第一次是在新的環(huán)境里待上兩周;第二次是回到家后,你的家再次變成了一個(gè)新環(huán)境。你是否注意到,當(dāng)你旅行回來(lái)后,你更容易養(yǎng)成一個(gè)新習(xí)慣了(比如早起)?只要有意識(shí)地利用這一點(diǎn),你就更容易養(yǎng)成新習(xí)慣。
習(xí)慣是生活的基礎(chǔ),正是這些生活的儀式和重復(fù)的行為,將我們塑造成了現(xiàn)在的自己。所以我們可以通過(guò)設(shè)計(jì)自己的生活,抓住環(huán)境改變的時(shí)機(jī),養(yǎng)成更好的習(xí)慣。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
本文作者克里斯滕·伯爾曼是Irrational Labs公司的創(chuàng)始人及首席執(zhí)行官。
譯者:樸成奎
當(dāng)你想要改變自己的某個(gè)習(xí)慣時(shí),首先會(huì)發(fā)生什么事?
你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn),就算在極為簡(jiǎn)單的事情上,失敗也到來(lái)得如此之快。
你可能也嘗試過(guò)冥想吧?不是一打坐就坐幾個(gè)小時(shí)那種,而是每天10分鐘見(jiàn)縫插針的冥想練習(xí)。但這對(duì)于初次嘗試的你,也是極其困難的。
這是為什么呢?跟時(shí)間沒(méi)有關(guān)系,再忙的人每天也不差這10分鐘。這也不是一件費(fèi)力的事,畢竟你不需要大老遠(yuǎn)的開(kāi)車(chē)去健身房擼鐵流汗。冥想無(wú)非就是坐著——換句話(huà)說(shuō)就是啥也不干。冥想唯一失敗的可能,就是你總想干點(diǎn)啥。
按理說(shuō),“啥也不干”應(yīng)該是非常簡(jiǎn)單的事了吧?但在這么簡(jiǎn)單的事情上,我們也會(huì)失敗。同樣的情形也會(huì)發(fā)生在任何你想改變的習(xí)慣上,比如堅(jiān)持寫(xiě)日記、按時(shí)吃藥,和每天多喝水。這些事在技術(shù)上沒(méi)有任何難度,但你就是堅(jiān)持不下來(lái)。不信嗎?你可以去書(shū)店看看,市面上關(guān)于改變習(xí)慣的書(shū)早已汗牛充棟。
如何改變習(xí)慣?
如果有個(gè)人來(lái)到你面前,認(rèn)真地跟你說(shuō),你應(yīng)該把洗澡的時(shí)間縮短一些,多走路少開(kāi)車(chē),記得要給垃圾分類(lèi)。這人不厭其煩講解了這些行為對(duì)環(huán)境的好處,然后送給你一個(gè)環(huán)保手提袋。那么,你會(huì)聽(tīng)他的嗎?
在英國(guó),已經(jīng)有研究人員這樣做了。他們走訪了800戶(hù)家庭,并向其中一半的家庭贈(zèng)送了環(huán)保小禮品,以鼓勵(lì)他們養(yǎng)成環(huán)保的習(xí)慣。好消息是,他們的努力是有效的。但壞消息是,只有一部分人真的改變了習(xí)慣。
實(shí)際上,這個(gè)社會(huì)實(shí)驗(yàn)證明,在習(xí)慣的改變上,有一個(gè)因素壓倒了其他所有因素。這個(gè)因素并非年齡、性別、收入或教育水平,也不在于這個(gè)人內(nèi)心的環(huán)保意識(shí)有多強(qiáng)。
這個(gè)決定因素就是,這個(gè)人在之前的三個(gè)月內(nèi)里有沒(méi)有搬過(guò)家。
如果某個(gè)人近期曾經(jīng)搬過(guò)家,那么他就比其他人更容易接受這些環(huán)保習(xí)慣。
這是為什么呢?因?yàn)閷?duì)于這個(gè)社會(huì)實(shí)驗(yàn)的大多數(shù)參與者來(lái)說(shuō),他們生活中唯一的改變,就是家里來(lái)了幾個(gè)素不相識(shí)的研究人員,來(lái)勸說(shuō)自己做一些新的事情。除此之外,他們的生活毫無(wú)變化,還是沿著同樣的路線(xiàn)上下班,去同一個(gè)超市買(mǎi)菜做飯,鄰居還是那些人。但對(duì)于那些近期搬過(guò)家的人來(lái)說(shuō),他們的生活發(fā)生了徹底的變化——上下班的路線(xiàn)、買(mǎi)菜的超市和鄰居都變了,他們的生活節(jié)奏也隨之被改變。
那些沒(méi)有搬家的人大概是很舒服的,他們就像一臺(tái)開(kāi)了定速巡航的車(chē)子,這部車(chē)子就叫做“生活”。改變是可能發(fā)生的,但這樣就脫離了“定速巡航”模式,自然不會(huì)有原來(lái)那么省心省力。
相比之下,剛剛搬過(guò)家的人,就像是一臺(tái)剛駛上高速公路的車(chē)子,他們還在適應(yīng)新的生活軌跡和生活習(xí)慣。所以當(dāng)素不相識(shí)的研究人員鼓勵(lì)他們養(yǎng)成新的習(xí)慣時(shí),他們正處于一個(gè)非常容易接受的心態(tài)。換言之,當(dāng)環(huán)境改變時(shí),人們更容易改為自己的行為。
為什么搬家有助于改變習(xí)慣?
你大概覺(jué)得,你的習(xí)慣改變過(guò)程是這樣的(以下也被稱(chēng)為行為改變的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化模型):
1. 觀察一個(gè)決定的利弊(開(kāi)車(chē)上班與乘坐公共交通工具)。
2. 根據(jù)自己的喜好做出決定(乘坐公共交通貌似對(duì)我更有利)。
3. 有意愿去執(zhí)行這個(gè)決定(也就是說(shuō),我有想法、有動(dòng)機(jī)去乘坐公共交通)。
4. 進(jìn)入執(zhí)行階段(開(kāi)始乘坐公共交通)。
這一連串的事件表明,你的行為是由你的動(dòng)機(jī)決定的,而你的動(dòng)機(jī)是由你的想法決定的。所以,你只要明確你的想法,你就有了行動(dòng)的動(dòng)機(jī),然后你的行為就會(huì)改變。
貌似很合理,對(duì)不對(duì)?
可問(wèn)題是,只有當(dāng)你進(jìn)入一個(gè)新環(huán)境,或面對(duì)一種不熟悉的情況時(shí),以上的事件鏈才成立。在面對(duì)新情況時(shí),你可以確定你的想法,產(chǎn)生行為的動(dòng)機(jī),那么你的動(dòng)機(jī)有很大可能會(huì)轉(zhuǎn)化為最后的行為。然而如果你的環(huán)境是靜止不變的,那么很有可能你的動(dòng)機(jī)并不會(huì)轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)樾碌男袨椤?/p>
換句話(huà)說(shuō),你可能有乘坐公共交通、冥想或者多喝水的想法。但你的想法,卻未并是你采取行動(dòng)的前奏。
這是因?yàn)椋?xí)慣并不是基于想法的,而是基于環(huán)境的暗示。
當(dāng)然,市面上也有不少關(guān)于心理建設(shè)的書(shū),教你如何養(yǎng)成或打破一個(gè)習(xí)慣。你也當(dāng)然可以給自己多做做冥想、多喝水、寫(xiě)日記的心理建設(shè)。但如果環(huán)境的暗示沒(méi)有發(fā)生改變,光靠你的良好意愿,幾乎肯定不足以推動(dòng)行為的改變。
那么,我們應(yīng)該怎樣通過(guò)習(xí)慣的改變,來(lái)改善我們的生活質(zhì)量呢?
可以看出,買(mǎi)一堆關(guān)于心理建設(shè)的書(shū),給自己做心理建設(shè),基本上沒(méi)有什么卵用。但是你可以改變環(huán)境啊!這樣你就能夠非常簡(jiǎn)單地改變習(xí)慣了。
改變環(huán)境,養(yǎng)成健康習(xí)慣
2014年,倫敦地鐵工人一度罷工48小時(shí)。在此期間,很多上班族無(wú)法坐平時(shí)的線(xiàn)路上班了,只得到其他站點(diǎn)乘車(chē),或者換乘其他路線(xiàn)。
可以想象,對(duì)于被影響的上班族來(lái)說(shuō),這種情形一定非常惱人。你帶著起床氣,走到了平時(shí)上班的那個(gè)地鐵口,卻發(fā)現(xiàn)它被一幫人封住了。你會(huì)怎么辦?八成是臉上掛著笑,心里罵著娘,然后走到下一個(gè)地鐵站,哀嘆一會(huì)兒開(kāi)會(huì)要遲到了。
但是等到罷工結(jié)束后,有趣的事情發(fā)生了——有5%的人不再乘坐以往的路線(xiàn)了,因?yàn)樗麄冊(cè)谶@兩天里找到了一條更快的上班路線(xiàn),平均每天可以節(jié)省6分鐘的通勤時(shí)間。
為什么直到發(fā)生了一場(chǎng)持續(xù)兩天的罷工,才讓人們意識(shí)到,他們能夠走另一條更快的路線(xiàn)去上班?這也是由于環(huán)境變了。這跟剛搬家的人更容易養(yǎng)成環(huán)保習(xí)慣、剛換工作的人更喜歡坐免費(fèi)班車(chē)是一個(gè)道理。
當(dāng)環(huán)境發(fā)生變化時(shí),我們的自然習(xí)慣也被打亂了,從而更容易接受變化。
如果影響你決策的環(huán)境沒(méi)有變化,你的日常行為習(xí)慣很可能也不會(huì)發(fā)生變化。
如果在倫敦地鐵工人罷工前,你問(wèn)倫敦的上班族們:“你想縮短通勤的時(shí)間嗎?”大家肯定都說(shuō)想。但他們不會(huì)采取任何實(shí)際行動(dòng)來(lái)縮短通勤時(shí)間,直到罷工導(dǎo)致了外部環(huán)境的改變。
當(dāng)我們改變了環(huán)境時(shí),我們的習(xí)慣就很容易發(fā)生改變,有時(shí)候甚至是環(huán)境的改變倒逼我們改變了習(xí)慣——比如那場(chǎng)罷工。再比如,我們?cè)具^(guò)著平淡如水的小日子,突然轟隆一聲巨響,疫情全球炸響。
改變習(xí)慣的三個(gè)小竅門(mén)
那么,我們?cè)鯓幽軌蛲ㄟ^(guò)環(huán)境而不是意志力來(lái)改變自己的習(xí)慣呢?下面給大家介紹三個(gè)小竅門(mén)。
1. 擅于將人生的重大時(shí)刻“變現(xiàn)”
一旦你意識(shí)到,行為變化是可能的,甚至是很容易的,你就可以尋找類(lèi)似的時(shí)機(jī),并且好好利用它,給生活“變現(xiàn)”。
比如,新冠肺炎疫情極大地改變了我們所有人的生活習(xí)慣。千百萬(wàn)人開(kāi)始網(wǎng)購(gòu)各種食材,學(xué)著在家里做飯、烘焙,一批自學(xué)成材的食神紛紛上線(xiàn)。很多人也找到了在家里健身和展現(xiàn)創(chuàng)意的新方法。
《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)人》雜志最近發(fā)布了一組谷歌搜索數(shù)據(jù),數(shù)據(jù)顯示,疫情以來(lái),圍繞以上話(huà)題的搜索量大幅飆升,而且這些話(huà)題具有很高的黏性。比如關(guān)于做飯、健身和手工藝的搜索量直到現(xiàn)在仍然高于正常水平。今年7月下旬,“啞鈴”和健身應(yīng)用程序Strava的搜索量仍然比正常水平高出60%,“菜譜”的搜索量比正常水平高出20%。在疫情以前,如此大規(guī)模的行為變化顯然不可思議的。
2.為“重大時(shí)刻”創(chuàng)造機(jī)會(huì)
當(dāng)然,我們也不用非等到疫情來(lái)了才培養(yǎng)健康的新習(xí)慣。你可以自己創(chuàng)造一些自己的“重大時(shí)刻”。
生活環(huán)境發(fā)生變化時(shí),也是行為改變最容易的時(shí)候。這些環(huán)境變化包括換工作、搬家、生孩子等等。有些手機(jī)應(yīng)用程序也能夠?yàn)槟愕纳钭兓瘎?chuàng)造條件,不過(guò)并非那種計(jì)步的所謂健身應(yīng)用程序,而是那種可以幫助你換工作或者搬家的應(yīng)用程序。
比如美國(guó)的房貸應(yīng)用程序“Open Door”,最快24小時(shí)放款,讓搬家變得十分容易。它將原本需要幾個(gè)月和跑大量手續(xù)才能夠完成的工作,變成了只要輕輕一點(diǎn),然后等上幾周就可以完成的事。
如果你已經(jīng)在考慮搬家了,這個(gè)應(yīng)用程序那個(gè)減少環(huán)境的重大變化給你帶來(lái)的煩惱和痛苦。這樣的大變化可以帶來(lái)一系列小變化,比如你終于養(yǎng)成了冥想的習(xí)慣,減少了糖的攝入量,并且堅(jiān)持每天走路。
如果你已經(jīng)在一棟房子里住了很多年,或者在一份工作上干了很多年,那么你的習(xí)慣可能也有很多年沒(méi)有改變過(guò)了。當(dāng)然,你也不至于為了改變習(xí)慣而年年搬家或換工作。但是偶爾給生活做出一些重大變化,對(duì)于你的人生和你的習(xí)慣都是很有好處的。
3.主動(dòng)設(shè)計(jì)生活的“重大時(shí)刻”
如果你沒(méi)有辦法搬家或換工作(這我們也能理解),你也可以采取“小步快走”的方式,逐漸改變你的外部環(huán)境。
首先,為一個(gè)嶄新的自己設(shè)立目標(biāo)。想一想,你希望在什么時(shí)間、什么地方以及怎樣開(kāi)始一個(gè)新習(xí)慣。你想早點(diǎn)起床嗎?想換一個(gè)時(shí)間洗澡嗎?想跑步或者學(xué)樂(lè)器嗎?想多做飯嗎?想多給父母打電話(huà)嗎?想少玩一點(diǎn)手機(jī)嗎?
進(jìn)行長(zhǎng)途旅行也是一個(gè)好方法。由于疫情的關(guān)系,很多人都在家工作——但這也意味著你能夠在任何地方工作。所以如果可行的話(huà),你可以去某個(gè)地方旅行兩周,改變一下你的空間環(huán)境。如果時(shí)間允許的話(huà),那么自然是越長(zhǎng)越好。
旅行給了你兩次改變習(xí)慣的機(jī)會(huì):第一次是在新的環(huán)境里待上兩周;第二次是回到家后,你的家再次變成了一個(gè)新環(huán)境。你是否注意到,當(dāng)你旅行回來(lái)后,你更容易養(yǎng)成一個(gè)新習(xí)慣了(比如早起)?只要有意識(shí)地利用這一點(diǎn),你就更容易養(yǎng)成新習(xí)慣。
習(xí)慣是生活的基礎(chǔ),正是這些生活的儀式和重復(fù)的行為,將我們塑造成了現(xiàn)在的自己。所以我們可以通過(guò)設(shè)計(jì)自己的生活,抓住環(huán)境改變的時(shí)機(jī),養(yǎng)成更好的習(xí)慣。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
本文作者克里斯滕·伯爾曼是Irrational Labs公司的創(chuàng)始人及首席執(zhí)行官。
譯者:樸成奎
When you’re trying to change a habit, what’s the first thing you learn about yourself?
How quickly you can fail … on incredibly easy tasks.
Have you ever tried to pick up meditation? Not intense, hour-long sessions—just a 10-minute-a-day meditation practice? It’s incredibly difficult.
Why? It’s not about the time—everyone can find 10 minutes in their day. And it’s not about the effort; the task isn’t to drive all the way to a gym and sweat. It’s to sit still—to not do anything. The only way to fail at meditation is if you try to do something.
This should be incredibly easy...and yet we fail. This is true for all kinds of habits you want to establish but haven’t yet—journaling, taking medication, drinking more water. They’re all technically easy to do, yet difficult to do consistently. Need more proof? Just look at how many self-help books are available on habit change.
So how do you change habits?
Imagine someone comes to you and asks you to take shorter showers, walk more (instead of driving), and start recycling. This person lists all the benefits of these environmentally positive behaviors, offers to make the actions easier for you, and gives you a fun goodie bag.
Researchers in the U.K. actually did this. They reached out to 800 households and gave half of them a series of nudges designed to encourage environmentally friendly behaviors. The good news? Their efforts paid off—environmental nudges worked. The bad news? It only worked for a certain percentage of the people.
In fact, there was one single factor that trumped all others when it came to those for whom the nudges worked. It wasn’t age or gender. It wasn’t income or education level. And it wasn’t how much the person in question wanted to help the environment.
The difference was whether the person had moved (that is, relocated) within the previous three months.
If someone had recently moved, they were far more likely to adopt the environmental behaviors than someone who had not moved.
Why? For most people in the study, the only thing that changed in their lives was that some random researchers tried to convince them to do something new. Everything else stayed the same—their commute, where they shopped for groceries, who their neighbors were, etc. But for those who’d recently moved, everything about their life had changed— their commute, their stores, their neighbors, their daily rhythm.
The people who hadn’t moved were likely comfortable. They were running a well-oiled machine called Life. Change was possible, but to do so would require adjustments to the well-oiled machine and a disruption to its operating manual.
By contrast, people who had just moved were in the process of creating a new operating manual. They’d already restarted their well-oiled machines and were in the process of booting up new routines and habits. So when random researchers nudged them to establish new behaviors, they were already in a headspace conducive to change. In other words, it was easier for people to change their behaviors when the environment changed.
Why does moving move the needle?
Here’s what you most likely think your process of change looks like (also known as the normalized model for behavior change):
1. I look at the pros and cons of a decision (driving to work vs. taking public transit).
2. I make a decision in line with my preferences (public transit is better for me).
3. I have the intent to execute the decision (i.e. I want to and am motivated to take public transit).
4. I execute (I actually take public transit).
This chain of events implies that your behavior is determined by your motivation to act in line with what you want. Thus, if you declare what you want and you have a motivation to act, your behavior will change.
Makes sense. Reasonable.
The catch is that this particular chain of events only happens when you’re faced with a new or unfamiliar situation. In novel situations, you can set intentions about what you’ll do, and there’s a reasonable likelihood that these intentions will manifest into actual behaviors. However, if everything about your environment stays static, there’s a strong likelihood that your good intentions won’t manifest into new behaviors.
In other words, you may intend to take public transit, meditate, or drink more water, but your intention, in and of itself, is not the predictor of you taking action.
This is because habits are not based on intention; they’re based on environmental cues.
So, yes, you can read self-help books that explain how to form or break a habit. And, yes, you can create an intention to meditate, drink more water, and start journaling. But if your environmental cues stay the same, your good intentions almost certainly won’t be enough.
So how do you change a habit to improve your life?
Not by reading a book on habit-formation. Not by setting a strong intention. Instead, you change your environment. That’s how you get abnormally easy habit change.
Changing your environment to make healthy habits happen
In 2014, London Tube workers went on strike for 48 hours. During this time, commuters couldn’t take their normal routes—they were forced to use other subway stops to get to work.
As you can imagine, this must have been annoying to those affected. You arrive at your normal subway entrance and it’s blocked off. What do you do? You likely shrug your shoulders and carry on to the next one, assuming you’ll be late for meetings.
But when the strike ended, something funny happened: 5% of people didn’t return to their previous route to work. Instead, 5% of people had, in that two-day period, found a faster route, saving themselves on average six minutes a day.
Why did it take a two-day strike for people to realize they should take a different route to work? For the same reason that people who’ve just moved homes are more likely to start recycling and taking shorter showers. It’s also the same reason people who moved jobs were more likely to take a free bus pass.
When our environment changes, our automatic habits are disrupted and we’re more open to change.
If the environment of decision-making stays the same, your daily habitual behaviors will most likely stay the same.
If, before the strike, you had asked Tube-taking Londoners, “Do you want to shorten your commute?” people would have said yes. Yet they didn’t actually take actions to shorten their commute. It took shutting down the Tube to make this possible.
Abnormally easy habit change happens when we change our environment. Or, as sometimes happens, when we get lucky and the environment is changed for us! For example, when a strike happens...or we’re going about our normal lives, and—BAM!—a global pandemic arrives.
3 tips for changing your habits
Here are three tips for making habit-change easy, by focusing on environment rather than willpower.
1. Capitalize on moments of ‘life arbitrage’
Once you realize behavior change is possible and even easy, you can start to look for these moments of life arbitrage and capitalize.
For example, COVID-19 has dramatically changed our collective habits. Millions of us have started doing grocery delivery more, cooking at home more, and baking more. We’ve also been finding new ways to work out at home and exercise our creativity.
The Economist recently published some Google search data that highlights big spikes around these topics, as well as some stickiness. Google search traffic for cooking, exercise and crafts remains above normal levels. For example, in late July searches for “dumbbell” and “Strava”, a workout app, still hovered 60% above the usual levels. Searches for "recipe" were still up 20%. How crazy would it have seemed pre-COVID to see such massive behavior change?
2. Make moments happen
You don’t have to wait for a pandemic to establish healthy new habits; you can actually generate “big” moments yourself.
Life transitions are moments when behavior change is abnormally easy. These include events like changing jobs, moving homes, or having a baby. We’d go so far as to say some of the biggest “behavior change” companies are not apps that help you track your walking, but ones that help you change jobs or move homes.
Take the app Open Door. Open Door will make you an all-cash offer on your home within 24 hours, which makes finding financing for your next home a breeze. A process that could take months and require a lot of work is now reduced to the click of a button and a wait of a few weeks.
If you’ve already been thinking about moving, this app decreases the friction between you and a big change you’ve already been considering. And with that big change can come smaller changes, like (finally) establishing your meditation practice, cutting down on your sugar intake, and taking a daily walk.
It’s worth noting that if you’ve been in your home or job for more than a few years, you’ve also likely had the same habits and routine for more than a few years. So while you don’t want to move jobs or homes every year for obvious reasons, it’s good to understand that it actually deeply serves you and your habits well to make major life changes semi-frequently.
3. Design for moments
If it’s not possible for you to switch jobs or move houses (and we get it), there are also smaller steps you can take to change your environment in meaningful ways.
First, set intentions for your new you. Think about when, where and how you’ll start a new habit. Want to get up at a different time? Shower at a different time? Pick up running or a musical instrument? Cook more? Call your parents? Cut down on screen-time?
Then, for example, take an extended trip. Given the pandemic, many people are working from home—but this means you can really work from anywhere. If it’s feasible, take a two-week trip somewhere to change your space; if you can get away for even longer, do it.
This gives you two opportunities to change your habits: in the new place where you are for two weeks, and when you get home. Have you ever noticed that when you get back from a trip, it’s easier for you to establish a new routine (like getting up earlier)? Take advantage of that to consciously establish the new habits you actually want.
Our habits are the foundation of our lives; the rituals and repeated actions we take shape who we are. We can design our lives to support good habits by seizing the moment.
Kristen Berman is the founder and CEO of Irrational Labs.