Very simply, habits are behaviours that we engage in frequently and repeatedly. From a psychological perspective, habits are a process in which we are exposed to a cue that automatically triggers an impulse to act, due to an association our brain has learned between the cue and the behaviour (1).<\/p>\n
The structure of habits<\/h5>\n\n- The cue\/trigger \u2013 the part of the habit loop where you are triggered to take some sort of action through a cue in your internal or external environment<\/li>\n
- The action \u2014 this is the part of the habit loop where you actually take the action on the habit you want to adopt or drop<\/li>\n
- The reward \u2013 this is the part of the loop where your brain receives a reward for taking the desired activity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Habits are often viewed as binary \u2013 smoking is widely considered a negative habit, whereas going for a daily jog may be considered a positive one. Although some habits are objectively positive or negative, many of our habits fall in the grey area in between \u2013 for example, even if you always cover your vegetables in cheese (negative), you are still eating the vegetables (positive). The overall goal is to replace progress hindering (negative) habits with goal-supporting (positive) habits to ultimately move us closer to achieving our goals (2).<\/p>\n
Habits vs Routines vs Rituals <\/strong><\/h5>\nAs discussed, a habit<\/strong> is defined by its non-conscious nature. Routines and rituals, however, are defined by their very conscious nature. Routines<\/strong> are a sequence of behaviours that are frequently followed in succession, for example to get ready in the morning, you may start by washing your face, then eating breakfast, then brushing your teeth, and so on. Rituals<\/strong> are similar to routines, as they involve following a regular sequence of actions, but the key difference is the level of meaning associated with them. For example, although eating a special occasion meal follows largely the same routine as a normal meal, the additional awareness of the moment and emotional associations make it feel special (3).<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/workwithimpact.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/alesia-kazantceva-VWcPlbHglYc-unsplash-800x533.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n
Habits at work <\/strong><\/h4>\nJust as we form habits, routines and rituals in our home lives, we naturally develop these behaviours at work as well. Some common examples include:<\/p>\n
Habits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Making a coffee before starting work each morning.<\/li>\n
- Coming to work 10 minutes early every day (or 10 minutes late!).<\/li>\n
- Taking turns to speak in a meeting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Routines<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Starting every Monday meeting by asking how everyone\u2019s weekend was.<\/li>\n
- Having regular review meetings to focus on each staff member\u2019s development needs.<\/li>\n
- Regularly asking for and discussing feedback.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Rituals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Singing \u2018Happy Birthday\u2019 and sharing a cake for a colleague\u2019s birthday.<\/li>\n
- Celebrating the team\u2019s achievements at key milestones.<\/li>\n
- Signing a card and expressing gratitude to a colleague on their last day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/workwithimpact.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/leonhard-niederwimmer-70H8nM0Uels-unsplash-800x533.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n
Making your habits work for you <\/strong><\/h4>\nBuilding new habits can be challenging, but by repeatedly and frequently engaging in the behaviours, we can form new habits. Building positive habits in the workplace can help to improve how teams work together, and how productive we are in our day-to-day working lives. Here are some tips to help you build those positive habits:<\/p>\n
\n- Remove barriers \u2013 there may be a reason why you haven\u2019t been able to form this habit in the past. Try to create space and time for you to practice the habit and for it to become engrained in your routine (4).<\/li>\n
- Build in incentives \u2013 intrinsic motivation may not always be enough, but using rewards can help to make the behaviour more enjoyable and easier to stick to (5).<\/li>\n
- Be patient \u2013 building habits takes time. Research has shown that some habits may be quicker to adopt than others (5)<\/li>\n
- Start tiny \u2013 often we can form a habit by focusing on the first step. For example, if you want to write a to-do list on paper every day when you start work, start building the habit by just focusing on getting a pen out. This is the first step in the sequence and can act as the trigger for you to complete the rest of the behaviour \u2013 that is actually writing the to-do list (2).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
How Impact can help <\/strong><\/h4>\nBuilding more positive habits at work and breaking the bad ones is a crucial step towards fulfilling your potential and achieving your goals. It is a process that requires strong commitment, a positive mindset, perseverance and resilience to overcome any challenges that you might encounter on the way. Coaching can provide the support you need to drive long-lasting behavioural change. We at Impact offer one-to-one and group coaching aimed at helping individuals and teams reach their full potential. To find out more about our coaching offers, you can contact us here<\/a>.<\/p>\nReferences<\/h4>\n
1: Habit Formation and Behavior Change | Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology<\/a><\/p>\n2: Atomic Habits \u2013 James Clear<\/p>\n
3: Behavior Change At Work:\u00a0Habits, Routines and Rituals (saberr.com)<\/a><\/p>\n4: What Does It Really Take to Build a New Habit? (hbr.org)<\/a><\/p>\n
Habits are often viewed as binary \u2013 smoking is widely considered a negative habit, whereas going for a daily jog may be considered a positive one. Although some habits are objectively positive or negative, many of our habits fall in the grey area in between \u2013 for example, even if you always cover your vegetables in cheese (negative), you are still eating the vegetables (positive). The overall goal is to replace progress hindering (negative) habits with goal-supporting (positive) habits to ultimately move us closer to achieving our goals (2).<\/p>\n
Habits vs Routines vs Rituals <\/strong><\/h5>\nAs discussed, a habit<\/strong> is defined by its non-conscious nature. Routines and rituals, however, are defined by their very conscious nature. Routines<\/strong> are a sequence of behaviours that are frequently followed in succession, for example to get ready in the morning, you may start by washing your face, then eating breakfast, then brushing your teeth, and so on. Rituals<\/strong> are similar to routines, as they involve following a regular sequence of actions, but the key difference is the level of meaning associated with them. For example, although eating a special occasion meal follows largely the same routine as a normal meal, the additional awareness of the moment and emotional associations make it feel special (3).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Habits at work <\/strong><\/h4>\nJust as we form habits, routines and rituals in our home lives, we naturally develop these behaviours at work as well. Some common examples include:<\/p>\n
Habits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Making a coffee before starting work each morning.<\/li>\n
- Coming to work 10 minutes early every day (or 10 minutes late!).<\/li>\n
- Taking turns to speak in a meeting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Routines<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Starting every Monday meeting by asking how everyone\u2019s weekend was.<\/li>\n
- Having regular review meetings to focus on each staff member\u2019s development needs.<\/li>\n
- Regularly asking for and discussing feedback.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Rituals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Singing \u2018Happy Birthday\u2019 and sharing a cake for a colleague\u2019s birthday.<\/li>\n
- Celebrating the team\u2019s achievements at key milestones.<\/li>\n
- Signing a card and expressing gratitude to a colleague on their last day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Making your habits work for you <\/strong><\/h4>\nBuilding new habits can be challenging, but by repeatedly and frequently engaging in the behaviours, we can form new habits. Building positive habits in the workplace can help to improve how teams work together, and how productive we are in our day-to-day working lives. Here are some tips to help you build those positive habits:<\/p>\n
\n- Remove barriers \u2013 there may be a reason why you haven\u2019t been able to form this habit in the past. Try to create space and time for you to practice the habit and for it to become engrained in your routine (4).<\/li>\n
- Build in incentives \u2013 intrinsic motivation may not always be enough, but using rewards can help to make the behaviour more enjoyable and easier to stick to (5).<\/li>\n
- Be patient \u2013 building habits takes time. Research has shown that some habits may be quicker to adopt than others (5)<\/li>\n
- Start tiny \u2013 often we can form a habit by focusing on the first step. For example, if you want to write a to-do list on paper every day when you start work, start building the habit by just focusing on getting a pen out. This is the first step in the sequence and can act as the trigger for you to complete the rest of the behaviour \u2013 that is actually writing the to-do list (2).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
How Impact can help <\/strong><\/h4>\nBuilding more positive habits at work and breaking the bad ones is a crucial step towards fulfilling your potential and achieving your goals. It is a process that requires strong commitment, a positive mindset, perseverance and resilience to overcome any challenges that you might encounter on the way. Coaching can provide the support you need to drive long-lasting behavioural change. We at Impact offer one-to-one and group coaching aimed at helping individuals and teams reach their full potential. To find out more about our coaching offers, you can contact us here<\/a>.<\/p>\nReferences<\/h4>\n
1: Habit Formation and Behavior Change | Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology<\/a><\/p>\n2: Atomic Habits \u2013 James Clear<\/p>\n
3: Behavior Change At Work:\u00a0Habits, Routines and Rituals (saberr.com)<\/a><\/p>\n4: What Does It Really Take to Build a New Habit? (hbr.org)<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Habits at work <\/strong><\/h4>\nJust as we form habits, routines and rituals in our home lives, we naturally develop these behaviours at work as well. Some common examples include:<\/p>\n
Habits<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Making a coffee before starting work each morning.<\/li>\n
- Coming to work 10 minutes early every day (or 10 minutes late!).<\/li>\n
- Taking turns to speak in a meeting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Routines<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Starting every Monday meeting by asking how everyone\u2019s weekend was.<\/li>\n
- Having regular review meetings to focus on each staff member\u2019s development needs.<\/li>\n
- Regularly asking for and discussing feedback.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Rituals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Singing \u2018Happy Birthday\u2019 and sharing a cake for a colleague\u2019s birthday.<\/li>\n
- Celebrating the team\u2019s achievements at key milestones.<\/li>\n
- Signing a card and expressing gratitude to a colleague on their last day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Making your habits work for you <\/strong><\/h4>\nBuilding new habits can be challenging, but by repeatedly and frequently engaging in the behaviours, we can form new habits. Building positive habits in the workplace can help to improve how teams work together, and how productive we are in our day-to-day working lives. Here are some tips to help you build those positive habits:<\/p>\n
\n- Remove barriers \u2013 there may be a reason why you haven\u2019t been able to form this habit in the past. Try to create space and time for you to practice the habit and for it to become engrained in your routine (4).<\/li>\n
- Build in incentives \u2013 intrinsic motivation may not always be enough, but using rewards can help to make the behaviour more enjoyable and easier to stick to (5).<\/li>\n
- Be patient \u2013 building habits takes time. Research has shown that some habits may be quicker to adopt than others (5)<\/li>\n
- Start tiny \u2013 often we can form a habit by focusing on the first step. For example, if you want to write a to-do list on paper every day when you start work, start building the habit by just focusing on getting a pen out. This is the first step in the sequence and can act as the trigger for you to complete the rest of the behaviour \u2013 that is actually writing the to-do list (2).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
How Impact can help <\/strong><\/h4>\nBuilding more positive habits at work and breaking the bad ones is a crucial step towards fulfilling your potential and achieving your goals. It is a process that requires strong commitment, a positive mindset, perseverance and resilience to overcome any challenges that you might encounter on the way. Coaching can provide the support you need to drive long-lasting behavioural change. We at Impact offer one-to-one and group coaching aimed at helping individuals and teams reach their full potential. To find out more about our coaching offers, you can contact us here<\/a>.<\/p>\nReferences<\/h4>\n
1: Habit Formation and Behavior Change | Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology<\/a><\/p>\n2: Atomic Habits \u2013 James Clear<\/p>\n
3: Behavior Change At Work:\u00a0Habits, Routines and Rituals (saberr.com)<\/a><\/p>\n4: What Does It Really Take to Build a New Habit? (hbr.org)<\/a><\/p>\n
- \n
- Making a coffee before starting work each morning.<\/li>\n
- Coming to work 10 minutes early every day (or 10 minutes late!).<\/li>\n
- Taking turns to speak in a meeting.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Routines<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- Starting every Monday meeting by asking how everyone\u2019s weekend was.<\/li>\n
- Having regular review meetings to focus on each staff member\u2019s development needs.<\/li>\n
- Regularly asking for and discussing feedback.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Rituals<\/strong><\/p>\n
- \n
- Singing \u2018Happy Birthday\u2019 and sharing a cake for a colleague\u2019s birthday.<\/li>\n
- Celebrating the team\u2019s achievements at key milestones.<\/li>\n
- Signing a card and expressing gratitude to a colleague on their last day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/p>\n
Making your habits work for you <\/strong><\/h4>\n
Building new habits can be challenging, but by repeatedly and frequently engaging in the behaviours, we can form new habits. Building positive habits in the workplace can help to improve how teams work together, and how productive we are in our day-to-day working lives. Here are some tips to help you build those positive habits:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Remove barriers \u2013 there may be a reason why you haven\u2019t been able to form this habit in the past. Try to create space and time for you to practice the habit and for it to become engrained in your routine (4).<\/li>\n
- Build in incentives \u2013 intrinsic motivation may not always be enough, but using rewards can help to make the behaviour more enjoyable and easier to stick to (5).<\/li>\n
- Be patient \u2013 building habits takes time. Research has shown that some habits may be quicker to adopt than others (5)<\/li>\n
- Start tiny \u2013 often we can form a habit by focusing on the first step. For example, if you want to write a to-do list on paper every day when you start work, start building the habit by just focusing on getting a pen out. This is the first step in the sequence and can act as the trigger for you to complete the rest of the behaviour \u2013 that is actually writing the to-do list (2).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
How Impact can help <\/strong><\/h4>\n
Building more positive habits at work and breaking the bad ones is a crucial step towards fulfilling your potential and achieving your goals. It is a process that requires strong commitment, a positive mindset, perseverance and resilience to overcome any challenges that you might encounter on the way. Coaching can provide the support you need to drive long-lasting behavioural change. We at Impact offer one-to-one and group coaching aimed at helping individuals and teams reach their full potential. To find out more about our coaching offers, you can contact us here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
References<\/h4>\n
1: Habit Formation and Behavior Change | Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Psychology<\/a><\/p>\n
2: Atomic Habits \u2013 James Clear<\/p>\n
3: Behavior Change At Work:\u00a0Habits, Routines and Rituals (saberr.com)<\/a><\/p>\n
4: What Does It Really Take to Build a New Habit? (hbr.org)<\/a><\/p>\n