If a thought or activity is repeated several times, the basal ganglia eventually take control and form a new neuronal path. This automatically forms new habits – so that in the future we no longer have to consciously think about and decide what to do, but the reaction, conduct, or thinking occurs automatically.

Let’s take driving as an example: A large part of our driving activities is almost fully automatic. Or when was the last time you deliberately signaled a turn by first thinking about what to do and then consciously making the decision to set the turn signal to the left or to the right? Most experienced drivers drive from A to B and think about everything under the sun while the car almost drives itself.

Now let’s take a closer look at this example. As a driver, what do you do when the brake lights of the vehicle in front of you light up? You will step on the brake pedal – without really thinking about it. And the more often you repeat such a process, the more neuronal connections will be formed and the stronger the reaction will be out of habit in the future. And because it requires little awareness, it consumes fewer resources in the brain than consciously chosen conduct. One of the main reasons why we always fall back into old habits.

The process consists of the following three steps:

•          impulse
•          conduct
•          reward

In the first step, an impulse is activated, also referred to as a trigger, which prompts an action. In our example, this internal or external impulse is the lighting up of the brake lights of the vehicle in front of you.

The second step relates to your conduct. What do you do? What action does this impulse trigger? You are stepping on the brake pedal – all automatically, without even thinking about how much pressure to apply to the pedal, for example, or at what speed to brake.

The process ends in step three with the release of dopamine in the reward center of the brain, giving you the signal that this reaction was correct and should be repeated in the future.

You would like to hear more about this topic? The next blog will explain how newly formed habits can help you succeed in the future.