Relax, it’s a healthy choice!

With the hype of social media usage, people are fascinated of taking 21/40/60 day challenges to change a habit. Before starting such challenges, evaluate yourself. Am I doing this for myself or to show case the world? What would you like to achieve by doing the challenge?  The intention plays major role here as it’s linked to brain mapping. Yes, you read it right – with the monkey mind we have, changing that neural map is equally tricky!

When we decide to change a particular habit, the process it takes is de-linking and re-linking the habit. Example, if you have a habit of drinking coffee for breakfast and done this for past 10 years then there will be a strong neurological connection between coffee and breakfast. This makes the individual to drink coffee for breakfast without thinking – which means mind uses the already formed map rather using the brain to think what to drink (effortless process). Hence, changing a habit (coffee for breakfast here) needs to be de-linked first and replaced with something else (fruit juice for breakfast) forming a new map – remapping.

How habits form: When we keep on doing a certain thing in a particular pattern, it becomes a habit. This is associated with a neural path in the brain. Habits are formed in the brain using neural connectors and re-linking two neural areas. The desire for more stimulates neural linking forming an addiction.

Now comes the 21/40/60 days enough to change a habit? It depends on how long you have been with a specific habit and how far addicted to it (complexity of a habit) – Any routine what we have been doing, not limited to food. However, 21 days, 40 days or 60 days following can act as habit changer but might not be sufficient for complete neurological remapping. So, 40 days is a good start to de-link any habit, but you will take longer to fully get into new habits.

Enough of too much gyaan, just relax and don’t stress the mind in the struggle of changing a habit. I am not here to share golden rules or tips etc on how to achieve 21/40/60 day challenge. Its all a mind game, just play your card and sit back and go easy. More you think of it, more stress you feel. Take a chill pill and achieve your goal with ease! Do what you love to do and live life, not survive 😀

PS, the content included in this blog is the research material taken from various sources on web and documentary – mind, explained.