"Habits can be sneaky. One day of grilled cheese does not immediately cause high cholesterol or obesity. It doesn't make or break us to have one off day. But the sinister part of habits is the cumulative effects of our daily choices. Bad habits plus bad habits get us further and further off center and can ultimately lead to worse physical and mental health, but these impacts sneak up on us. We don't notice them right away."
"Charles Duhigg brought the concept of keystone habits into mainstream consciousness with his book The Power of Habit. Keystone habits are small behaviors that have chain reactions, ripple effects that can spread and lead to more small behaviors that ultimately change your life. Keystone habits often involve changes in sleep, exercise, and substance use. The idea is that if I make a positive change in my sleep, fitness, or use of substances, that one change will trigger more positive changes in my life."
"I left the doctor's office knowing that I needed to change something. The easiest change to make was to start going to the gym every day. I didn't have a goal to run a marathon or compete in a triathlon. I was so out of shape, I didn't even attempt jogging for the first two weeks of my gym re-entry. I simply woke up and went to the gym each morning."
Keystone habits are small behaviors that create chain reactions, producing ripple effects leading to additional positive behaviors. Changes in sleep, exercise, or substance use commonly function as keystone habits. Small, consistent actions accumulate over time to influence physical and mental health. Neglecting daily choices can create cumulative negative outcomes that emerge gradually and feel difficult to reverse. Setting one achievable, specific habit—such as going to the gym every morning—reduces resistance and avoids overwhelming ambitions. Consistency in a single positive habit can trigger improvements in other areas, increase momentum, and produce measurable life changes, including employment and health outcomes.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]