Those who want to exercise more should not rely solely on motivation but should focus on establishing corresponding routines. — Freepik
We humans, for all our talk of free will, appear to be largely creatures of mindless habits, according to new research.
Most everyday human actions are not based on conscious decisions but rather on routines, an international research team reports in the journal Psychology & Health.
The researchers surveyed 105 participants from Britain and Australia six times a day over the course of a week via smartphone, asking what they were doing at that moment and why.
The analysis revealed that 65% of the activities described were based on habits – meaning they occurred automatically without a conscious decision being made.
"Our research shows that while people may consciously want to do something, the actual initiation and performance of that behaviour is often done without thinking, driven by non-conscious habits," said study "author Benjamin Gardner from the University of Surrey", United Kingdom, in a statement from his university.
The influence of routine was particularly evident in behaviours that occurred very frequently.According to the study, around 46% of actions were triggered by habit but also aligned with conscious intentions.
This suggests that people tend to develop habits that support their goals and abandon old patterns that conflict with them. "Good" habits could therefore be an effective means of achieving desired goals, Gardner explained.
Impact on health promotion
The findings could have significant implications for health promotion, according to the researchers. For example, those who want to exercise more or eat more healthily should not rely solely on motivation but should focus on establishing corresponding routines in their daily lives.
It could be helpful, for instance, to link exercise to specific times of the day or everyday situations, such as after work.
Conversely, the team emphasised, the same applies to breaking bad habits.For example, in the case of smoking, mere willpower is often not enough. It is more effective to avoid habitual triggers — such as places where one used to smoke – and instead create new routines, such as chewing gum after meals.
"People like to think of themselves as rational decision makers, who think carefully about what to do before they do it," said lead author Amanda Rebar from the University of South Carolina.
"However, much of our repetitive behaviour is undertaken with minimal forethought and is instead generated automatically, by habit." – dpa
