The Here and Now Habit by Hugh G. Byrne is a short, 182 page, book on how we can use mindfulness to help change habits. If you’re unfamiliar with mindfulness, the basics are thoroughly covered in a reasonably common-sense kind of language frequently lacking in mindfulness books.

Habits

Our habits are routines we execute with minimal conscious decision-making. Most of the time, this is great news because we can save time and energy by not having to spend too much time thinking about what we do throughout our days. Most of our habits are probably harmless and/or even helpful. For example, I have a habit of showering and brushing my teeth in the morning. However, sometimes our habits are less than helpful for a variety of reasons.

Most of our habits can seem quite “mindless”, because they are automatic. We might be unaware of changes in our minds and bodies that prepare us for engaging with our habits. When we start cooking dinner, we might think, “a glass of wine would help me relax”, and then we might feel dryness in our mouth signifying thrust. More generally, we might just get an overall sense of discomfort (cravings) that we believe will be relieved if we have a glass of wine. Then if we execute the habit (have the glass of wine, eat a bowl of chips, do some online shopping, etc.) we tend to experience relief. This pattern of discomfort – habit – relief is reinforced over time and this is how a habit is formed.

Mindfulness

Depending on who you ask, “mindfulness” can mean several different things. I like Jon Kabat-Zinn’s descriptions of mindful as present moment awareness without judgment and with acceptance. One of the basic premises of mindfulness is that as we develop our skills for paying attention to the present moment, our tolerance for uncomfortable thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations increases. I’m definitely not a mindfulness expert, but from what I have learned over the last 10 years, it seems this increase in tolerance is the result of two processes. First, as we get better at being mindful, we get more skilled at regulating our emotional responses and relaxing the body. Second, as we practice watching our bodily sensations, with curiosity instead of judgment, we learn that our sensations, emotions, and thoughts are temporary and we do not need to fear them. If we are feeling sad, we can observe where we feel sad in our bodies and let go our sad thoughts/sensations. If we practice this enough, we learn our feelings of sadness are temporary, especially if we are skilled at practicing relaxation skills like mindful breathing techniques (if you’re interested in learning more about mindfulness, I recommend the book Aware by Dan Siegel).

How we can use mindfulness to change habits

Put simply, if we accept that our habits are a way of giving use relief from discomfort, Byrne suggests we can use mindfulness to provide ourselves with this relief instead of the unhelpful habit. As an example, lets say I have a habit of eating fast food instead of the healthier lunch I take to work (a completely factitious example I assure you). Before my break, I might have thoughts about going to the local pizza place and I could start having cravings. In that moment, I could go through with my unhelpful habit to satisfy that craving, or instead I could take a moment, and practice some mindful breathing and watch the cravings I am having in my body. Instead of thinking “What’s wrong with me?! Why is this so hard?! I should have never have gotten into this habit, I’m such a loser” (because all of these would be judgments), I simply observe where I feel the cravings in my body. Cravings are like waves, they can seem overwhelming and smash into you, but in time, they always recede. So, I observe the wave of cravings with my mind and in time I feel better. When I feel better, I am no longer on autopilot but I can make a choice that is consistent with my goals of eating healthier. The process of discomfort – mindfulness – relief becomes the new habit over time.

Conclusion

The Here and Now Habit by Hugh G. Byrne is a thought provoking book that provides some interesting information about habits and mindfulness in understandable language. At the moment, I do not have any habits that I am trying to change, but when I aspire to making changes in the future, I will be happy to review this book and try its recommendations.