“ Scientific research has shown how the practices of self-compassion and loving-kindness provide support for a wide variety of conditions .”
P : You wrote in your book , cultivating a welcoming attitude is an important step toward changing one ’ s habit . Can you expound as to how this practice can help ? B : An attitude of kindness and friendliness is , I believe , essential to habit change . These attitudes — coupled with a diligent commitment to making change — allow us space to grow and learn in a way that harsh criticism and selfjudgment don ’ t . Scientific research has shown how the practices of self-compassion and loving-kindness provide support for a wide variety of conditions such as pain , Posttraumatic Stress Disorder , negative emotions , depression , and in sticking to a diet , reducing smoking , and exercising .
P : In what way does the practice of paying attention help change distractive habits ? B : The practice of paying attention helps us to create new neural pathways in the brain that support being present here and now rather than constantly moving away from our experience into distractions , such as checking our cell phones , surfing the internet or watching TV . We can create new default mechanisms — of being present here and now — rather than the old defaults of distraction . Abandoning unhealthy habits and establishing more beneficial ones comes from practice and training — repeating the new and letting go of the old until our brain adopts the new healthy pattern as a habit .
P : Can you share recent research that supports the notion of mindfulness as one way to help change habits ? B : In a smoking-cessation study , 36 percent of participants who received mindfulness training had quit smoking at the end of a four-week program , compared with 15 percent who received a standard smoking-cessation training . The abstinence rates at the 17-week follow-up were 31 percent for those who received mindfulness training , versus six percent
4 Categories of Unhealthy Habits
According to Byrne , it is helpful to understand habits based on their underlying energies , which is why he created four categories of unhealthy habits :
1 . Habits of wanting or craving — this may involve an unhealthy craving for food , drink , sex or drugs .
2 . Habits of distraction — moving away from your present-moment experience toward something that seems more attractive , interesting , or exciting , such as social media , text messages , e-mail , or TV .
3 . Habits of resistance — wanting to avoid something you find painful or unpleasant . Anger , frustration impatience or judgment often signal that you ’ re resisting .
4 . Habits of doing , stress and worry — feeling as if you ’ re always on your way somewhere , without enough time to get things done , or always checking things off a “ to-do ” list .
for those who received the standard smoking-cessation training ( Brewer et al , 2011 ). A study of prisoners in a mindfulness meditation program showed reduced substanceabuse , fewer alcohol-related problems and diminished psychiatric symptoms ( Adams et al , 2014 ).
P : When it comes to relationships , it ’ s often difficult to break harmful habits . What advice can you give to help those struggling in relationship-driven habits ? B : With relationship-driven habits , it is important to establish ways of having honest , compassionate conversations . An approach I have found helpful is Dr . Marshall Rosenberg ’ s Non-violent Communication , which helps get beyond the language of judgment and blame to connect with feelings and deeper needs , and provides a framework for having these honest dialogues . Also , if both parties are committed to being mindful , practices such as pausing and reconnecting with each other when triggering situations arise , can help untangle the patterns that keep us locked in unhealthy habits in relationships . n
January / February 2017 ■ PULSE 53