Day 10 | Systems that Work

Today, let's delve into the intricate systems we build around our habits. First, we'll examine the relationship between sleep and alcohol consumption. While alcohol is often used to aid sleep, what is actually doing is sedating one temporarily. In turn it hinders deep restful sleep and disrupts crucial REM cycles.

REM sleep is vital—it's a period when our brain processes the days events and allows us to dream. However, consuming alcohol before bed not only temporarily sedates us, it also triggers multiple wake-ups, even if we don't fully come to consciousness. As a result, we don’t even reach REM cycles. So, if the goal is better sleep, the current system may be flawed.

Understanding health implications isn't always enough to change habits. A personal connection to why we want create these habits is vital. Challenges like this inherently begin and cultivate new habits, but we need systems in order for these habits to stick. Today we develop actual systems so we can avoid ‘yo-yo’ yoga body cleansing in our wellness journey.

Develop your Personal Habit Plan 

Putting pen to paper, choose a habit you wish to cultivate and follow the journal prompts below.

JOURNAL - Define your Habit Connection

  • What habit you would like to integrate into your life right now and post-cleanse?

  • What makes this important to you in creating a system for this now?

  • What are the benefits for you and/or others? 

As you consider your personal goals and desires with this cleanse and the habits you are building, let’s apply the wisdom of James Clear from his groundbreaking book, ‘Atomic Habits.’ In it, he describes, ‘behaving like the person you want to become’ and the four laws essential to developing systems that work.

Four Laws for creating Systems that Work:

  1. Make it Obvious

  2. Make it Appealing

  3. Make it Easy

  4. Make it Satisfying

We fall to the level of our system of our habits. - James Clear

ACTIONS - Design your System

  • Make it Obvious. Try 'habit stacking' by pairing your new habit with something you already do. Simply do a new habit at a time before or after something you already do.  Set alerts in your calendar or automate if possible. This serves both as a reminder and a way of committing it to your schedule.

  • Make it Appealing.  Utilize 'temptation bundling'—pair your new habit with something enjoyable. Create a motivation system where once you do this habit, you get to do something else.  Our motivation to act is directly related to dopamine.  So when we pair new habits with things that keep us in this dopamine feedback loop, we are more likely to do them and integrate them.  For example, after I meditate for 10 minutes, I will have my coffee.  After I finish my pitch, I will watch an episode of Arrested Development (or something you like).

  • Make it Easy. Make the new habit super easy to do.  Repetition is key to building any habit so make it easy.  For example, meditate for only 1 minute if you can’t do 20.  But do it every day.  Or if you plan to ‘do your numbers’ in an app like Mint, have that website in your bookmarks.  If you plan to work out, pick out your workout clothes the night before.  If you want to eat healthy, do meal prep once/week to make it easier to eat those healthy meals.

  • Make it Satisfying.  Establish a reward system for immediate gratification. What is rewarded is repeated.  For example, say you want to limit ordering take out food to once/week instead of 3-5/week.  Calculate an average price for a meal ordered in and a meal cooked at home.  Determine an average ‘savings per meal.’  Every time you skip that urge to order out, deposit that savings into a side account through your banking system.  How can you incentive your habit?  This doesn’t have to always be a monetary gratification.  Get an accountability partner and text all of your wins of the day.  Include your new habit on your list.  

WATCH/LISTEN

RECIPE

*Note: Soba noodles are traditionally made with buckwheat flour (which, contrary to the name, is actually gluten-free). However, soba noodles regularly also contain wheat flour. Eden Foods brand of soba noodles does not add wheat flour (so they are gluten-free).

On Demand - Day 10

I love you, Keep going!

Alex

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