Stress often reinforces habits, whether positive or negative
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In the upcoming June issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, five experiments are set to be published, shedding light on how stress influences the formation and persistence of habits. These findings are based on research conducted by Suzanne L. Wu and David T. Neal, both affiliated with the University of Southern California.
According to the research, stress can impair the formation and maintenance of habits by disrupting the automaticity processes involved in habit formation. Stress tends to increase reliance on goal-directed behaviors, which are cognitively demanding and effortful, making it harder for habits—especially good habits that require consistency—to become established and persist.
Interestingly, during times of stress, individuals are more likely to stick to established habits, whether they are healthy or unhealthy. For instance, students who have a habit of reading the editorial pages of a newspaper every day are more likely to perform this habit during stressful periods, even when they are limited in time. Similarly, students who regularly eat a healthy breakfast, like oatmeal, are more likely to continue this habit during stressful periods and eat especially well in the morning.
Conversely, students who regularly eat unhealthy breakfasts, like pastries or doughnuts, tend to eat more of these foods during stressful periods like exams. This suggests that habits, whether good or bad, can persist even when we're tired and don't have the energy to exert self-control.
The research also reveals that lack of control doesn't automatically mean indulgence or hedonism. It's the underlying routine that matters, for better or worse. Habits don't require much willpower and thought and deliberation, which is why they can be so powerful in shaping our behaviour.
To make a behaviour a habit, it should be made easy to perform, repeated often, and become part of a daily routine. This central question for behaviour change efforts should be how to form healthy, productive habits.
The study was conducted at USC, with contributions from Aimee Drolet of the University of California, Los Angeles, and David Neal, a former assistant psychology professor at USC, serving as a co-leader. The article discussing these findings was authored by Suzanne Wu, who is now the former director of research communications at USC and an author at Futurity. The article, published on Futurity, delves deeper into how habits stick during times of stress.
- In the realm of education and self-development, understanding the impact of stress on habit formation can be instrumental in promoting personal growth, as it sheds light on how one can establish healthy, productive habits.
- The field of health-and-wellness might benefit from these findings, as they show that individuals tend to maintain their fitness-and-exercise habits during stressful periods, suggesting the importance of incorporating regular exercise into daily routines.
- Mental health professionals could also find the research useful, as it underscores the persistence of habits, whether good or bad, even during periods of high stress, highlighting the need for strategies to foster positive mental health habits.
