DO YOU EVER LOOK IN THE FRIDGE LATE AT NIGHT?

Looking for something good to eat and wondering why there's nothing good to eat?

Why do you do it? Are you hungry?

Usually people do this after they have just eaten a substantial meal, so they're not really hungry. For most it's just a habit which is not supportive of their goals.

All habits work on the same loop

CUE - Location/Time/Emotional State/Immediately Preceding Action/Other People

ROUTINE- The habit itself, Drinking/Eating/Watching TV

REWARD - Sugar rush/Distraction/Release/Satisfaction

This is called a Habit Loop and rule number one for altering it is that the cue and the reward must remain the same if you want to alter the routine.

To illustrate the method here is a simple example. I want to watch less TV so the first step is to identify what cues me to watch TV.

Every time I switch the TV I write down answers to the following questions:

- Where am I?
- What time is it?
- How do I feel?
- What just happened
- Who is here?

After time I realised that sitting on the sofa in the living room is the main cue for switching on the TV.

After you have isolated the cause then you need to start experimenting with the reward to isolate the exact feeling that you crave when you experience the cue.