Naughty or Nice: Does Santa Care?
To purchase this image, click here and then click the shopping cart icon.
Were you naughty or nice this year? Will Santa be leaving you something sweet in your stocking, or will it just be a lump of coal this year?
In childhood, many of us were taught that in order to receive a gift, you have to earn it. Are these still values that you live by? Or is it, I’ll just put this thing on credit, because I’m going to deserve it after I complete this wonderful task that I know is going to make me feel great! But…this attitude of taking a reward before we have earned it creates a dangerous habit, and discourages us from completing the task, since we’ve already eaten that celebratory cake, or we’ve bought the new shoes before we ever aced the proposal.
Charles Duhigg, in his book “The Power of Habit” argues that there is a proven habit cycle – and this cycle must be followed in the correct order so your brain will release the proper chemicals at the proper time. This is especially important in a developing brain, as it is harder to replace old habits than it is to create a good habit early on.
According to Duhigg, who is a reporter for the New York Times, habits have a 3 stage cycle – cue, routine, reward. Cue is whatever happens right before we engage in a habitual behavior – ie: you feel sad so you reach for a cookie. The next step is the routine – you eat the cookie, or maybe you have a few. Then comes the reward – the heady rush of endorphin and a feeling of a “sugar high” that temporarily bridge the gap between your emotions and your brain. Until the insulin that has been pumped into your blood dissipates, you stop feeling sad. Of course, this is a negative habit cycle – and Duhigg says that all you need to change the cycle is to change your reaction to the cue. So, you just do something else when you feel sad, but make sure that it provides the same reward – in this case, a temporary stoppage of the feeling of sadness. Maybe talk to a co-worker or family member. Maybe write in a journal or eat a piece of fruit.
Anyway, back to the reward that comes before the achievement – if Duhigg is right, and the habit cycle is based on receiving the rewards following the cue and routine, how does our brain interpret getting the reward before we earn it? I am not a neuroscientist, so I can’t tell you, but I will say that it seems to me if we receive before we achieve, we are not building the correct circuitry for later success. Just something to think about as you do any last minute shopping this week: hit the coffee shop up after you spend – the reward will make the tedious trek through retail all seem worth it. And for the kids who were naughty? Maybe this is the year to start a collection of coal for your barbeque.
Let me know if you have been naughty or nice, and whether you have received coal in your stocking.
- Copyright: Copyright Bill Frymire
