By Megan Buning
(January 19, 2022)

Traditionally, we think of a habit as an action or behavior that, when repeated often enough, becomes subconscious or involuntary. Indeed, a habit is a specific behavior (e.g., flipping the bat after hitting a home run) that follows a mental trigger; however, behavior patterns are not habits (e.g., specific footwork for slap hitting) (Duhigg, 2014) and should not be confused with routines which are a series of habits (Selig, 2010). We have habits in all areas of life (work, home, relationship/social habits), some large scale (e.g., shooting 50 extra free throws every day) and some small scale (e.g., applying chalk to hands before touching a bar). Some habits we have created are productive and meaningful. These habits help give us a sense of comfort (i.e., security) which builds confidence (Gardner et al., 2012; Selig, 2010). We use these habits to help us mentally prepare to perform. As coaches, you can probably identify numerous skill-related habits athletes need to change to elevate performance. On the other hand, some habits are not productive and can harm performance.

The process of a habit starts in the brain. Although habits are often demonstrated in the form of physical action, the brain initiates the action in response to environmental cues (Neal et al., 2012; Wood, 2007). We engrain these behaviors through associative learning, the process of repeatedly performing specific actions or having specific types of thoughts each time we engage with cues in our environment (Bayley et al., 2005; Lally et al., 2010). Coaches can better help athletes change wasteful or counterproductive habits by reconditioning their brains. To recondition habits, coaches first need to understand the parts of a habit.

Habits operate as a loop. Oakley and Sejnowski (2018) describe four components to the loop including (1) the trigger (cue), (2) the routine, (3) the reward, and (4) the belief. Contrastingly, Duhigg (2014) describes the fourth component as the craving for the reward. The remainder of the article describes this four-part habit loop with practical application for coaches. Before proceeding, take a moment to recall an unproductive habit that you or an athlete would benefit from altering.

Putting the Habit in Motion: The Cue

Habit behaviors are triggered by a cue. The cue can be something in the environment (location) including what the athlete senses (i.e., sees, hears, smells, touches/feels, tastes), time of day, the presence of a certain person, the moments just before completing a certain action, or an emotional state (Duhigg, 2014; Einstein & McDaniel, 1990). The cue is neither positive nor negative alone but rather just a neutral “thing” that is triggering a particular action. The athlete is most likely not aware that their behavior is an unproductive habit or that it is being triggered by a cue. The first step in changing the habit is to help the athlete identify it and any associated behaviors. Using video review of the habit may help the athlete see or remember the moment. Coaches specifically can help the athlete understand how these behaviors produce undesirable results.

The second step is to work with the athlete to identify what they are sensing and/or feeling when the habit behavior occurs. This may involve the use of various strategies that could help the athlete identify the cue. One technique is to guide the athlete through the think-aloud method. This approach can help athletes understand their thought processes by vocalizing their thoughts as they occur during a task (Eccles & Arsal, 2017). The athlete may think of this as a self “play-by-play” analysis of what is happening during the performance. Essentially, the goal is to use the think-aloud method to help the athlete identify the cue and subsequent thoughts and feelings that trigger the routine (Abrams, 2020).

Finally, habits persist if the same cues are present in the environment. This means behaviors and patterns of behaviors can change when the athlete is removed from the problematic environment, and habits may be more quickly reconditioned in different environments (Carden & Wood, 2018; Duhigg, 2012). Coaches can help by having the athlete perform the target performance task in a different environment (i.e., location) than what the athlete is accustomed to – to remove environmental cues.

Executing the Habit: The Routine

The routine is the action that follows the cue. This part of the loop is the primary focus for reconditioning a habit and requires mindfulness and intentionality. Coaches should first help the athlete identify the actions and thoughts that follow the cue along with the resulting performance. Then, discuss with the athlete how the current routine is associated with performance and determine if it is contributing to the performance outcome or whether it is effective or efficient (Duhigg, 2014; Oakley & Sejnowski, 2018).

In situations where the routine is counterproductive or wasteful, the athlete needs help reconditioning. Defining the desired performance outcome is important for this process. What do you, as the coach and the athlete want to see happen with the performance? After identifying the outcome, help the athlete articulate a routine (consisting of behaviors and thoughts) that is productive and meaningful. Finally, the athlete needs to intentionally practice the new routine and make adjustments that suit their individual needs (Erikssen et al., 1998). Coaches can support this effort by creating situations in practice that simulate the conditions of the new cue. Oakley and Sejnowski (2018) note that when first changing a routine, the athlete may need to rely on it. Remember, the old routine is subconscious and embedded as an automatic behavior (Gardner, 2011). Willpower is the ability to hold out against having unwanted thoughts, feelings, or impulsive behavior for short periods of time, and exercising willpower consumes many processes in the brain at one time. Willpower should only be used as an “as needed” tool (APA, 2012; Oakley & Sejnowski, 2018). Having the athlete identify a suitable incentive can minimize the use of willpower and help with meaningful change.

Articulating the Why: The Incentive

The incentive part of a habit includes the reasons behind why the athlete engages in the routine and the type of reward the athlete receives for engaging. In discussions with the athlete, help them determine their motivations for continuing the routine. More specifically, ask why they engage in the habit? What do they get by participating in the routine (reward)? Coaches can help the athlete understand if the reward is a short-term reward, is negative reinforcement, or is even a reward at all (no benefit) (Gardner et al., 2012).

“…ask why they engage in the habit.”

Next, coaches can help the athlete determine a new incentive to alter the routine (Note: Old or similar incentives as previously used can make it more difficult for athletes to shift to a new routine, so it is best to choose new incentives.). For a mental routine, the reward may be the feeling of comfort, happiness, or accomplishment. The reward may even be a high-five from the coach after successfully completing the new routine. Coaches should help athletes be creative yet meaningful with the incentive so the motivations behind completing the new routine are strong enough to promote persistence. Furthermore, incentives can change as the new routine becomes a habit. Internal desires for engaging in behaviors (e.g., satisfaction, enjoyment, pleasure, challenging) are related to more successful habit shifts (Judah et al., 2018) while external incentives (e.g., high-five, a piece of candy from the coach) can also help, at least initially, to shift behaviors.

The Buy-In: The Belief in the Routine

Duhigg (2014) describes the fourth part of a habit as the craving for the reward. Once the brain gets to where it expects the incentive to happen, the brain starts rewiring the routine (or response) following the cue. Oakley and Sejnowski (2018) describe part four as “the belief,” or, in other words, the athlete’s belief that they can make the shift to a new routine. Reconditioning the brain’s response takes mindful, intentional, and consistent repetition which means it will take time. The athlete may want to continue the old routine because it is comfortable (even if there are negative outcomes) and is easier to complete. Coaches can provide support to the athlete and help them think through the benefits of completing the new routine.

Additionally, coaches can help the athlete think through the obstacles that could appear when they attempt to engage in the new routine. Planning, alone, will not ensure the routine is successful, but planning around foreseeable obstacles is part of the intentionality and can promote confidence and belief in their ability to succeed (Rothman, 2000). Belief can also mean the athlete’s belief that the new routine will lead to desired changes (Lally & Gardner, 2013). It is important the athlete selects a routine where they can see success. Making small changes initially may help with the belief. Changes in behavior (and thought) are more successful with small, incremental changes versus big (or many) changes (for review see Gardner & Rebar, 2019). Help the athlete start by identifying what they are already doing well and assess if they can build from what they are already doing to help with the habit shift. Finally, changing automatic behavior takes time and patience. Coaches can help keep the athlete calm and reassure them as they recondition automatic processes. Help them determine when small adjustments (in routine and incentive) may be needed so they can find a system in which they believe will produce desired results.

A Mental Reconditioning Example

To apply the habit loop concept, consider a 14-year-old softball pitcher named Sarah. This athlete is learning a new pitch and struggled to throw it successfully in her recent game against a tough opponent. Sarah uncharacteristically ended the game with eight walks and five earned runs. After Sarah walked the second batter, she started to wonder what was wrong with her. She became nervous that her parents would be angry about her performance so far. After the third walk, she intentionally and consciously gazed into the stands to see the look on her parents’ faces as her thoughts became increasingly more negative. She began telling herself that she really “sucked” and must not be a very good pitcher. By the end of the game, she questioned if she should continue pitching. After the game, her parents and coach expressed their disappointment in her and the team’s performance which reinforced Sarah’s thoughts. During the next five games, Sarah consistently repeats this process of looking into the stands after every batter then progressed to looking after every negative action she made (even if the outcome was neutral or positive). Her negative thought loop continues after the first undesirable performance to the point where Sarah struggles to regain command of her pitches (and spirals downward). Sarah did not realize she was looking into the stands frequently during games. She has created a cue or trigger (negative performance) and conditioned her mind to automatically look to the stands and find her parents. As a result, she may assess any expression or absence of expression as a sign that her parents are disappointed in her which leads to her thinking she is not a good pitcher (an irrational thought).

These thoughts can quickly build into a negative thought loop and influence performance. At this point, the habit (looking into the stands) is not intentional and is a subconscious action because it is initiated by the external cue (negative performance). She may not want to continue looking to her parents, but because her action is triggered fully by the external cue, within the same environment (competitive game), her habit may continue despite her desire to quit looking to the stands (Gardner et al., 2011; Lally et al., 2011). Sarah’s habit has resulted in poor performance and Sarah has digressed from a confident, reliable pitcher to a not confident pitcher that fears failure.

Sarah needs mental reconditioning. The coach (or parent) should sit with Sarah and talk through what she is thinking. Using a backward mapping approach, have her verbally state or write down her self-talk then connect the action/performance that is occurring when this self-talk is the “worst” (after a negative performance). The use of video review and statistics can help add data to support the coach’s observations and show Sarah how her performance differs when these events occur. Once the physical action is identified, the coach can help Sarah determine if there is a routine she is following and what that routine is (looking into the stands followed by self-talk). From this point, Sarah should consider what may be triggering her self-talk routine (any negative performance).

The next step is to help Sarah recondition her thoughts. She may be experiencing irrational thoughts about her performance and may benefit from discussing with the coach what is the worst possible scenario that could happen if she does perform poorly. The coach can help Sarah challenge these irrational thoughts by talking through the reality of the outcome as opposed to what Sarah tells herself. For example, if she walks a few hitters and tells herself she’s “not a good pitcher” in general, help her understand if this is reality by providing evidence (statistics, memories) that challenges this thought. Distorted thought patterns are common and easy to engage in (Soeiro, 2018).

Negative performances will still happen, and Sarah may find the use of productive thoughts or mantras helpful (Walter et al., 2019). Choosing words and phrases that have personal meaning, that bring humor, or motivate her can help. She should acknowledge she had a negative performance (do not ignore this thought or feelings associated) but needs to work on quickly moving past the result during a game (she can reflect and learn after the game). Popular examples I hear are Bible verses, song lyrics, and motivational sayings (“You’ve got this.” Or “Let it go.”). The negative self-talk will still come to her mind, so Sarah will need to intentionally practice replacing the negative talk with productive self-talk (Soeiro, 2018; Walter et al., 2019). If she is consistent with this practice, eventually Sarah will be able to recondition her unproductive self-talk to the productive.

“…phrases that have personal meaning, that bring humor, or motivate her can help.”

Additionally, she will want to change her physical routine (looking into the stands) with something that can keep her focused on the present. This change may initially involve the use of willpower. The coach may suggest an action that minimizes her ability to glance to the stands. For example, the coach may suggest Sarah find the coach’s eyes after a negative performance which gives the coach an opportunity to provide strategic encouragement. Sarah may be more comfortable turning her back to the stands and finding a teammate’s eyes (an action she most likely already does). The good news is reconditioning mental habits is possible with intentional, consistent practice.

Key points:

• Habits are specific behaviors that have become automatic behaviors.
• Altering habits follow a four-part loop consisting of a cue, routine, incentive, and belief.
• Reconditioning habits is possible with awareness, intentionality, and consistency.
• Coaches can help athletes by identifying the cue, creating a new routine the athlete believes they can do and will work, and establishing new incentives for following the new routine.

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