The rebound roadmap: better habits

Pavlovs Dog Bell Experiment

One fundamental aspect of my coaching program, 'The Rebound Method,' revolves around the idea of 'momentum habits.' Essentially, we view habits as incremental gains that eventually lead to significant transformations over time.

But what about the process of breaking undesirable habits or establishing new ones?

To gain insight into how we can effectively break bad habits and cultivate new ones, it's essential to delve into the realm of conditioned responses. In this newsletter, we explore a timeless human behavior study known as the 'Pavlov's Dog Bell Experiment.'

Impact (8/10)

The fascinating Pavlov's Dog Bell Study, often referred to as classical conditioning or Pavlovian conditioning, was undertaken by the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This groundbreaking research aimed to unravel the intricacies of training an individual to react in a specific manner when presented with a particular cue.

During this experiment, Pavlov consistently rang a bell every time he served food to a dog. It didn't take long for the dog to form a connection between the bell's sound and the imminent arrival of food. What's even more remarkable is that the dog eventually began to salivate upon hearing the bell, even if food was nowhere in sight.

The key insight from Pavlov's research centers on the concept of 'conditioning' in shaping habits. Essentially, our brains have the ability to link two seemingly unrelated things if they occur together repeatedly.

Here's the full study summary if you would like to read more.

Confidence (8/10)

A prime example of conditioning is our relationship with smartphones. Suppose you consistently reach for your phone whenever boredom strikes. In that case, your mind will gradually form a strong association between free time and the desire for your phone's company.

Furthermore, the study shed light on the influential role of positive reinforcement (in Pavlov's case, food) in habit development. When a favorable outcome follows a specific behaviour it strengthens the habit and makes it more likely to be repeated.

Here's the good news: undesirable habits can be dismantled by altering the connection between the cue and response. As demonstrated in Pavlov's experiment, when the bell ceased to be followed by food, it resulted in a decrease in salivation in the dogs.

Pavlov's discovery of classical conditioning laid the foundation for behaviourism in psychology and for many therapeutic techniques used to treat disorders such as PTSD by changing the response e.g. fear to a certain stimuli.

Ease (4/10)

Here's how you can put Pavlov's insights into action:

Establishing New Habits: If you're aiming to kickstart your day with some mobility exercises, try laying out your yoga mat on the floor each night before bed. When you see it there in the morning, it serves as your reminder to slip into a Downward Dog.

Breaking Unhealthy Patterns: Are you, like me, prone to snacking when boredom strikes? Recognise this trigger and replace the mindless snack with something healthier, such as a quick session of focused breathwork or a short stroll outside.

Boosting Productivity and Creativity: To enhance your productivity and creativity, design specific cues to switch into different modes throughout your day. Consider curating playlists for various activities - one for deep work, another for your workout sessions, or even one that signals playtime with the kids. Just for your sake I hope it's not 'Incy Wincy Spider' that reigns supreme currently in our house.

Final thoughts

The human brain's capacity for conditioned responses is fascinating, extending its influence into our physical sensations. Take, for instance, the scenario where routine stress triggers back pain, particularly if that pain vanishes in a relaxed state.

In the initial phase of grappling with Long COVID, I found that almost invariably, taking a walk would quickly trigger my fatigue, often rendering my body immobile.

My physical reaction to walking became deeply ingrained through conditioning.

I was only able to reverse it by making new positive associations with walking, such as joy, excitement and gratitude. Slowly but surely my brain learnt that walking was safe and the fatigue waned.

While cues can prompt automatic conditioned responses in the body, conditioned behaviours are equally real but arguably more malleable. If you're determined to break detrimental habits and cultivate healthier ones, the first step is to pinpoint your cues, your equivalent of Pavlov’s ‘'bells.'

When you are ready. Here are two more ways I can help you:

The Baseline Club.  Affordable monthly coaching, to help you perform deliberate movement consistently and safely build back your exercise tolerance, keeping your muscles and joints healthy as you heal. Learn more.

The 90 Day Rebound Method. A unique reconditioning program with a 100% success rate! for long COVID and chronic illness warriors no longer experience PEM and are ready to get their strength back in a progressive yet safe way. Take a closer look.