Typologies of habits and their functioning

Habits manifest themselves in various areas of our lives and can be classified into different types according to their nature.

Understanding these categories and how they operate, including patterns that can lead to inaction, is critical to addressing them effectively.

Physical Habits

Physical habits are the most obvious and refer to motor actions that we perform routinely, often without the need for detailed conscious attention.

Common examples include tying shoelaces, walking, driving, or performing specific household tasks.

These habits are formed through repetition until the body executes them automatically.

Emotional Habits

Emotional habits are patterns of affective response that have been conditioned to certain situations, people or thoughts.

We may develop the habit of feeling joy when meeting friends, anxiety before a presentation, or irritation in traffic.

These habits can be more difficult to identify and modify than physical ones, as they involve complex internal responses.

A personal example might be developing the habit of feeling annoyed at a particular time of day due to a recurring interruption of a pleasurable activity, such as reading.

Recognizing these patterns is the first step to changing them.

Thinking Habits

Habits of thought are recurrent ways of processing information and interpreting the world.

They may include optimistic or pessimistic tendencies, patterns of self-criticism, or the inclination to ruminate about the past or worry about the future.

A smell or sound may trigger a habitual thought or memory.

These mental habits directly influence our emotions and behaviors.

The "Circle of Habits" or Procrastination (Habit of Inaction)

There is a particular type of pattern that can be considered a "habit of inaction" or procrastination, sometimes referred to as a "habit circle".

It manifests when a person sets out to initiate an action (e.