There are striking similarities between phenomena we can observe in nature and those happening within our bodies. These incidents in the macrocosm (the universe out there) provide insight into the invisible sensations happening in the microcosm (the universe within us). Below we can see the similarity between mangrove roots and the dendrites of nerve cells in a mouse’s brain. Great mangrove trees start as tiny seeds, sprouting with thread-like hairs reaching out towards the nearest nutrients that will sustain them. Over long periods of time provided the right conditions, the sprouts’ roots grow in size and envelop themselves in bark to protect all but those threads in direct contact with the nutrients. It is through this gradual process that an individual sprout eventually grows into a great tree stretching from the swamp to the sky above.
Within us, intentions are akin to seeds. When we stay with an intention it puts out roots in the form of gray matter, making novel associations in attempts to be consolidated into memory. If we continue to provide this intention with the nutrients it needs to grow in the form of attention, it gradually starts to become “hardened” by the growth of the myelin sheath which insulates it and allows it to conduct energy more quickly and easily, effectively transforming it into white matter. White matter tracts are like trees, and when all growing together as in a forest, they form great conduits of information that influence thoughts, words and actions that when bundled together, we might refer to as a “self”.
These white matter tracts are more malleable before we’re in our late twenties, but gradually begin to harden like the roots and trunks of trees when we are older. However, unlike trees, we have the capacity for self-transformation if we understand how these structures of self are formed. A recent meta-analysis has provided insight into how variable individual capacity for self-transformation can be.
Four studies reported the median or mean times to reach habit formation, ranging from 59–66 days (median) and 106–154 days (means), with substantial individual variability (4–335 days).
Singh, B., Murphy, A., Maher, C., & Smith, A. E. (2024). Time to Form a Habit: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Health Behaviour Habit Formation and Its Determinants. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 12(23), 2488. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12232488
Notable is the median, or the amount of time the majority of people can successfully “myelinate” a new habit is from 59-66 days. This suggests that an intention requires the readily available nutriment of attention for nearly two months to eventually stick with minimal effort. The study further elaborates on the factors that influence habit formation.
Frequency, timing, type of habit, individual choice, affective judgements, behavioural regulation and preparatory habits significantly influence habit strength, with morning practices and self-selected habits generally exhibiting greater strength.
Singh, B., Murphy, A., Maher, C., & Smith, A. E. (2024). Time to Form a Habit: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Health Behaviour Habit Formation and Its Determinants. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 12(23), 2488. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12232488
Do you have a sense of what conditions and factors lead to successfully integrating a new habit for you? Knowing your unique factors and conditions provides the foundation for self-transformation and adaptability. The presence of consistent mindfulness makes it easier to notice these factors and conditions in the moments when intentions recur. Recognizing the recurrence of factors and conditions reveals the patterns that lead to consistent results with less effort.
Myself and a couple of other meditation practitioners offer semi-regular opportunities to cultivate mindfulness via an online community called Sit Together. If you’re interested in learning more about meditation, please check out the Sit Together website and sign up for the newsletter at sit-together.community. You can also feel free to drop in on any of the events on the calendar and (re-)connect with your practice or send us a reply and let us know how we can support your tree-nsformation!
