When the power is out at your house, how many times do you flip the light switch while looking for the candles?

Pavlov’s dog is a familiar behavioural science experiment. Pavlov rang a bell each time he fed his dog. Eventually, the dog began to drool when it heard the bell even when no food was being presented.

My question is, for how long would the dog’s mouth water when the bell was rung without food? At what point did the sound of the bell return to just another noise without meaning possible food? Twenty times? Fifty? Or did the sound make the dog’s mouth water for the rest of its life?

There are a lot of things we do out of ‘force of habit’; even when we are consciously thinking, “Don’t lock the door, the key is inside.” Somehow the muscle memory of habit overrides all — the door is slammed shut and we’re locked out. Or, at least in my world.

How many times do you reach for the light switch before you remember the power is off? For me, at least a few times as I walk from room to room forgetting that there is a perfectly good flashlight built right into my phone…

Some people might call that mindfulness, or a lack thereof. Personally, I enjoy my force of habit motions. It frees the mind to think of other things. Until I can’t find my keys because they aren’t in the habitual spot.

Stay safe everyone.

Anne Milne is an every Sunday blogger.  Facebook or Twitter.