Unconscious Habits and the Hidden Influence of Your Environment
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” - Carl Jung
Most of what we do each day isn’t the result of conscious decision-making. It’s habit. Routine. Default behavior.
If you’ve ever caught yourself wondering, “Why do I keep doing that?” - you’re already brushing up against the unconscious patterns that run the show.
The truth is, if you don’t know why you act a certain way, it becomes nearly impossible to change it.
The Invisible Influence of Environment
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, offers a simple but powerful reframe:
“Stop thinking about your environment as filled with objects. Start thinking about it as filled with relationships.”
Think of it this way:
To one person, a couch is a space for nightly reading and relaxation.
To another, that same couch is a trigger for ice cream and TV marathons.
Same object. Completely different relationship.
The question is not what you surround yourself with - but how you interact with it.
Start Noticing the Patterns
Your environment is shaping your behavior whether you realize it or not.
Is your phone a tool or a trap?
Is your kitchen a space for nourishment or mindless snacking?
Does your calendar reflect your values or your autopilot mode?
These aren’t just habits, they’re relationships. The stronger your awareness of those relationships, the more power you have to reshape them.
Questions for Self-Reflection
Take a few minutes to sit with these questions. Don’t rush your answers:
What habits feel like they happen “to me” rather than “by me”?
Which spaces in my home or daily routine tend to lead to poor decisions? Why?
Are my current actions aligned with who I say I want to become?
What role does comfort play in my day-to-day behavior? Am I avoiding discomfort at the cost of growth?
If a stranger observed my daily life, what would they say my priorities are?
Awareness is the beginning of change.
The more you bring the unconscious into the light, the more your actions become a reflection of choice.
