Habit can be distinguished from autonomic responses, which are basically reflexes. Habits are formed by a combination of instinctive needs, subconscious tendencies, and the originally conscious choices of learning and training which with repetition soon become subconscious. The earlier the learning occurs and the more often it is repeated the stronger the habit. Unless we are obstructed by an injury or something unusual in the environment, we do not have to think about how to walk. Training and conditioning can develop these habits, because our physical system is able to remember from past experience what to do and how to make specific adjustments for the variations of each situation.
Conscious attention is used to form a habit or to change an old habit to a new pattern.
Changing conditioned responses can be a struggle, because the mind, brain, and cells of the body must remember to perform the new response over the previous memories of the old, thus the special need for conscious effort. These subconscious memories and behavioral habits are held and performed by the basic self. The conscious self is responsible for the training of the basic self and the conscious choices of retraining. Instincts can strengthen or conflict with habits. Most of the energy of instincts will tend to flow into the most available behaviors, which are usually the habitual ones.