?? Brain Hacks for Habit Change
Breaking Free From Autopilot Behaviors With Neuroscience
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?? Brain Hacks for Habit Change
You’re bored.
Without even thinking, you reach for your phone, open social media and start scrolling.
You do this even though you said you would break the habit.
Sound like you?
Definitely sounds like me.
We've all been there, fighting against habits that seem to run on autopilot.
Understanding the neuroscience behind your habits can be the key to finally changing them.?
When you know how your brain forms and maintains habits, you can work with your neural circuitry to rewire your habits.
What Makes a Habit? The Science Behind Autopilot
From a neuroscientific perspective, a habit is a behavior that has become so automated that it requires minimal conscious thought.?
It's your brain's way of conserving energy and increasing efficiency.?
Just as you don't think about each muscle movement while walking, habits become neural shortcuts that free up mental resources.
Your brain has two systems, a manual system and an automatic system.?
The automatic system, where habits live, is primarily controlled by a region in the brain called the basal ganglia, your brain's habit command center.
The Habit Loop
Every habit follows a three-part pattern:
Dopamine is what drives the habit.?
Every time you complete a habit loop, dopamine reinforces the neural pathway, essentially telling your brain to remember this sequence because it’s important.
Why Breaking Habits Is So Hard
Habit loops form a neural pathway.?
The more that neural pathway is traveled, the wider and more established it becomes.?
Think of your old habits like eight-lane superhighways, while new behaviors are like narrow dirt roads.?
Your brain naturally prefers the efficient superhighway.
In order to get your brain to choose the dirt road over the superhighway means engaging your prefrontal cortex.
The Prefrontal Cortex: Your Brain's Change Manager
Your prefrontal cortex is the brain's executive control center.
It is crucial for changing habits.?
However, it requires significant energy and focus to override the automated basal ganglia system which helped you form the habit.?
Unfortunately, willpower isn’t enough to change your habits.
Willpower is like a muscle that fatigues with use.
This is why you might successfully avoid checking social media when you're fresh and focused in the morning, but fail when you're tired later in the day.
This is where understanding neuroplasticity becomes crucial.
Neuroplasticity is your brain’s ability to change throughout your life.
While old neural pathways don't disappear completely, you can build new, stronger pathways through consistent practice and the right strategies.
The Science of Successful Habit Change
Here are three research-backed strategies for rewiring your brain:
Strategy 1: Leverage Environmental Cues
Your environment plays a crucial role in habit formation.
A study at MIT showed that environmental cues trigger habit responses before conscious awareness kicks in.?
Here’s how you can leverage your environment to make creating a new habit easier:
Want to exercise in the morning??
→ Put your workout clothes next to your bed
Trying to eat healthier??
→ Rearrange your kitchen so healthy foods are at eye level
Breaking a phone habit??
→ Keep it in another room during work hours
Strategy 2: Harness Dopamine for Good
Instead of fighting against your brain's reward system, use it to your advantage.
Break large habits into smaller, achievable steps.
After you achieve one of those steps, celebrate the win to trigger dopamine release.
Create immediate rewards for your desired behaviors.
Strategy 3: The Sleep-Stress Connection
Similarly, chronic stress weakens conscious control.?
To support habit change, prioritize 7-9 hours of quality sleep and plan your important habit-changing efforts for when you are well-rested.
By applying these neuroscience-based strategies, you can gradually reshape your habits and create lasting change.
Understanding how habits form through neural pathways and dopamine loops gives you the power to reshape them.?
I believe that small changes, like adjusting your environment, celebrating small wins, and prioritizing rest, can make a big difference over time.?
Habit change isn’t easy, but with patience and consistency, anyone can rewire their brain and build healthier routines.?
The key is to start small, stay consistent, and trust that it will become easier with practice.
?? Book of the Week
Counterfeit by Kristin Chen
Rating: ★★★★☆
In Counterfeit (2022), Kirsten Chen delivers a sharp, entertaining novel that blends crime, luxury, and a biting critique of the “American Dream.”?
The story follows Ava Wong, a disillusioned Chinese-American lawyer stuck in a joyless routine of motherhood and marriage, whose life takes a thrilling turn when she reconnects with Winnie, her old college roommate turned counterfeit handbag queen.?
What I love most about this book is how Chen uses the glitz of high-end crime to explore deeper themes, such as cultural expectations, identity, and the lengths women go to when they realize the life they were told to want isn’t enough.?
Counterfeit is more than a heist story. It’s a smart, subversive look at ambition, deception, and the cost of chasing a dream that might be, well, counterfeit.
?? Check This Out
Richard Morgan is a 93-year-old world champion rower.?
He started his athletic journey at 70, and his commitment to regular rowing, strength training, and a protein-rich diet has resulted in extraordinary physical capabilities, including heart health, muscle composition, and lung capacity comparable to a 40-year-old.?
His peak heart rate of 153 bpm during a 2000-meter rowing test surpasses typical nonagenarian limits.?
A typical 90-year old can expect to have a maximum heart rate or 130 bpm or below. Morgan’s 153 bpm max heart rate showcases his exceptional cardiovascular health.?
Researchers highlight Morgan’s case as proof that the human body can adapt to intense exercise at any age, challenging assumptions about aging and offering valuable insights for promoting longevity and healthy lifestyles.
His story is proof that you can get strong and healthy at any age.
Thanks Ashlyy for telling me to check this out!!
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Edited by Wright Time Publishing
So interesting, and yes sleep is key!!
THE offsite specialist
19 小时前Great reminder that habits aren't just mental, they're deeply rooted in our environment and routines.
Working with exec teams to instill high performance cultures through coaching, workshops and offsites | Founder & exited CEO of Pollen8 (sold to PwC) | OKR expert
19 小时前Interesting take on how our brain influences habits, changing them seems like a challenge, but doable with the right strategies.
Co-founder @ Smartup Visuals | Visual Storytelling | Art for interiors
19 小时前Changing a habit is a journey indeed. But if you stick to the process and hack your brain - it works.