Brain science: A new approach to breaking bad habits

Bad habits are repetitive behaviors or patterns that may have negative consequences on physical health, mental well-being, relationships, or productivity.

They often develop unconsciously and can be challenging to break because they are reinforced by habit loops, which consist of a cue, a routine, and a reward.

But what if you could easily change your habits? What if you had the power to take control of your brain’s habit-making mechanism and use it to your advantage?

Enter cognitive neuroscience, a field that offers fresh insights into how our brains form habits. In a recent study, scientists at Trinity College Dublin have proposed a new approach to changing habits that promise lasting results.

The power of habits

Led by Dr. Eike Buabang, postdoctoral research fellow in the lab of Professor Claire Gillan, the study explores how habits drive our daily lives.

“Habits play a central role in our daily lives, from making that first cup of coffee in the morning to the route we take to work, and the routine we follow to prepare for bed,” said Dr. Buabang.

“Our research reveals why these automatic behaviors are so powerful – and how we can harness our brain’s mechanisms to change them.”

Two brain systems

Our habits are driven by two brain systems. One triggers automatic responses to familiar cues, while the other enables goal-directed control.

Take, for instance, the habit of scrolling through social media when you’re bored – this is the result of an automatic response system. But when you put your phone away to focus on work – that’s the goal-directed brain control system at work.

When these two systems are imbalanced, it can lead to action slips like entering an old password instead of the new one.

In more severe cases, it can contribute to compulsive behaviors seen in conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance-use disorders, and eating disorders.

Switching from bad habits to good ones

Understanding the interplay between these two systems can pave the way for personal development and clinical treatment of compulsive disorders.

“Good and bad habits are two sides of the same coin – both arise when automatic responses overpower goal-directed control. By understanding this dynamic, we can start to use it to our own advantage, to both make and break habits,” noted Dr. Buabang.

Factors involved in habit change

Dr. Buabang’s research provides a playbook for behavior change, bridging brain science with practical applications. The framework describes several factors crucial for influencing the balance between automatic responses and goal-directed control.

Repetition and reinforcement

Repeating a behavior builds strong associations between cues and responses, while rewarding the behavior makes it more likely to be repeated.

The same mechanism can be leveraged to break habits, by replacing old behaviors with new ones to create competing automatic responses.

Environment

Your surroundings play a significant role in habit change. Tweaking your environment to make desired behaviors easier to access encourages good habits, while removing cues that trigger unwanted behavior disrupts the bad ones.

Goal-directed system

Knowing how to engage your goal-directed system can help strengthen and weaken habits.

However, stress, time pressure, and fatigue can trigger a return to old patterns, so staying mindful and intentional is crucial when trying to break them.

From theory to real-world applications

The theory doesn’t stop at habit change; it also opens the door to personalizing treatments based on how different people form and break habits.

“We are all different; depending on your neurobiology, it might make more sense to focus on avoiding cues than reducing stress or allowing yourself more time for your daily routine,” said Professor Gillan.

These insights have far-reaching implications. They could reshape public health strategies and help policymakers design more effective health campaigns.

“By working with – rather than against – how our brains naturally form habits, we can create strategies that make healthier choices more automatic at both individual and societal levels,” noted Professor Gillan.

In conclusion, this new approach to habit change has the potential to revolutionize both personal development and the treatment of compulsive disorders.

The exciting findings from the Trinity College Dublin team have provided a new avenue for tapping into our brain’s potential, making habit change achievable and lasting.

The study is published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

—–

Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates. 

Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

—–