The Science of Breaking Bad Habits with Wendy Wood, PhD: PYP 353

http://plantyourself.com/353 Wendy Wood is a researcher and author of Good Habits, Bad Habits.

Wendy Wood, PhD, knows more about the science of habit formation - and habit breaking - than just about anyone.

While popular writers share their opinions about habits, Wood does the research. More than 30 years worth, as a research psychologist first at Duke University and now at the University of Southern California.

Wood has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers, and the paper trail of her research demonstrates a curious and creative and extremely tenacious approach to uncovering the mysteries of human behavior - particularly those human behaviors that are a mystery to the humans engaging in them.

Drawing on the insights of behavioral economics and modern neuroscience, Wood posits that habits are maintained by the "automatic" system of the brain, the one outside conscious control. And therefore trying to change habits through conscious means is a fool's errand, destined to fail (and to make us feel like failures).

Instead of applying conscious willpower to powerfully persistent patterns (yea, alliteration) of behavior, Wood's research demonstrates the effectiveness of changing environmental cues to trigger new and different responses.

I think there's more to habit than this - working with the Missing Chins and many others who have forged themselves into different people through intention and repetition, I have a profound respect for the judicious use of free will and identity and choice in becoming the most authentic versions of ourselves.

That is to say, given the option to completely shift my environment to never trigger, say, a chocolate craving again, I'd rather become the sort of person who can say "no" to chocolate even when it's being waved in my face.

There's value in that kind of self-discipline, completely separate from the eating (or not) of chocolate.

And - I think Dr Wood's approach is incredibly helpful, and completely necessary. I don't know anyone who completely eliminated a bad habit without reducing the environmental cues for its performance. And thinking that we can "just say no" is a demoralizing and fundamentally flawed stance.

So I invite you to listen to our conversation with an eye on your own "bad" habits, looking for ways to make simple and profound environmental tweaks to increase the friction that you must overcome in order to perform it.

Видео The Science of Breaking Bad Habits with Wendy Wood, PhD: PYP 353 канала Sick to Fit