The Science of Making & Breaking Habits

In this episode, I review the science of habit formation and habit
elimination and how the process of neuroplasticity (brain rewiring)
underlies these processes. I describe two new systems for habit
formation. The first system is grounded in the neuroscience of
brain states and our ability to perform (and to avoid) certain
tasks at different phases of the 24-hour day. The second system
focuses on 21-day habit formation and consolidation. I also discuss
"task bracketing" as an approach to enhancing habit formation and
eliminating unwanted habits and the neural circuits that underlie
task bracketing in the basal ganglia (a brain region for generating
and stopping behaviors). I also review the science of dopamine
rewards and how to apply that knowledge to shaping habits. The
science and tools in this episode ought to be helpful for anyone
looking to build better habits and eliminate unwanted habits for
school, work, fitness, relationships, creative endeavors, and
more—indeed for any person or situation where behavioral changes
are needed. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank
you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT:
https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up:
https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous:
https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00)
Introducing Habits; New Programs (00:02:46) Sponsors: LMNT &
Waking Up (00:06:52) Habits versus Reflexes, Learning,
Neuroplasticity (00:08:51) Goal-Based Habits vs. Identity-Based
Habits (00:11:40) How Long It (Really) Takes to Form a Habit;
Limbic-Friction (00:16:07) Linchpin Habits  (00:18:55) Mapping
Your Habits; Habit Strength, Context-Dependence (00:22:55)
Automaticity (00:24:03) Tool 1: Applying Procedural Memory
Visualizations (00:27:48) Hebbian Learning, NMDA receptors
(00:31:00) Tool 2: Task Bracketing; Dorsolateral Striatum
(00:37:08) States of Mind, Not Scheduling Time Predicts Habit
Strength (00:38:16) Tool 3: Phase-Based Habit Plan: Phase 1
(00:46:29) Tool 3: Phase-Based Habit Plan: Phase 2 (00:55:24) Tool
3: Phase-Based Habit Plan: Phase 3 (01:01:34) Habit Flexibility
(01:04:57) Should We Reward Ourselves? How? When? When NOT to.
(01:10:30) Tool 4: “Dopamine Spotlighting” & Task Bracketing
(01:18:22) Tool 5: The 21-Day Habit Installation & Testing
System (01:28:26) Breaking Habits: Long-Term (Synaptic) Depression
(01:35:49) Notifications Don’t Work (01:37:50) Tool 6: Break Bad
Habits with Post-Bad-Habit “Positive Cargo” (01:44:26) Addictions
as Habits:
https://hubermanlab.com/dr-anna-lembke-understanding-and-treating-addiction
(01:45:28) Conclusion & Synthesis  (01:48:27) Zero-Cost
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