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[@hubermanlab] The Science of Making & Breaking Habits | Huberman Lab Essentials

· 5 min read
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@hubermanlab - "The Science of Making & Breaking Habits | Huberman Lab Essentials"

Link: https://youtu.be/HXuj7wAt7u8

Short Summary​

This Huberman Lab Essentials episode explores the biology of habit formation and breaking, emphasizing neuroplasticity and the importance of understanding the nervous system's role. The discussion covers practical tools like task bracketing, a three-phase daily framework for habit implementation, and a 21-day system for developing the habit of forming habits, alongside strategies for replacing undesirable behaviors with positive ones.

Key Quotes​

Here are 5 direct quotes from the transcript that I found particularly insightful:

  1. "It's estimated that up to 70% of our waking behavior is made up of habitual behavior."

  2. "This study found that for the same habit to be formed, it can take anywhere from 18 days to as many as 254 days for different individuals to form that habit."

  3. "Lynchpin habits are certain habits that make a lot of other habits easier to execute. Now, the sorts of lynchpin habits that I'm referring to are always going to be things that you enjoy doing."

  4. "While schedules are important, it's not the specific time of day per se that's going to allow you to get into a habit and form that habit and consolidate that habit. Rather, it's the state that your brain and body are in that's important to anchor yourself to."

  5. "The key to generating long-term depression in these pathways is actually to take the period immediately following the bad habit execution and in that moment capture the sequence of events not that led to the bad habit execution but actually to take advantage of the fact that the neurons that were responsible for generating that bad habit were were active a moment ago and to actually engage in a replacement behavior immediately afterward."

Detailed Summary​

Here's a detailed summary of the YouTube video transcript, presented in bullet points:

Key Topics:

  • Habit Formation & Breaking: Focuses on the biology and psychology behind creating and eliminating habits.
  • Neuroplasticity: Habits are framed as learned behaviors arising from neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to change in response to experience.
  • Limbic Friction: The concept of "Limbic Friction" is introduced as the effort required to overcome mental states (anxiety/lack of motivation) hindering habit formation/breaking.
  • Task Bracketing: The concept of "Task Bracketing" is introduced as priming your mind to perform a habit by bookending the habit with a start and end activity, leading to automaticity.

Types of Habits & Key Concepts:

  • Goal-Based vs. Identity-Based Habits:
    • Goal-Based: Focused on achieving a specific outcome with each repetition (e.g., completing a workout).
    • Identity-Based: Tied to a larger sense of self and long-term goals (e.g., "becoming a fit person"). Links the short term with a larger goal.
  • Variability in Habit Formation Time: Debunks the myth of a fixed timeframe (e.g., 21 days). The research states it takes different people between 18 to 254 days to develop a habit.
  • Lynchpin Habits: Habits that easily lead to the development of other, harder habits (e.g., exercise making it easier to eat healthily). Enjoyment is key for Lynchpin Habits.
  • Habit Strength: Determined by:
    • Context Dependence: How consistently the habit is performed across different environments/situations.
    • Limbic Friction: The amount of effort required to perform the habit.
  • Automaticity: The ultimate goal of habit formation where a neural circuits perform automatically.

Practical Tools & Strategies:

  • Procedural Memory Exercise: Mentally stepping through each step of the habit you want to form to prime the brain.
  • Task Bracketing: Neural circuits in the basal ganglia are active at the beginning and end of habits. It's what underlies context dependence.
  • Phase 1, 2, and 3 of the Day: Leverages daily neurochemical fluctuations to optimize habit formation:
    • Phase 1 (0-8 hrs after waking): High norepinephrine/epinephrine and dopamine. Best for habits with high limbic friction requiring focus and action.
    • Phase 2 (9-14/15 hrs after waking): Serotonin rises; dopamine/norepinephrine declines. Good for mellower activities requiring less mental effort. Heat, sunlight can support being calm and relaxed.
    • Phase 3 (16-24 hrs after waking): Focus on sleep, darkness, cooler temperatures to consolidate habits formed during the day. Keep caffeine and bright light out of this phase.
  • 21-Day Habit System: Sets out to perform six new habits a day across 21 days. The expectation is to complete four to five per day. The main idea is about performing habits.
    • Missing a day isn't punished and there is no compensation required the next day.
    • After 21 days of habit performance, 21 days of testing to see if the habits are reflexive.

Habit Breaking:

  • Immediate Replacement Behavior: The key to breaking habits is that many happen quickly. Engage in a positive, easy-to-execute replacement behavior immediately after performing the undesired habit. This re-maps the neural circuits associated with the bad habit. It creates a double habit that starts bad but ends good.

Overall Message:

The video provides a science-backed approach to habit formation and breaking, emphasizing understanding the underlying neurobiology, and using practical tools to leverage the brain's natural processes.