[@PeterAttiaMD] Breaking & Building Habits: Timelines, Difficulties & Solutions | Charles Duhigg

Link: https://youtu.be/raf1BdMWlPA

Short Summary

Number One Takeaway: To change a bad habit, identify the cue and reward associated with it, and then insert a new behavior that corresponds to the old cue and delivers a similar reward.

Executive Summary: Creating habits involves thickening neural pathways in the brain, making them easier to return to even after breaks. While there's no set timeline for habit formation or breaking, consistency is key. To change unwanted habits, focus on replacing the behavior within the existing cue-reward loop, rather than trying to eliminate the habit entirely.

Key Quotes

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

1. "What's interesting is they almost never become significantly thinner. So if you develop a meditation habit and then you stop meditating, your life changes the cues. When you come back to meditation, you will fall back into it much more quickly than the average person. So we know that creating habits both good and bad creates this neural pathway that we need to be conscious of." This highlights the lasting impact of habits, even when discontinued.

2. "What we do know is that the more consistent a reward, whether it's a reward that rewards a positive behavior or a negative behavior, the more consistent that reward and the more consistent that Q, the faster the habit will take hold and the stronger the grip it'll have on us." This emphasizes the importance of consistency in both cues and rewards in habit formation.

3. "Instead of thinking about breaking that habit or extinguishing it, I have to think about changing that habit. And in that case, what I do is I identify the cue that prompts this behavior I want to change. I identify the reward that that behavior is giving me. And I'm gonna simply insert a new behavior that corresponds to that old Q that delivers something similar to that old reward. And I'm I'm going to let my brain eventually shift. Keep the habit loop inside my head, but change the behavior, the routine." This offers a practical and potentially more effective approach to managing unwanted habits by focusing on replacing the behavior within the existing cue-reward loop.

4. "But here's the important thing is that regardless of how long it takes to build that habit or change a habit, every day you do it, it will get a little bit easier." This is a good reminder to keep moving forward and to not be discouraged if change doesn't happen overnight.

Detailed Summary

Here's a detailed summary of the YouTube video transcript, focusing on the core information about habits:

• Habit Formation and Neural Pathways:

  • Habits create neural pathways (connections between cues, routines, and rewards) in the brain.
  • These pathways become thicker and stronger with repeated behavior.
  • These pathways don't disappear completely, making it easier to fall back into a habit even after stopping for a while.

• Time to Create a Habit – No Magic Number:

  • The common idea of 21 days to form a habit or 30 days to break one is a myth. There's no set timeline.
  • Habit formation speed varies based on the individual and the habit itself.
  • Easier habits (e.g., eating chocolate) can form quickly due to immediate positive reinforcement.
  • More complex habits (e.g., exercise) take longer.
  • Every day of performing the behavior, it will get a little easier.

• Relapse and Dealing with Setbacks:

  • If you relapse, don't beat yourself up. Instead, analyze what went wrong and create a plan for the future.
  • Persistence is key; eventually, the desired behavior will become automatic.

• Breaking Bad Habits - Duration Matters, But Individual Differences are Key:

  • The longer a negative habit persists, the more ingrained it becomes, and likely harder to break.
  • Individual differences (e.g., prior experience with habit change, athleticism) play a significant role. Someone experienced at changing habits may find it easier to quit a bad habit compared to someone with more experience, regardless of the duration of the bad habit.

• Relapse After Quitting:

  • Susceptibility to relapse is complex. A person who quit after 20 years of smoking may not be more susceptible than a person who quit after only 1 year of smoking.
  • Consider other factors, such as shame associated with the habit, or development of negative health issues as a result of the habit.

• Consistency of Cue and Reward:

  • Consistent cues and rewards, whether for positive or negative behaviors, lead to faster habit formation and a stronger "grip" on us.

• Difficulty of Breaking vs. Creating Habits:

  • Science doesn't definitively say whether it's easier to break bad habits than to create good ones.
  • The key takeaway is that different techniques are required for creating and changing habits.

• Building a New Habit (e.g., Running):

  • Identify a cue and a reward.
  • Cues fall into these categories: time of day, place/environment, emotion, presence of certain people, preceding behavior.
  • Utilize multiple cues. For example: set alarm, lay out running clothes, arrange to meet a friend.
  • Choose a reward: shower, smoothie, social media.
  • Link the cue and reward to the desired behavior.

• Changing (Not Breaking) a Bad Habit:

  • Avoid thinking about "breaking" a habit; instead, focus on "changing" it, since the neural pathway will always be there.
  • Identify the cue and the reward associated with the unwanted behavior.
  • Insert a new, alternative behavior that satisfies the old cue and provides a similar reward.
  • Allow the brain to shift towards the new routine while maintaining the underlying habit loop.