Want Better Habits? Neuroscience Says This Is How to Train Your Brain

There’s a lively debate over who actually said that first, but it rings true. It also explains why so many successful people recognize that one of the keys to their success is the ability to adopt good habits and banish bad ones.

Good news: Research published by cognitive neuroscientists at Trinity College Dublin suggests that there’s a real-world “playbook” you can use to leverage the way your brain naturally works to break bad habits or make better ones.

That can make it easier to adopt practices that can either (a) shift intended habits over time from action-outcome brain systems toward stimulus-response brain systems, or else (b) shift bad habits away from them.

I know this could get theoretical in a hurry, so let’s drill down to the practical advice. Some of this will sound familiar, but the experience of considering it through the concept of two competing types of brain systems makes it more comprehensible and useful.

I like the analogy of someone who wants to lose weight being told either: (a) eat less, or (b) cut out carbohydrates, or (c) follow a very specific diet for 14 days, along with an explanation of exactly how it will affect their body.

“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,” explained study co-author Claire Gillan, also of Trinity College Dublin, adding: “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.”