Join Dr. James Odell for Season 2 of the Science of Self-Healing Podcast! He's the medical and executive director for BRMI, as well as a practicing naturopathic doctor for over 35 years, and he's here to share with you his extensive knowledge of medicine from a different perspective.
In this fascinating episode, we explore the science behind how habits shape our daily lives and learn practical strategies to make lasting changes.
Discover why nearly half of what we do each day happens on autopilot, and how our brain's basal ganglia creates powerful neural pathways through repetition. We'll dive into the three-step "habit loop" of cue, action, and reward, and uncover surprising research about how long it really takes to form new habits.
You'll learn evidence-based techniques for building positive routines, including habit stacking, environment design, and implementation intentions. We'll also explore why breaking bad habits is so challenging and how to effectively replace them with better ones. Whether you're looking to boost productivity, improve health, or make any meaningful change in your life, this episode provides the scientific insights and practical tools you need to succeed.
Transcript: Using Neuroscience to Hack Your Habits
Welcome to the Science of Self-Healing Podcast where we explore health and wellness from a different perspective. Produced by the Bioregulatory Medicine Institute, that's BRMI. We provide valuable insights on how to naturally support your body's ability to self regulate, adapt, regenerate, and self heal.
I'm Dr. James Odell, your host and the executive and medical director of BRMI with over 35 years experience as a naturopathic doctor. Please note that this podcast is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for personalized medical care.
Before we start today's podcast, I invite you to join us for BMI's extraordinary conference retreat. It's entitled Charting Your Course to Optimal Health. From May 10th through the 18th, 2025, this eight night cruise on Celebrity Cruises will take you through the stunning ABC islands that's Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Departing from Fort Lauderdale, our event welcomes anyone passionate about health and longevity. Whether you're a practitioner, inventor, vendor or simply just curious about healthier living, please join us. Enjoy a perfect mix of learning and relaxation while deepening your understanding of bioregulatory medicine. For more details, please visit this page.
Welcome to today’s podcast where we’ll explore the science behind habits. We'll begin by diving into the groundbreaking research that reveals what habits are, how your brain creates these automatic routines, and proven strategies for replacing unwanted habits with positive ones. Whether you're looking to build healthier routines or boost productivity, understanding the science of habits is your first step toward lasting change. Through practical examples and evidence-based techniques, we'll break down the complex research so you can start making lasting changes in your life that are truly meaningful and powerful.
Did you know that habits make up about 40% of our daily actions? This means that many of the things we do each day happen automatically, without us even thinking about them. Our habits play a crucial role in shaping who we are and how we live, influencing everything from our health to our productivity. Whether they are positive routines like exercising or negative ones like procrastinating, these habits can have a powerful impact on our lives. Understanding how habits work can help us make better choices and create the best version of ourselves.
Let's start with what a habit is and how they are formed.
A habit is a behavior that becomes automatic through repetition, eventually requiring minimal conscious thought or effort. It starts as a deliberate choice but eventually becomes a routine triggered by specific cues in our environment, like automatically making our bed when we walk past it. Over time, these behaviors become so ingrained and automatic that they occur without conscious decision-making, making them both efficient for our brains and challenging to change.
Recently neuroscientists have discovered (with the use of advanced imaging techniques) that habit formation primarily occurs in a part of our brains called the basal ganglia. When we first perform an action, our brain works hard, using lots of energy to process each step. But as we repeat the action, our brain begins to automate the process, creating what scientists call a "neural pathway." It might take as little as 18 days to create an efficient neural pathway or as long as 254 days, but the average is about 66 days. It depends on the complexity of the habit, and other individual factors, according to research from the University College London.
Most researchers believe that habits follow a three-step process that they refer to as the “habit loop” which happens when there is a cue or a reminder that triggers the habit, followed by the action or habit itself, and then an enjoyable reward. It is the immediacy and the power of the reward that affects how fast and easy it is to form the habit. And since our brains love efficiency, when it notices that a particular cue consistently leads to a reward, it begins to automate the habit.
So in other words, habitual behavior is thought to be driven by a stimulus–response. An example of this would be the habit of eating popcorn every night while watching your favorite tv series. The cue being the tv show, the habit, eating popcorn, and the reward being the taste of the popcorn.
As you can see in the example I just mentioned our environment plays an important role in habit formation. A fruit bowl placed in plain sight can help promote healthier snacking, while a package of cigarettes can cue a smoker to light up.
Similarly, the people in our surrounding also play a pivotal role in our habit formation. For instance, when we are around others who exhibit the habits we wish to adopt, we are more likely to adopt those behaviors too. And, even if you don’t consciously intend to copy those around you, studies have found that when one person in a friend group develops a healthy habit like running or eating more vegetables, their friends are more likely to adopt similar behaviors.
Daily routines also play a crucial role in reinforcing habits by providing stability when our environments change. For example, even if we are on vacation, living in a different place, we can still maintain a habit like taking a walk before breakfast.
But here's something fascinating from recent MIT studies: habits never really disappear. Instead, they become encoded in your brain's structure. That's why it's so easy to fall back into old patterns. The good news? You can build new neural pathways that override old habits.
But, first, let's talk about establishing new habits.
The latest research points to four key strategies that significantly increase your success rate when building new habits. Let's explore each one in more detail. First is habit stacking - attaching your new habit to an existing one. For example, if you already have a solid habit of making your bed each morning, you can "stack" a new habit like doing five push-ups right after, making it feel like a natural extension of your existing routine rather than a separate task to remember.
Second is environment design - making good habits obvious and bad habits invisible. This means deliberately setting up your space to support your desired habits, like keeping running shoes by your front door if you want to exercise more, or putting your phone in another room while working if you want to reduce distractions. When you control your environment, you don't have to rely as much on willpower.
Third is implementation intentions - being specific about when and where you'll perform the habit. Instead of saying "I'll exercise more," you'd say "I'll walk for 20 minutes every day after lunch in my neighborhood." This level of specificity eliminates the need for decision-making in the moment and makes it much more likely you'll follow through, as your brain has a clear, concrete plan to follow.
Fourth is habit tracking - monitoring your progress to maintain motivation. This could be as simple as marking an X on a calendar each day you complete your habit, or using a habit-tracking app to record your progress. The key is that tracking creates a visual record of your success, which becomes rewarding in itself and helps you notice patterns - like maybe you tend to skip your habit on busy workdays, so you can plan better strategies for those challenging times.
Also keep in mind that there are lots of factors that make some habits stronger than others, such as frequency, timing, type of habit, your personal motivation, your emotional connection to the habit, and how you manage developing your habit.
Let me explain. You already know that the more often you repeat a behavior, the stronger it becomes. But let me explain the other factors.
When you do the habit also matters (timing) - for example, morning habits often stick better because we typically have more energy and fewer distractions early in the day.
The type of habit itself plays a big role too - some behaviors naturally become automatic more easily than others. For instance, a simple habit like drinking water when you wake up might form faster than a complex habit like following a detailed exercise routine.
Your personal motivation and choice matter as well - habits that you genuinely want to develop, rather than those you feel forced to adopt, typically become stronger because you're more invested in them.
Your emotional connection to the habit (affective judgments) is equally important - if you enjoy doing something or feel good afterward, you're more likely to stick with it.
Finally, how you manage and control your behavior (behavioral regulation) influences habit strength. This includes things like how well you plan for obstacles, handle setbacks, and adjust your strategy when needed. For example, someone who plans ahead for challenges (like packing gym clothes the night before) and has backup plans (like having a home workout ready if they can't make it to the gym) is more likely to develop a stronger exercise habit than someone who doesn't prepare for these situations. All these factors work together, kind of like different ingredients in a recipe, to determine how strong and lasting your habits become.
Here’s nine additional research findings that I think you will find interesting and helpful:
Here's something crucial that many people miss: the size of your habit matters more than its consistency. Recent behavioral science shows that starting incredibly small - we're talking tiny changes - leads to better long-term success than attempting dramatic transformations. This is because smaller habits require less motivation and are more resistant to disruption – so keep that new habit simple.
As I’ve already mentioned, habit formation advances by regularly practicing a behavior over time. However, missing a day won't break your progress, so long as you quickly return to your routine.
Another groundbreaking finding comes from social psychology research at NYU: your identity plays a massive role in habit formation. The most effective approach isn't just changing your actions; it's changing your self-image. Instead of "I want to run more," think "I am becoming a runner." This identity-based habit formation creates deeper, more lasting change.
When you first start forming a new habit, you'll see rapid progress as your brain quickly adapts to the new behavior. Think of it like learning to ride a bike - at first, you improve dramatically with each practice session. However, this fast progress doesn't continue forever. Over time, the improvements become smaller and more gradual, until the behavior feels natural and automatic. In the beginning, you need to rely heavily on your willpower and conscious effort to maintain the habit. But as you stick with it, the habit becomes more effortless and ingrained in your daily routine, requiring less mental energy to maintain. This gradual transition from conscious effort to automatic behavior is what makes habits stick for the long term.
The brain's habit-forming circuits consider both cost and reward. Neurons that represent both the cost of a habit and its reward drive habit formation, suggesting the brain seeks optimality between effort and benefit.
Machine learning has provided new insights. A study using machine learning to analyze large datasets of gym attendance and hand-washing behavior found that it takes an average of about six months of consistent effort before going to the gym becomes a natural part of someone's routine. This finding is particularly helpful because it sets realistic expectations. Also, if someone is trying to make exercise a regular part of their life, they should understand it's normal to still feel like they're "pushing themselves" to go to the gym even after several months. This longer timeline actually makes a lot of sense when you think about it - truly changing our behavior and making it stick requires our brains to rewire established patterns, and that's not something that happens quickly.
Research suggests that genes play a significant role in habit formation and behavior, but they don't determine our habits entirely. Our DNA can influence our tendencies towards certain behaviors, such as impulsivity or addiction, by affecting how our brains process pleasure and rewards. For example, some genetic variants might make people more likely to enjoy coffee or be prone to nicotine dependence. However, it's important to note that genes are not destiny. Environmental factors, like our surroundings and experiences, interact with our genetic predispositions to shape our habits.
Here's something particularly unexpected: research has shown that habits can persist even when the reward is removed, which scientists call "reward devaluation." In one famous study, people continued to press a button for a chocolate reward even after the chocolate was made bitter-tasting. This suggests that once a habit is formed, it can continue almost on autopilot, even when we no longer want or enjoy the outcome. This helps explain why bad habits can be so stubborn - they're not always maintained by pleasure or reward, but by deeply ingrained neural pathways.
And here's an obscure but fascinating detail about habit formation: studies have found that starting a new habit on a Monday, the first of the month, or after a significant life event (like moving to a new home) can increase your chances of success. This is called the "fresh start effect," where temporal landmarks give us a sense of disconnection from our past selves and boost our motivation to change.
Let’s finish up with what you should do about breaking those pesky bad habits we all have…
Breaking bad habits is a complicated process that requires more than just willpower. Research shows that instead of trying to completely stop a habit (which is very difficult), it's often more effective to replace it with a new, better habit. This works because habits are typically triggered by specific cues in our environment - like feeling stressed might trigger snacking, or seeing your phone might trigger mindless scrolling.
The key to breaking a bad habit lies in first identifying what triggers it. Once you know your triggers, you can create a plan to either avoid them or respond differently when they occur. For example, if you stress-eat, you might plan to take a short walk or do some deep breathing exercises whenever you feel stressed instead of reaching for snacks. It's also helpful to make the bad habit more difficult to do - like keeping junk food out of the house or using apps that block social media during certain hours.
One interesting finding from habit research is that trying to rely purely on willpower often backfires. This is because willpower is like a muscle that gets tired - the more you use it, the weaker it becomes throughout the day. That's why it's more effective to change your environment and create new routines rather than just trying to resist temptation through sheer force of will. For instance, if you want to stop late-night snacking, you might establish a new routine of having tea and reading a book after dinner instead.
Support from others can also make a big difference when breaking bad habits. When we tell others about our goals and have them check in on our progress, we're more likely to stick to our plans. This is partly because we don't want to let others down, but also because they can offer encouragement during difficult moments and celebrate our successes with us. It's also important to be patient and kind to yourself - breaking a bad habit typically takes several months, and setbacks are a normal part of the process.
Remember, good habit formation isn't about perfection - it's about consistency. The latest neuroplasticity research shows that every time you perform a habit, you're essentially voting for the type of person you want to become. These votes accumulate over time, gradually reshaping your brain's neural architecture, and help you to keep working on the best version of YOU. Be well, and I hope you join me again in two weeks.
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