{"id":323,"date":"2013-01-10T20:40:20","date_gmt":"2013-01-11T01:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mymindfulwayoflife.com\/blog4\/?p=323"},"modified":"2013-06-03T23:19:52","modified_gmt":"2013-06-04T03:19:52","slug":"understanding-the-neurobiology-of-habits-can-help-you-change-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mymindfulwayoflife.com\/blog4\/understanding-the-neurobiology-of-habits-can-help-you-change-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the neurobiology of habits can help you change them"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>All behavior initially starts with a choice. However, at some point down the line, it becomes automatic and develops into what we call a habit.\u00a0 Knowing how to turn that choice into a habit places you at an advantage.\u00a0 <!--more-->Understanding how the brain works is essential.<\/p>\n<p>Good and bad habits are equivalent to your brain.\u00a0 It cannot tell the difference.\u00a0 Furthermore, the pathways for old habits are still in your brain after you develop new ways of being.\u00a0 So the goal becomes creating and maintaining new pathways.\u00a0 Over time the new behavior becomes easier to choose, but a period of struggle and temptation to go back to the old, familiar path usually precedes this ease.\u00a0 To think of this in a more tangible way, consider hiking in the woods.\u00a0 The path you always take may be well-worn.\u00a0 If you decide to try a new path, it will probably be awkward for a while.\u00a0 Initially it may also seem exciting.\u00a0 The brain is likely to release endorphins and other chemicals such as dopamine, which are associated with novelty.\u00a0 However, this new path has not been worn smooth, forcing you to fight against brush and uneven terrain.\u00a0 After a few walks, this path may challenge your desire to continue because it will feel more difficult, especially as the novelty wears off.\u00a0 Our routines work the same way: when you have tried a new behavior a few times but not long enough to create a strong new pathway, you are equally or more likely to return to your old habits.\u00a0 This is a time when many people become discouraged and give up.\u00a0 Challenging yourself in new ways will be crucial to making your desired change. Be prepared with a plan for this stage of your goal-setting.\u00a0 For example, if you are working hard to avoid snacking on the donuts and other goodies at work, you may consider some preventative options:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Write a note addressed to yourself to validate your goal and remind yourself why you are doing this.\u00a0 The letter may sound like this- \u201cDear Self, if you are reading this this right now you are probably feeling discouraged. \u00a0You might even feel like giving up or worse yet, you may be telling yourself that you have already failed.\u00a0 However, I also know this goal is important to you.\u00a0 So first, remember you have come this far to state your intention and try.\u00a0 The mere fact that you are reading this is proof that you are ready to do something different this time.\u00a0 So, cut yourself some slack, get back in the game, and surround yourself with people who can support you.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Bring healthy but enjoyable snacks.\u00a0 If you know you crave the crunch of chips or the sweetness of the\u00a0donuts,\u00a0would baked crackers or yogurt with honey satisfy the craving?<\/li>\n<li>Be armed with a response to others who may try to sabotage your efforts even if they mean well.\u00a0 Be prepared for invitations such as \u201cyou might as well start that diet next month\u2014there are donuts in the break room,\u2019 or \u201cgo ahead and treat yourself.\u201d\u00a0 Consider that these statements are likely to trigger your own doubts and negative self-talk and learn to combat false logic.\u00a0 Hint- review option number one, above.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All behavior initially starts with a choice. However, at some point down the line, it becomes automatic and develops into what we call a habit.\u00a0 Knowing how to turn that choice into a habit places you at an advantage.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,17],"tags":[25,18,24,73],"class_list":["post-323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-goal-setting","category-neurobiology","tag-30-day-challenge","tag-goal-setting-2","tag-habit","tag-neurobiology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2YyuX-5d","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mymindfulwayoflife.com\/blog4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mymindfulwayoflife.com\/blog4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mymindfulwayoflife.com\/blog4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mymindfulwayoflife.com\/blog4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mymindfulwayoflife.com\/blog4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=323"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/mymindfulwayoflife.com\/blog4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/323\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":547,"href":"http:\/\/mymindfulwayoflife.com\/blog4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/323\/revisions\/547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mymindfulwayoflife.com\/blog4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mymindfulwayoflife.com\/blog4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mymindfulwayoflife.com\/blog4\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}