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I'm A Neuropsychologist & This Is My 5-Step Process For Beating Bad Habits

Author:

Kendal Maxwell, Ph.D.

September 16, 2024

Clinical Neuropsychologist

By Kendal Maxwell, Ph.D.

Clinical Neuropsychologist

Kendal Maxwell, Ph.D., is a Clinical Neuropsychologist at an academic medical center in Los Angeles, CA, providing brief psychotherapeutic interventions and assessments to her clients. She also is the lead neuropsychologist within the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) clinic at said center and practices a combination of interventions from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as well as Existential Therapy and Acceptance Commitment based therapy models with her clients. Additionally, she is the author of a guided journal related to creating better habits called "12 Months to Happier Habits," available on Amazon.

Image by Emotion Matters / Stocksy

September 16, 2024

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They say old habits die hard, but I don't believe this always has to be the case.

As a neuropsychologist, I have worked with a wide range of people—from patients who have fully functioning cognitive abilities to those recovering from severe traumatic brain injuries, to those who are deteriorating mentally from dementia. This experience has made me an expert in human behavior and habit change.

I believe that while we can never be perfect, if we understand the science behind our habits and how to change them, we can get closer to becoming the best version of ourselves.

But what exactly are habits, and how do they form?

Habits are essentially behaviors that have been overlearned and therefore require little cognitive effort to engage in. People often think that just because they are aware that a behavior is "bad for them," it may not fit the category of a habit. This is what I call an illusion of choice: Any action that takes significantly less work than an alternative qualifies as a habit.

But why are some habits so difficult to quit? It all comes down to the science of the brain.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that gets released when we engage in something that makes us feel good. Our brains are trained to associate this action with that "good feeling"—and therefore we crave it repeatedly, quickly forming a habit.

In one research study that looked at individuals' experience of taking a potent drug via an IV vs. taking the same dosage orally 1, taking the drug via IV led to higher self-reported rates of reinforcement and happiness. Therefore, these researchers determined that it was not the concentration of the drug that caused reinforcing but rather how fast the brain experienced the change in dopamine that mattered most.

If we stretch this finding to habits (which also impact dopamine responses), we can see why we often engage in habits that deliver quick gratification. For example, every time we reach for our phones when we're bored, our dopamine levels quickly change.

We could go for a walk instead because we logically know that is better for us long term, but we don't because the change in dopamine takes longer to achieve.

5 ways to break habits that don't serve you

Even once we understand the science behind habits, we still need tools to help us create change… and we most certainly need a plan. That's why I worked with my friend and talented artist Victoria Nicole Varela to design 12 Months to Happier Habits: a guided journal for approachable, successful habit change.

Whether you are trying to completely stop or simply reduce engagement in a habit that is not serving you, or you want to attempt to introduce a positive habit that you know will improve your quality of life long term, you have the power within you to make it happen. These are a few strategies from my journal that I've found both personally and professionally helpful for forging new habits:

Look at changing a habit as an experiment

Take the pressure off yourself and focus on one behavior at a time. From there, give yourself one simple goal: to eliminate the behavior for one month. Remind yourself that you can always return to that habit at the end of the month, if you still want to. The hope is to have gained control over the habit once the month is up and make a better choice of balance with that behavior thereafter. This seems like an experiment worth giving a shot, right?

Dissect the habit before you make changes

It's important to explore what you already know about the habit you're looking to change. To do so, you can take a deep dive into the classic questions of Who? What? Where? When? And Why? The more you know about that habit, the easier it will be to catch yourself if you are about to do it.

A journal can be a helpful tool here. Journaling is powerful because it fosters accountability while simultaneously allowing physical proof of success, just by flipping back a few pages. In our journal, we help you explore triggers such as, what times of day do I engage in this habit? Who am I around when I do it? And so on.

Remember that preparation is key

We must prepare not only ourselves, but our environments, to reduce the likelihood of engaging in a behavior. If you're trying to quit drinking soda, it might be smart not to have a fridge full of delicious fizzy sugary beverages!

Be accountable

Research indicates that we are more likely to succeed in changing our routines when we have someone holding us accountable. This can be a family member, friend, or therapist. There are even apps and websites available for this purpose.

Don't give up if you stumble along the way

We are all human, and change is hard—especially changing our habits. Instead of feeling discouraged if you fall back into certain habits, use the moment to take a step back and learn from your slip-up. Ask yourself what you could have done differently to prevent this from happening again. This is what it is all about! The more we know how we tick, the easier change will become.

The takeaway

Whether your habits are big or small, I want to remind you that change is possible, one habit at a time. Once you understand the science of habits, you can use curiosity, accountability, and preparation to change the ones that are no longer serving you.