The Neuroscience of Habits 🧠
The Neuroscience of Habits 🧠
How Behavioral Change Rewires Your Brain (7min Read)
TL;DR Summary:
Habits are powerful drivers of behavior, forming the foundation of who we are.
Behavioral change is essential to modifying habits and creating new neural pathways.
The process of change follows five stages: Uninformed Optimism, Informed Pessimism, the Valley of Despair, Informed Optimism, and Breakthrough.
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to rewire itself, making habit change possible.
Understanding the neuroscience of habits gives you the power to reshape your life.
The Brain & Habits
Habits.
We all have ‘em, but most of us know nothing about them.
In fact, I bet you’ve never stopped to think about how reading words from left to right is a habit.
Wild, right?
Or have you ever wondered why certain habits feel effortless while some feel impossible to break?
Understanding how habits work—and how they can be changed—is crucial if you want to take control of your life!
Today we’re talking about the science of habits and behavioral change and exploring how your brain rewires itself through the process of neuroplasticity.
These topics are at the very center of a lot of my client work and research, so I’m pumped for this one.
Let’s dive in!
What Are Habits?
A habit is often defined as a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.
These behaviors become so ingrained that we perform them automatically, without much conscious thought.
Think about the last time you took a shower.
Did you actively decide the sequence of actions, or did you just go through the motions?
This automaticity is the hallmark of a habit.
Habits develop because they help our brains save energy.
Making decisions is one of the most energetically expensive tasks for the brain, so it automates routine behaviors to free up cognitive resources for more complex tasks.
It’s said that 95% of our daily actions are driven by habits, which is why the saying "You are your habits" rings true.
Equation 1: You = Your Habits.
The Challenge of Behavioral Change
Since habits are subconscious, repeated actions or behaviors, changing a habit IS a behavioral change.
Therefore:
Equation 2: Habit Change = Behavioral Change.
Whether it’s starting a new exercise routine or quitting an old vice, the process requires conscious effort and an understanding of how habits are formed and dismantled.
Behavioral change can be categorized into five types: Starts, Stops, More Of, Less Of, and Continue.
The most challenging types are often Starts and Stops—beginning a new habit or stopping an old one.
If you've ever tried to start eating healthier or stop smoking, you know just how hard this can be.
Fortunately, behavioral change can be broken down into a process that follows five stages: Uninformed Optimism, Informed Pessimism, the Valley of Despair, Informed Optimism, and Breakthrough.
Understanding these stages can give you the tools to navigate the often turbulent journey of change.
The 5 Stages of Behavioral Change
Let’s break down each stage!
Uninformed Optimism: This stage is characterized by enthusiasm and naivety. You’re excited about the change, unaware of the challenges ahead. Imagine the surge of motivation you feel at the start of a new year, determined to stick to your resolutions.
Informed Pessimism: Reality begins to set in, and the initial excitement wanes. You start to realize that the change you’re attempting is harder than you anticipated. Doubts creep in—can you really do this?
The Valley of Despair: This is the most difficult stage, where many people give up. You’re deep in the trenches of change, and it feels like the struggle will never end. It’s here that your old habits battle to regain control, tempting you to revert to the familiar.
Informed Optimism: If you persevere through the Valley of Despair, you begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. You’ve put in the hard work, and it’s starting to pay off. Your confidence grows as you realize you can succeed.
Breakthrough: This final stage is where the new habit becomes second nature. Your brain has rewired itself, and the new behavior feels natural and effortless.
Neuroplasticity: Rewiring Your Brain
The process of changing a habit is deeply connected to the concept of neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections.
As you engage in new behaviors, neurons in your brain start firing together, creating new pathways.
Over time, these pathways become stronger and more established, just like building a road from a dirt path to a superhighway.
Therefore:
Equation 3: Behavioral Change = Neuroplasticity
At the same time, the neural connections that supported your old habits begin to weaken.
This process can be challenging, as it involves literally breaking down and reconstructing parts of your brain.
This is why behavioral change can feel uncomfortable or even painful—it’s your brain resisting the demolition of old connections.
Why Behavioral Change Feels Difficult
Just like a paper cut hurts because you're damaging cells in your skin, changing your behavior hurts because you’re disrupting neural connections in your brain.
This discomfort is a natural part of the process, signaling that your brain is undergoing significant change.
Brain scans have shown that as new neural networks form, they grow stronger with repeated use, making the new behavior easier over time.
Eventually, these networks become so robust that the new habit becomes automatic, just like your morning shower routine.
The Magic of 63 Days
Recent research has shown that it takes about 63 to 84 days to fully rewire your brain for a new habit.
This time frame maps perfectly onto the five stages of behavioral change.
During the first 14 days, your optimism keeps you going as new neural connections start to form.
As you move into the next stage, your brain cells begin wiring together, but the resistance from old habits kicks in.
By the time you reach the Valley of Despair (around days 22-42), your brain is in the middle of a battle between the old and new pathways.
Those who push through will find that by days 43-63, their new neural pathways have become dominant.
Finally, by days 64-84, your new behavior has become a part of your subconscious, and the transformation is complete.
This is a superpower when used correctly, and means you have the power to change “who you are” through behavioral change.
Equation 4: Neuroplasticity = New “You”
Bringing It All Together
The journey of behavioral change is both a psychological and neurological process.
By understanding how habits are formed and the stages of change, you can take control of your behaviors and ultimately, who you are.
Remember these key equations:
You = Your Habits
Habit Change = Behavioral Change
Behavioral Change = Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity = New “You”
With this knowledge, you have the power to reshape your brain and your life.
The process may be challenging, but the reward—a new, empowered version of yourself—is well worth the effort!
And as always, until next time… Live Heroically 🧠
Supporting Research:
Duhigg, C. (2012). The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. Random House.
Prochaska, J. O., & DiClemente, C. C. (1983). Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: Toward an integrative model of change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51(3), 390-395.
Hebb, D. O. (1949). The Organization of Behavior: A Neuropsychological Theory. Wiley.
Lally, P., Van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998-1009.
Schmidt, L., Braun, E. K., Wager, T. D., & Shohamy, D. (2014). Mind matters: Placebo enhances reward learning in Parkinson’s disease. Nature Neuroscience, 17(12), 1793-1797.
Davidson, R. J., & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Social influences on neuroplasticity: Stress and interventions to promote well-being. Nature Neuroscience, 15(5), 689-695.
Leaf, C. (2013). Switch On Your Brain: The Key to Peak Happiness, Thinking, and Health. Baker Books.
Leaf, C. (2017). Think, Learn, Succeed: Understanding and Using Your Mind to Thrive at School, the Workplace, and Life. Baker Books.
Leaf, C. (2015). The Perfect You: A Blueprint for Identity. Baker Books.
Leaf, C. (2021). Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess: 5 Simple, Scientifically Proven Steps to Reduce Anxiety, Stress, and Toxic Thinking. Baker Books.