The Science of Bad Habits and Willpower: Make New Year’s Resolutions that You Will Keep

Presented by: Dr. Caren Baruch-FeldmanDrbaruchfeldman.com

Scarsdale Library January 25, 2013

A Little Bit About Me

Before After

Goals for Today1. Review the latest research in

habits and willpower (based on 3 books).

2. Help you to develop your own positive, new habits.

3. Teach you the secrets of making New Year’s resolutions that stick.

Four Books: The Power of Habit, The Willpower Instinct, Rediscover the Greatest Human Strength: Willpower,

The Beck Diet Solution

March 1st: How To Keep Your Willpower and Lose Your Weight

Today ‘s Discussion: The Science of Bad Habits And Willpower: Make New Year’s Resolutions that You Will Keep

Review Key Points from 3 books

Aha Moments from the Power of Habit

BAD NEWS• Our brains are lazy. • Glucose which

releases dopamine hijacks the brain.

• Stress makes us more susceptible to fall into bad habits.

GOOD NEWS• Flex those willpower

muscles.• Key to changing

habits: cue, routine, reward, plus belief.

Aha Moments from the Willpower books

BAD NEWSWillpower is a limited

resource. Glucose/sugar refuels

willpower (ugh).

GOOD NEWSSince willpower is limited,

need to make into a habit so willpower is not being used.

Make a bright-line rule: a clear unmistakable boundary.

Willpower Book: Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue?

• Three men doing time in Israeli prisons appeared before a parole board consisting of a judge, a criminologist and a social worker. The parole board granted freedom to only one of them. Which one?

• Case 1 (heard at 8:50 a.m.): An Arab Israeli serving a 30-month sentence for fraud.

• Case 2 (heard at 3:10 p.m.): A Jewish Israeli serving a 16-month sentence for assault.

• Case 3 (heard at 4:25 p.m.): An Arab Israeli serving a 30-month sentence for fraud.

.

• There was a pattern to the parole board’s decisions, but it wasn’t related to the men’s ethnic backgrounds, crimes or sentences. Guess which one?

What You Can Do To Change a Habit

• Change one habit at a time. • Keystone habits: write it down and exercise.• Wait 10 minutes.• Pre-commit. Makes it difficult to reverse your

preferences. • Practice meditation.• Get social support and make it public.

What You Can Do To Change a Habit

• Know your triggers. Don’t think you’ll outsmart old habits. Instead try to avoid them.

• Make it easy to be good and hard to be bad.• Hyperbolic discounting.• Takes at least 3 weeks, sometimes even

longer to change a habit. • Change your outlook/thinking. Develop a

new belief.

Changing a Habit is Not Enough: Need to Change the Belief

• Stay firm.• Remind yourself of the whole

story, not just the beginning.• Stay away from- “what the

heck phenomena”.• Stay away from thinking your

are doing “good”. Focus on commitment instead of progress.

• Don’t “count your grilled chicken before it is hatched”.

• “Your future self, is no better than your current self.”

• Seek to be consistent.

Beliefs

• What beliefs get in your way? • What can be a

helpful belief for you?

• Stay firm.• Remind yourself of the whole

story, not just the beginning.• “what the heck phenomena”• Stay away from thinking your are

doing “good”. Focus on commitment instead of progress.

• “Don’t count your grilled chicken before it is hatched”.

• “Your future self, is no better than your self.”

• Seek to be consistent. • Avoid, don’t go near my triggers.

Let’s put our ideas into practice: “Change the Bad Habit Form”

1. Write down one bad habit that you would like to work on.

2. What Is the Cue, Routine, and Reward of this Old Habit?

3. What Is the Cue, Routine, and Reward for the New Habit?

4. What Strategies Will You Use? Write It down____, Meditate____, Seek Social Support____, Don’t Over-react_____, Wait 10 minutes____, Stand firm_____, Avoid Triggers, ___, Change my beliefs____, All of the Above_____

5. What is Your New Belief?

“Change the Bad Habit Form” 1. Bad Habit to Change? Getting frustrated with my husband when he gets annoyed

about small things.2. What Is the Cue, Routine, and Reward of this Old Habit?

Cue = Husband gets annoyed over small things. Routine = I get frustrated that he is annoyed and show it on my face. Reward = Get it off my chest and feel superior.

3. What Is the Cue, Routine, and Reward for the New Habit? Cue = Husband gets annoyed about small things. Routine = Sit with the feeling. Don’t try to be controlling. Reward = Better relationship with my husband.

4. What Strategies Will You Use?Write It down__, Meditate__, Seek Social Support__, Don’t Over-react__, Wait 10 minutes__, Stand firm___, Avoid Triggers, ___, Change my beliefs____, All of the Above_x____

5. What is Your New Belief? My relationship with my husband is more important than being right.

“Change the Bad Habit Form” 1. Bad Habit to Change? Eating cookies after 9pm.2. What Is the Cue, Routine, and Reward of this Old Habit?

Cue = feeling entitled/craving. Routine = go into the kitchen for just 1 cookie, but eat many more. Reward = dopamine rush and pleasure from taste of cookie.

3. What Is the Cue, Routine, and Reward for the New Habit? Cue = feeling entitled/craving. Routine = go into bedroom and drink decaf coffee. Reward = continue to fit into my size 4 pants.

4. What Strategies Will You Use?Write It down__, Meditate__, Seek Social Support__, Don’t Over-react__, Wait 10 minutes__, Stand firm___, Avoid Triggers, ___, Change my beliefs____, All of the Above_x____

5. What is Your New Belief? “Nothing taste as good as thin feels”.

What I Did Personally to Lose 25 Pounds

• Make It a Habit.• Keep My Sugar Level Stable.• Avoid My Triggers. • Change My Beliefs by Being a Long Term Hedonist.• Write It Down.• Make It Public.• I Try My Hardest Not to Engage in What the Heck. I

Am Forgiving of Myself and Go Right Back on the Scale.

Summary

• Willpower is a limited resource.• Glucose hijacks the brain. • Make it a habit.• Prevent, prevent, and then if can’t prevent, avoid,

avoid, and then avoid.• Develop beliefs that will inspire you. • Be mindful and reflective, focusing on the long term

consequences as opposed to the immediate rewards.

Come back!!!

• We will continue our conversation on March 1st at 1030 (Friday).

• Topic: How to Keep Your Willpower and Lose Your Weight.

• The discussion will be based on Judith • Judith Beck’s The Beck Diet Solution Book.• Do you want a partner to give you additional

support?

Something to Think About: Bloomberg’s Ban on Supersize Soda

• Given what you read in these books and what you heard today, what do you think of Bloomberg’s ban on supersize soda?