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Alright, so get ready because today we're going to be tackling this topic that might completely change how you think about self -control.
We're going deep, really deep into willpower and why your environment, the one you're in right now, might actually be the real key to breaking those bad habits you want to get rid of.
Yeah, you know, it's interesting how much we always seem to focus on willpower.
Like it's this inner battle, like a test of how strong you are.
But what if I told you that the place we're in, the actual environment around us, actually plays a much bigger part than we think?
Okay, yeah, I'm listening.
Tell me more.
Give me an example or something.
Okay, well, let's go back in time a bit.
It's 1971, picture the Vietnam War happening, super stressful times, lots of uncertainty.
And researchers, well, they were pretty worried about how much heroin US soldiers were using over there.
Some estimates even said that maybe 20 % of them were addicted.
So everyone was kind of bracing themselves, like waiting for this huge wave of addiction when these soldiers came back home.
That makes sense, right?
Like coming back home wouldn't just magically make them not addicted anymore.
Exactly.
But here's the thing, get this, a really important study by this guy, Lee Robbins, he found something totally unexpected.
Only 5 % of those veterans who are addicted in Vietnam ended up relapsing within a year of coming home.
And then even after three years, that number only went up to 12%.
Hold on, only 12%.
That's way lower than anyone expected.
It's like, it challenges that whole idea that addiction is just about someone being weak or not having enough willpower.
You got it.
That's what Robbins' study did, it changed everything.
What it showed was that the environment, where you are and what's around you, plays a way bigger role than we usually think about.
Think about it, in Vietnam, heroin was cheap, it was easy to find, and a lot of soldiers, especially in certain groups, using it was like normal.
Oh, so when they came back home, they weren't around those things that made them want to use heroin anymore.
It's like the environment itself was making them addicted.
You got it exactly.
And this whole thing applies to all sorts of habits, not just being addicted to drugs.
This brings us to something called cue -induced wanting.
A cue is basically anything in your surroundings that can make you crave something or do something out of habit.
So in this case, for those soldiers, just being in Vietnam was like one big cue to use heroin.
Yeah, you got it.
And these cues can be crazy strong, they can really make you do things.
Let me tell you about this case study that really shows this.
So there was this woman who had quit smoking, she had totally stopped, but years later, she went horseback riding, which was something she always used to do when she smoked.
Guess what happened?
I bet she really wanted to smoke again, right?
Right.
Even though she hadn't smoked for years, being in that environment again, doing that activity made her want to smoke.
That's how powerful cue -induced wanting is, it can happen to anyone.
Okay, that is a little scary to think about.
How these things we don't even realize can make us do stuff.
So if just trying to use willpower isn't enough, then what can we do?
Well, instead of relying on just willpower, which we know doesn't always work, we need to focus on making those cues weaker.
There's this guy, James Clear, he wrote a book called Atomic Habits, and he talks about something called the first law of behavior change, which is make it obvious.
And we can flip that around for breaking bad habits, make it invisible.
So we need to make it harder to do those bad things by not being around the things that make us want to do them.
That's it.
For example, if you're always checking your phone, try leaving it in a different room while you're working.
Right.
Or if there are certain people you follow on social media that make you feel bad,
maybe unfollowing them would be a good thing to do.
Yeah, exactly.
It's not about forcing yourself to resist, it's more about being smart and changing your environment to make those bad habits less appealing, less visible.
Self -control, well, it only goes so far, so why not set yourself up to win by making those temptations go away?
It's not just about making those bad habits disappear,
right?
We can use this same idea to make good habits more attractive, like something we really want to do.
Yeah, that's a great point.
So instead of trying to hide the things that tempt us, what if we made those good habits really obvious, like a little nudge to do the right thing?
Okay, so let's say I want to start meditating every day.
Maybe I should leave my meditation cushion, you know, right in the middle of the living room where I can't miss it.
Exactly.
Or, like, if you're trying to drink more water, keep a big water bottle full and on your desk all day.
The important thing is to make it really visible and easy to get to.
That way it's easy to do the right thing, you know?
Yeah, it's like you're giving yourself little reminders without even realizing it.
That's it.
And remember, willpower is kind of like a muscle.
You can make it stronger, but it can also get tired.
By changing your environment, you're taking some of the pressure off your willpower, making it easier to just naturally make good choices.
Yeah, that makes sense.
It sounds like a much better plan in the long run, right?
Instead of constantly fighting temptation, you're setting yourself up to succeed from the very beginning.
Think of it like working smarter, not harder.
You're creating a space that helps you reach your goals and stick to your plans.
Okay, so we've talked about how important our environment is, but, like, how does this actually work in our brains?
What's the science behind all this?
Well, our brains are actually designed to create habits.
It's a natural process that helps us save mental energy.
When we do something over and over again in the same place or situation,
our brains create a shortcut, like linking that action to that specific context.
So like, when I grab my phone first thing in the morning without even thinking, is it because my brain has learned to connect waking up with checking my phone?
Like it's become a habit loop.
You got it.
It's a classic habit loop.
Waking up is the cue, checking your phone is the routine, and the reward is that little dopamine rush you get from seeing notifications or scrolling through social media.
And over time, we just do it without even thinking.
No wonder it's so hard to break bad habits.
Exactly.
We're not just fighting the action itself, we're going up against this strong pathway in our brain that's been built up over time.
So how can we break these pathways?
Can we actually rewire our brains?
We definitely can, but it takes time and effort.
The key is to understand how habits work and use that knowledge to help us.
I'm all ears.
How do we change those habit loops and make real changes that last?
One way is to interrupt the habit loop by changing the cue.
If you want to stop snacking while watching TV, try watching in a different room or at a different time.
So if the cue changes, you're less likely to automatically do the habit.
Right.
You can also change the routine itself.
Instead of grabbing chips, have a healthy snack ready to go or take a walk during commercials.
So we're disrupting that automatic response and replacing it with something better.
Exactly.
And lastly, you can change the reward.
Instead of that immediate pleasure from the bad habit, focus on the long -term benefits of the good one.
Like if I'm quitting smoking, I could remind myself how much healthier I'll be and how much money I'll save.
Or if I'm trying to exercise more, I can focus on how good I'll feel afterward.
That's the idea.
It's all about changing your focus and finding those rewards that will keep you going.
This is making so much sense now.
It's about understanding how habits are formed and using that knowledge to create positive change.
And the good news is our brains are amazingly adaptable.
With consistent effort, we can create new, healthier habits that are good for us.
Instead of feeling controlled by our habits, we can actually control them.
That's pretty cool.
It is exciting to realize we have more control than we think over our habits.
This has been so interesting.
But you know, there's that feeling we all get sometimes, like, I just don't have enough willpower.
Does willpower even matter with all of this?
That's a great question.
Researchers have been debating this for a long time.
Willpower is complicated.
It's not like a fixed thing.
It's more like a muscle that gets stronger with practice.
Oh, so just like any muscle, it can get tired and worn out.
But we can also train it to be stronger.
Exactly.
And here's where things get really interesting.
It turns out one of the best ways to strengthen willpower is to, you guessed it, make your environment less tempting.
Wait, so by making those bad habits less obvious, we're also making our willpower stronger at the same time.
You got it.
It creates a cycle where everyone wins.
When we reduce temptation, we're less likely to drain our willpower.
And when we have a lot of willpower, we can resist temptation better in the future.
So it's a double win.
We're making good habits easier and boosting our willpower all by changing our environment.
That's right.
This approach works so well because it uses both willpower and environment together.
It's not about choosing one over the other.
It's about using both to make real lasting change.
This is so encouraging.
It feels like we have a whole new set of tools to tackle bad habits and build good ones.
And the best part is, it's not about being perfect.
It's about making those small changes that add up over time.
So instead of trying to change everything at once, we can focus on one small thing at a time.
Progress, not perfection.
Exactly.
Remember, this is a journey, not a destination.
And every step you take to create a better environment for yourself is a step in the right direction.
So let's say someone is listening to this and wants to try all this out.
What's one thing they can do today to make a bad habit less visible?
One simple but effective strategy is to figure out what triggers your bad habit and then find ways to get rid of or reduce those triggers.
So if I'm trying to spend less time on social media, I could delete the apps from my phone or log out of my accounts on my computer.
Make it harder to do.
That's a great idea.
Or if you're trying to drink less soda, stop buying it.
Don't even keep it in your house.
Make it as difficult as possible to do that bad habit.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Exactly.
And remember, this isn't about depriving yourself.
It's about making the healthy choice the easy choice.
If that soda isn't right there, you're more likely to choose water or something healthier.
So instead of trying so hard to resist, you're just setting yourself up to succeed by getting rid of the temptation in the first place.
Precisely.
And once you've tackled one bad habit, you can move on to the next one.
It's a step -by -step process, but it can really lead to significant changes that last.
Okay, so let's say someone is listening to all this and they're thinking, man, this is a lot.
I need to change everything.
You know, like they're feeling overwhelmed.
Where should they even start?
What's one small thing they can actually do today?
You know, if there's just one thing to take away from all of this, it's this.
Pick one bad habit and make it invisible.
Just one.
Think of a habit that's been bugging you, something you really want to stop doing.
And then think about what triggers it, those cues we talked about.
So for example,
if I'm trying to stop snacking so much, I might realize that I always grab a bag of chips when I sit down to watch TV.
That's my cue.
Right, exactly.
So then you've got to get rid of that cue, hide the chips in a cupboard, put them somewhere you won't see them, or even better, don't even buy them at the store.
Out of sight, out of mind, I get it.
Exactly.
And it's not about depriving yourself or anything.
It's about making the healthy choice the easy choice.
If you don't have those chips right there tempting you, you're way more likely to grab a piece of fruit or some nuts instead.
So it's not about forcing yourself to resist.
It's more about setting things up so you don't even have to resist.
That's it.
And once you've tackled one bad habit, you can move on to another one.
It's a process, you know, but it can really lead to some amazing changes that last.
I know.
This whole conversation has been so interesting.
It's crazy how much we don't realize how much our environment affects us.
We're so quick to blame ourselves like, oh, I don't have enough willpower, but maybe we're just making things harder than they need to be.
I think you're right.
We tend to focus so much on the individual, you know, like their motivation, how strong they are.
And we forget that everyone is surrounded by things that influence their choices.
It's kind of like expecting someone to run a marathon and flip flops, right?
Yeah.
Some people might be able to do it, but why not give them the right shoes?
That's a great way to put it.
And that's exactly what designing your environment is all about.
It's about creating the right situation, the right support system so we can all be successful.
So for everyone listening, as you go about your day today,
try to pay attention to those cues in your environment.
What's triggering those habits you don't want?
What can you change to make those cues less tempting?
Remember, even small changes can make a big difference.
Thanks for joining us for this deep dive today.
And until next time, keep learning and keep exploring.