How Do Habits REALLY Work? (THE TRUTH)

Summary

This video lesson delves into the structure of habits, introducing the habit loop model by Charles Duhigg. It breaks down habits into three components: the cue, the routine, and the reward. The video aims to help viewers understand and replace bad habits with good ones by identifying their cues and rewards, and suggests using this knowledge to form new, positive routines. It also emphasizes the importance of recognizing the real rewards behind addictions to effectively address and replace them.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video is the second lesson of a team course focused on habit formation.
• 🔁 The 'Habit Loop Model' by Charles Duhigg is introduced, consisting of three steps: Cue, Routine, and Reward.
• 🌟 The Cue is a trigger that signals the brain to start a habit.
• 🏃‍♂️ The Routine is the behavior performed, which is the actual habit.
• 🏆 The Reward is what makes the habit satisfying, reinforcing the loop for future occurrences.
• 🔄 The habit loop is a cycle that strengthens with each successful completion, leading to automatic behavior.
• 🛠 To overcome addiction, identify the Cue, Routine, and Reward of the current habit and replace the routine with a positive one.
• 🧐 Discovering the cues for an addiction is crucial as they frequently appear and can be reassigned to healthier routines.
• 🤔 Becoming aware of the rewards behind an addiction helps in understanding the driving force and finding alternatives.
• 📝 The speaker encourages viewers to sketch their own habit loop for their addiction, noting multiple cues and hypothesizing about rewards.
• 🚫 Habits cannot be erased, but the routine can be altered to change the habit.
• ⏳ The video mentions that there's a misconception about habit formation timelines, hinting that common beliefs about 21 or 90 days might be incorrect.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the second lesson of the team course?

The main focus of the second lesson is to understand how habits work, specifically the structure of habits, using the habit loop model introduced by Charles Duhigg.

What is the habit loop model?

The habit loop model is a three-step process that includes the cue (Q), the routine, and the reward. It helps to understand the structure of habits and how they are formed.

What serves as the cue in the habit loop model?

The cue, or Q, can be anything in the environment, a certain time of day, a location, or an emotion that signals the brain to start the habit.

What is the routine in the habit loop model?

The routine is the actual behavior or action that is performed as part of the habit, such as the act of smoking a cigarette in the case of a smoking habit.

What is the role of the reward in the habit loop?

The reward is what makes the habit loop continue. If the reward is satisfying, the brain associates the cue with the routine and seeks the reward again, strengthening the habit loop.

How can understanding the habit loop help in overcoming addictions?

By identifying the cue, routine, and reward of an addiction, one can discover what triggers the habit and then replace the routine with a more positive behavior while still achieving the same reward.

Why is it important to identify the cues for an addiction?

Identifying the cues is important because they are the triggers that appear in one's life and prompt the addiction. By attaching these cues to positive routines, one can replace a bad habit with a good one.

What is an example of a positive routine that could replace a bad habit?

An example of a positive routine is exercise or meditation, which can be used to replace a habit like smoking or excessive pornography consumption, especially if the reward is stress relief.

What does the speaker suggest doing to better understand one's addiction?

The speaker suggests grabbing a pen and paper to sketch out the habit loop for one's own addiction, identifying the cues and rewards, which will play an important role in overcoming the addiction.

What misconception does the speaker mention about forming a habit?

The speaker mentions the misconception that it takes 21 days or 90 days to form a habit, stating that for the most part, these beliefs are incorrect.

How can viewers support the creation of more free content like the team course?

Viewers can support the creation of more free content by visiting the speaker's Patreon page and becoming a patron, which offers various perks.

Outlines

00:00

🔁 Understanding the Habit Loop Model

The first paragraph introduces the concept of habits and their structure, focusing on the habit loop model by Charles Duhigg. It emphasizes the importance of understanding how habits work to create good ones. The habit loop consists of three parts: the cue, which triggers the habit; the routine, which is the actual behavior; and the reward, which reinforces the habit. The paragraph explains that habits are formed when the brain associates a cue with a rewarding routine, creating a loop that strengthens over time. It also suggests that identifying the cues and rewards of an addiction can help in replacing bad habits with positive ones, such as exercise or meditation.

05:05

🔍 Identifying Cues and Rewards of Addiction

The second paragraph delves into the process of identifying the cues and rewards associated with an addiction, using the example of a pornography habit. It highlights the need to understand the specific triggers and the underlying reasons for the addiction, such as stress relief or social needs. The paragraph encourages the viewer to analyze their own life to determine the rewards they seek from their addiction. It also discusses the importance of recognizing that habits cannot be erased but can be altered by changing the routine while keeping the cue and reward the same. The speaker shares his personal experience of overcoming addiction by identifying cues like being drunk or feeling rejected and suggests that the viewer should continue to add to their habit loop diagram as new insights emerge.

Keywords

💡Habit Loop Model

The Habit Loop Model is a psychological construct introduced by Charles Duhigg in his book 'The Power of Habit'. It is a three-step process that explains how habits are formed and maintained. In the context of the video, this model is central to understanding the structure of habits, which is essential for creating new, positive habits and breaking negative ones. The video script uses this model to illustrate the cue, routine, and reward components of a habit.

💡Cue (Q)

In the habit loop model, a cue, often referred to as 'the Q', is a trigger that signals to the brain that it's time to start a habit. It can be an environmental stimulus, a time of day, or an emotion. In the video, the cue is the initiator of the habit loop, setting off the chain of events that lead to the routine and ultimately the reward.

💡Routine

The routine is the actual behavior or action that constitutes the habit. It is the second step in the habit loop model. The video emphasizes that identifying and changing the routine is key to habit formation or modification. For example, if someone has a habit of smoking, the routine would involve the actions of taking out the cigarette, lighting it, and smoking it.

💡Reward

The reward is the third component of the habit loop and serves as the reinforcing outcome that makes the habit satisfying. It can vary greatly from person to person and can be anything from a dopamine spike to a sense of social connection. The video script explains that understanding the reward is crucial for identifying the driving force behind an addiction or habit.

💡Addiction

Addiction, in the context of the video, refers to a destructive habit that a person is trying to overcome. The script discusses how the habit loop model can be applied to addiction, by identifying the cues and rewards associated with the addictive behavior and then replacing the routine with a healthier alternative.

💡Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with the brain's reward system. In the script, it is mentioned as a potential reward for certain habits, such as smoking, where nicotine can cause a quick spike in dopamine levels. Understanding the role of dopamine in habit formation is important for addressing and changing addictive behaviors.

💡Stress Relief

Stress relief is identified in the video as a potential reward for certain habits, such as pornography addiction. The script suggests that if the reward for a habit is stress relief, one should find a healthier habit, like lifting weights, to replace the old one. This highlights the importance of addressing the underlying need for stress relief while changing habits.

💡Socializing

The script uses the example of Charles Duhigg's habit of eating cookies to illustrate that the actual reward was not the cookie itself but the social interaction that came with it. Socializing is presented as a reward that can be associated with certain habits, and understanding this can help in finding alternative routines that satisfy the same need.

💡Validation

Validation is mentioned in the script as a possible reward for a habit like pornography addiction, where the brain might falsely perceive a sense of validation from the illusion of multiple partners. Recognizing such rewards is important for identifying the true needs that a habit is fulfilling and finding healthier alternatives.

💡Habit Formation

Habit formation is the process of developing a routine that becomes automatic over time. The video script explains that once a habit is formed, the action is performed without conscious thought, which is the point at which the habit loop is fully established. Understanding this process is crucial for both forming new, positive habits and breaking old, negative ones.

💡Patronage

Patronage, in the context of the video, refers to the support provided by patrons to the content creator, allowing the creation of free educational content like the team course. The script mentions Patreon as a platform where viewers can become patrons and support the channel, which is a way for them to contribute to the ongoing creation of such courses.

Highlights

Introduction to the second lesson of the team course, emphasizing the importance of watching all videos for maximum benefit.

Explanation of the habit loop model by Charles Duhigg, which is central to understanding how habits are structured.

The Cue (Q) as the trigger for starting a habit, which can be environmental or emotional.

The Routine as the actual behavior performed, which constitutes the habit itself.

The Reward as the outcome that varies from person to person and reinforces the habit loop.

The process of the habit loop becoming stronger with each reward, leading to the formation of a habit when no conscious thought is required.

The strategy to overcome addiction by identifying and understanding the Cue, Routine, and Reward of one's current habits.

The importance of attaching positive routines to cues that trigger addiction.

The necessity of becoming aware of the rewards behind addiction to address the root cause effectively.

The example of replacing a pornography habit with stress-relieving activities like lifting weights.

The concept that habits cannot be erased but can be altered by changing the routine while keeping the cue and reward.

The exercise of sketching out one's own habit loop for addiction, including identifying multiple cues.

The challenge of identifying the main rewards behind addiction beyond the initial increase in dopamine levels.

The method of analyzing one's life to determine the specific rewards that an addiction provides.

The upcoming lesson预告 on the misconceptions about how long it takes to form a habit, challenging the common beliefs of 21 or 90 days.

The call to action for viewers to support the course creator on Patreon to continue receiving free content.

Transcripts

Hey, Improvement Pill here I want to welcome you to the second lesson of the

team course if you haven't watched lesson number one I suggest that you

pause this video right now and click on the link in the description below

because if you want to get the most out of this course you're gonna have to

watch all of the videos in today's lesson we're gonna talk about how habits

work or more specifically how they are structured because remember our strategy

for the next couple of months is to focus all of our energy on creating good

new habits and in order for us to do so we're gonna have to understand how they

work psychologists know that there's a

certain structure that all habits follow there's dozens of models out there

depicting this but for the purposes of this video to make things easier for all

of us to understand I'm gonna use my favorite model the habit loop model

which was introduced by Charles Duhigg in his book the power of habit the habit

loop model contains three steps the first step is the Q the Q can come in

many shapes and forms it can be something in your environment like an

object a sound or a smell it could also be a certain time of day a location or

even an emotion whatever it is the Q serves one purpose it tells your brain

that it should start the habit and that's where the next step of the habit

loop comes in the second step of the habit loop is called the routine the

routine is the actual habit itself it's the behavior that you perform so if you

have a bad habit of smoking cigarettes it's the act of taking out your pack

lighting your cigarette and taking a poll this entire process is the routine

the third and final step of the habit loop is the reward the reward can come

in many shapes and forms and it varies from person to person it can even be a

combination of different things for our example of smoking cigarettes it could

be a quick spike in our dopamine levels which nicotine provides it could be a

break from work or it could even be the good feeling that comes from socializing

for people that like to smoke in groups the reason the habit loop is called a

loop is because of the reward if the reward for the habit is satisfying

enough your brain says okay if this cue appears and we do this routine then we

get a good reward and it keeps this information tucked away for next time so

the next time the cue appears your brain says oh look it's that cue again if we

do the same routine as last time we'll get a good reward just like last time

and each and every time you reach the reward this specific loop becomes

stronger and stronger to the point where you no longer even have to think about

the action you just do it when you reach this point where you no longer even have

to think about doing the routine that's when a habit is officially formed and

that's the habit loop now you're probably wondering well this is good

information and all but how exactly can I use this to overcome my own addiction

well this is important because it allows you to discover the cue routine reward

of your current addiction it's important to find out the cues for your addiction

because these are the cues that seem to appear in your life all of the time you

can take these cues and attach them to more positive routines like exercise or

meditation and if we can train our brain to associate these cues with those

routines we will have successfully replaced a bad habit with a good one

we'll dive deeper into this concept throughout the course now it's important

to become aware of what your rewards are because by doing so you'll discover the

driving force behind your addiction let's say for example you realize that

the reward for your pornography habit is that it helps you relieve stress maybe

you have a tough day at work work maybe you had a bad interaction with a girl

you like some of us turn to porn to relieve this sort of stress if that's

the case then we need to address this problem

you're not going to suddenly stop having stress in your life so we need to pick a

habit that can relieve stress a good example of this is the habit of lifting

heavy weights remember habits cannot truly be erased

the cue and reward can't really be changed but we can alter the routine and

that's the idea behind this entire course replace not a race so what I want

you to do right now is to grab a pen and paper and start sketching out the habit

loop for your own addiction the routine is pretty obvious it's the bad habit

itself but the cue can be a little tricky most of the time there's more

than one cue there's a variety of different situations that prompts us to

indulge in our addiction so think of as many as possible and write them down for

example here's a list of the cues that I wrote back in the day when I was in the

process of overcoming my own pornography addiction if I was drunk

if felt rejected if I had my phone or

laptop on my bed before going to sleep now when it comes to identifying the

rewards it can be a bit tricky as well for one every single bad habit that is

addictive involves an increase in dopamine levels but we have to dig

deeper than that and uncover the main rewards that we crave in the book the

power of habit Charles Duhigg looked at his bad habit of eating cookies every

single day at first glance you might think well the reward is probably the

sugar rush or the satisfaction of hunger but Duhigg soon discovered that it was

actually the reward of socializing because he would get up from his desk

walk to the cafeteria buy the cookie and talk to his co-workers he discovered

this by noticing that just eating the cookie wasn't enough to keep him

satisfied he would always want more we need to think about our own addiction

with this attention to detail a bad habit like pornography might provide you

with a sense of validation because to your brain there's hundreds of girls

that want to sleep with you another reward could be the fact that it helps

you fall asleep it could also be something that relieves stress or maybe

it could be something that makes you feel like you accomplished something

there's many many possibilities and the only way to really determine what the

rewards are is by analyzing your own life if you're someone who doesn't feel

the urges to masturbate after spending the entire day having a great time with

your friends then the reward for your addiction might be that it satisfies

your social needs if you don't feel the urges to masturbate when you get a

massage one day after feeling stressed at work your reward for your pornography

addiction might be the fact that it relieves stress so it's really up to you

to think about this part carefully and hypothesize what the rewards are for

your addiction chances are you're not going to finish this diagram in one

sitting you're probably going to think of some cues and come to the realization

about the rewards throughout the next week or so so make sure you add those to

your diagram because it's gonna play an extremely important role throughout this

course in our next lesson we're gonna talk about how long it takes to form a

habit there's a huge misconception going around about this some people say it

takes 21 days some say it takes 90 for the most part they're all wrong the team

course was brought to you for absolutely free with the help of the patrons of

this channel if you're someone who has found value in this course or would like

to help me continue to make these types of videos for free then you should visit

my patreon page right here or in the description below to check out

the perks of becoming a patron and besides that stay tuned