BrainSmart Habit Change: Getting Started

BrainSmart Behavior Change

This post will give you a feel for what's involved when following the methods of our two favorite habit experts: BJ Fogg and Dr. Judson Brewer. We recommend Fogg for creating new habits and Brewer for breaking unwanted habits.

Creating New Habits with BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits

Fogg is founder and Director of the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford. The real world outcomes of his models and methods continue to validate the value of this approach. The Tiny Habits method is an elegant, deceptively simple, effective strategy that anyone can integrate into a busy life. These tiny habits stack up for transformative results.  

Step 1: Behavior Start Tiny. Choose one small step toward your goal that you can do even on your worst day (like flossing one tooth; try to keep it under 30 seconds).

Step 2: Trigger Attach new behavior to an existing habit. Link your tiny behavior to something related that you already do (like brushing teeth before you floss).

Step 3: Reward Celebrate every instance of the new behavior right away. Reward you brain with an 'I'm awesome' or 'Yes! I am some who takes care of their teeth". Reinforce the new behavior so your brain's reward center knows to assign it a positive reward value!

Try BJ Fogg's Free 5 Day Program (just minutes a day) for a quick start in learning and practicing the Tiny Habits method. Live coaching (not AI) provided via email. It's incredible value for just minutes as day of your time.

Breaking Habits with Dr. Judson Brewer

Dr. Judson Brewer is a physician/scientist (Psychiatrist and neuroscientist) highly regarded for his work in breaking habits and mindfulness. His research and results with real-world patients shows unprecedented success rates in breaking habits like overeating, smoking, and anxiety (yes, anxiety is a type of habit loop than can be broken!)

His approach is grounded in becoming aware of how the habit actually feels (rarely good!) This updates the brain's reward center with the information needed to downgrade the unwanted behavior's reward value.

No habit can be broken without changing its reward value!

Step 1: Map Your Habit

Behavior. What's the behavior you want to change?

Reward / Result. What do you get from it - Immediately? Later?

Trigger. What triggers it - thoughts, emotions, places?

Step 2: Change the reward value of the unwelcome behavior. Through becoming aware of how the unwanted behavior actually makes you feel, your brain's reward value center gets the information needed to downgrade it's value.

Step 3: Find the more rewarding behavior, a Bigger Better Offer (BBO). Through curiosity and awareness, discover what intrinsically feels good, make the brain aware it it deserves positive reward value assignment!

For a quick start with Step 1, Download Dr Jud's Habit Mapper.

Listen to this interview to learn why the method works and hear concrete examples for how to actually do this. (Discussion speaks to the anxiety loop habit and overeating habits)

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Visit our Playbook Habits Portal for related blog posts and links to more detail direct from our favorite experts.

Wishing you well,

Janice