ALL SUCCESSFUL People Break THESE BAD HABITS |Dr. Jud Brewer & Lewis Howes

Habit Mechanics

Dr. Jud Brewer explains the mechanics of habits, emphasizing the role of experience in driving change. He highlights how curiosity can hack cravings by exploring the sensations they create in the body. This approach helps individuals understand and manage their cravings more effectively.

Oh, what does this craving feel like in my body? And we flip the valence from this closed down feature. Feeling of craving, being caught up in a craving to, oh, wow, this feels like tightness or tension or, you know, I'm feeling my hand move to my phone to click on, you know, click on the food eating app or whatever. Oh, wow, wow. And we can just explore our experience in that moment.

--- Judson Brewer

He also discusses the basic learning principles that underpin habits, such as the trigger-behavior-reward cycle, which is essential for survival but can lead to addictive behaviors in modern contexts 1 2.

   

Personal Addictions

Jud shares his personal struggles with various addictions, including thinking, love, and exercise. He emphasizes that while his addictions are better managed now, they are not completely gone. This highlights the ongoing nature of managing addictive behaviors.

Let's just say that my addictions are much better. I wrote a whole book about all my different addictions, from thinking to love to distraction to whatnot.

--- Judson Brewer

He also discusses the concept of being addicted to the chase, where the excitement of pursuit can overshadow the actual relationship or activity 3 4.

   

Mental Health Impacts

The connection between habits and mental health is crucial, as Jud explains. He argues that mental health and disease are often defined by our relationship to our experiences. By changing how we relate to our thoughts and feelings, we can improve our mental well-being.

So think of life as a mental dis ease, as a not in ease, not not easeful. That extends, I think, to what you're describing in terms of mental illness, so to speak.

--- Judson Brewer

Jud also highlights the importance of focusing on mental health to bring our minds back into a state of balance, thereby reducing the impact of negative habits 5 6.