Outsmarting Your Mind Hard Wired Habits

Do you find it difficult to break free from your unwanted habits? Are you constantly battling against your own mind, feeling stuck in a loop that seems impossible to escape? Well, you're not alone. Our brains are hardwired to develop habits, making them notoriously difficult to change. But fear not, because in this article, we will explore effective strategies and techniques to outsmart your mind and break free from those hardwired habits.

The Science Behind Habits

Before we dive into solutions, let's understand how habits are formed. Habits are automatic behaviors triggered by specific cues or triggers that have been repeatedly reinforced. They stem from our brain's desire to conserve energy by creating neural shortcuts for repetitive actions. When a habit loop forms, the brain shifts into autopilot mode, making it effortlessly perform the routine in response to the trigger without requiring conscious effort.

Identifying Your Habits

The first step towards outsmarting your mind is to identify the habits you want to change. Take some time to reflect on your daily routine and observe recurring patterns of behavior. Focus on habits that hinder personal growth, health and well-being, productivity, or relationships. Acknowledging these habits is essential as it allows you to become aware of triggers and begin deconstructing the habit loop.

On Second Thought: Outsmarting Your Mind's Hard-Wired Habits

by Wray Herbert (Kindle Edition)

4.1 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	655 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	306 pages

FREE

Breaking the Habit Loop

Now that you have identified your habits, it's time to break the habit loop. This involves interrupting the automatic sequence of cue, routine, and reward. One effective technique is to replace the routine with a new, positive behavior that serves the same purpose as the old habit. For example, if you want to quit smoking, you could replace the act of smoking with taking a walk or practicing deep breathing exercises whenever you feel the craving.

Utilizing the Power of Environment

Your environment plays a significant role in reinforcing or curbing your habits. By strategically altering your surroundings, you can make it easier to outsmart your mind. Keep unhealthy snacks out of sight, surround yourself with positive influences, and create an environment that promotes the desired behavior. For example, if you want to develop a regular exercise routine, place your workout clothes and equipment in a visible and easily accessible area.

Affirmations and Visualization

Affirmations and visualization are powerful tools that can rewire your mind to support new habits. Repeat positive affirmations relevant to your desired change regularly. For instance, if you want to overcome procrastination, you can repeat affirmations like "I am disciplined and focused, making progress every day." Additionally, visualize yourself successfully engaging in the desired behavior, feeling the fulfillment it brings. This helps train your mind to associate positive emotions with the new habit.

The Role of Accountability

Accountability can greatly enhance your chances of breaking hardwired habits. Find a supportive friend, family member, or join a community with similar goals. Share your progress, setbacks, and commitments with them. Having someone hold you accountable provides an external motivation and support system. It also creates a sense of responsibility that makes it harder to succumb to old habits.

Patience and Persistence

Outsmarting your mind and rewiring your habits is a process that requires patience and persistence. It's essential to understand that change takes time and setbacks are part of the journey. Be kind to yourself, celebrate small victories, and learn from the challenges. Keep reminding yourself that breaking free from hardwired habits is possible with dedication and consistent effort.

In

Outsmarting our mind's hardwired habits is certainly a challenging endeavor, but not an insurmountable one. By understanding the science behind habits, identifying and deconstructing them, leveraging your environment, utilizing affirmations and visualization, seeking accountability, and embracing patience and persistence, you can take control of your habits and create a life aligned with your aspirations. So, don't let your mind dictate your actions; instead, outsmart it and pave your way to personal growth and success.

On Second Thought: Outsmarting Your Mind's Hard-Wired Habits

by Wray Herbert (Kindle Edition)

4.1 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	655 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	306 pages

FREE

Our lives are composed of millions of choices, ranging from trivial to life-changing and momentous. Luckily, our brains have evolved a number of mental shortcuts, biases, and tricks that allow us to quickly negotiate this endless array of decisions. We don’t want to rationally deliberate every choice we make, and thanks to these cognitive rules of thumb, we don’t need to. 
 
Yet these hard-wired shortcuts, mental wonders though they may be, can also be perilous.   They can distort our thinking in ways that are often invisible to us, leading us to make poor decisions, to be easy targets for manipulators…and they can even cost us our lives. 
 
The truth is, despite all the buzz about the power of gut-instinct decision-making in recent years, sometimes it’s better to stop and say, “On second thought . . .”  
 
The trick, of course, lies in knowing when to trust that instant response, and when to question it.  In On Second Thought, acclaimed science writer Wray Herbert provides the first guide to achieving that balance.  Drawing on real-world examples and cutting-edge research, he takes us on a fascinating, wide-ranging journey through our innate cognitive traps and tools, exposing the hidden dangers lurking in familiarity and consistency; the obstacles that keep us from accurately evaluating risk and value; the delusions that make it hard for us to accurately predict the future; the perils of the human yearning for order and simplicity; the ways our fears can color our very perceptions . . . and much more. 
 
Along the way, Herbert reveals the often-bizarre cross-connections these shortcuts have secretly ingrained in our brains, answering such questions as why jury decisions may be shaped by our ancient need for cleanliness; what the state of your desk has to do with your political preferences; why loneliness can literally make us shiver; how drawing two dots on a piece of paper can desensitize us to violence… and how the very typeface on this page is affecting your decision about whether or not to buy this book.   
 
Ultimately, On Second Thought is both a captivating exploration of the workings of the mind and an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to learn how to make smarter, better judgments every day.