Judson Brewer: A simple way to break a bad habit

A simple way to break a bad habit

Can we break bad habits by being more curious about them? Psychiatrist Judson Brewer studies the relationship between mindfulness and addiction -- from smoking to overeating to all those other things we do even though we know they're bad for us. Learn more about the mechanism of habit development and discover a simple but profound tactic that might help you beat your next urge to smoke, snack or check a text while driving.

Habits like smoking and overeating are reinforced by deep, evolution-driven reward loops that can override logic and self-control, especially during stress. In one study, mindfulness training proved twice as effective as standard therapy for quitting smoking. By getting genuinely curious about cravings instead of fighting them, people move from intellectual knowledge to visceral understanding, which weakens old habits. This approach helps people step out of automatic loops and form healthier behaviors over time.

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