Still haven’t paid that bill? Blame your procrastination on these two teams competing for power, in your head.
We all have them- things we do that aren’t really good for us, and we’d like to stop doing but we actually can’t seem to.
Smoking, drinking, procrastinating- some negative habits are worse than others.
So, what’s going on in your brain when they take over? According to experts in human thinking, two parts of your brain are always at play: a goal-directed side and a side that works on automatic-pilot. The trouble comes when you let the “bad guys” win.
In a study published in the journal Neuron, researchers from the University of California, San Diego, conducted studies on the brains of mice. They discovered that competition is constantly taking place. The habit circuits in the area of your brain that controls decision-making are always competing for control of your mind against your goal-directed circuits.
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Certain neurochemicals produced by the habit-side essentially put the breaks on your goal-directed thinking. In order to fix this, you have to physically (or mentally) override it.
Both circuits in your brain are useful, but it’s about balance. With habitual thinking, we’re able to complete so many daily tasks without really having to think about them. Things like getting dressed, brushing your teeth and having breakfast on time can form themselves into useful, fast routines.
This circuit only becomes a problem when you start habitually doing things that are bad for you.
Seeking change? Check out these tips for breaking bad habits by substituting new ones and enjoy a new you.
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