"'Have you ever noticed how your day starts?' Khan asks in a YouTube video on his channel, The Brain Project. 'You open your eyes, and your hands already know what to do. Same apps, same path to the kitchen, same routines you never actually chose. 'It feels automatic because, well, it is. Habits aren't a personality trait, they're neural shortcuts your brain builds to save energy.'"
"Khan said a habit begins with a cue, a feeling or trigger, and the key is to notice what happens just before the behavior so you can interrupt the pattern and choose a different response. He also recommended breaking big goals into one small, doable step and replacing the old reward with a new one, like a deep breath or a moment of pride, so the brain still receives a satisfying payoff."
Habits form as neural shortcuts that conserve energy by turning repeated behaviors into automatic routines triggered by cues. The basal ganglia operates like an autopilot, causing the brain to favor familiar pathways over novel choices. Interrupting a habit requires noticing the cue that precedes the behavior and shifting that cue to disrupt the automatic response. Breaking large goals into a single small, doable step lowers resistance and makes action more likely. Replacing the original reward with a new satisfying payoff, such as a deep breath or a moment of pride, helps the brain accept the new behavior. Consistent use of these techniques can gradually overwrite harmful shortcuts and restore intentional control.
Read at Mail Online
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