Understanding Habits: Curiosity and Cravings

How to use your innate mindfulness to turn the volume down, or even uproot, your everyday addictions.

Dr. Judson Brewer is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and professor in Behavioral and Social Sciences and Psychiatry at the Schools of Public Health & Medicine at Brown University. He is the author of several books, including The Craving Mind, Unwinding Anxiety, and The Hunger Habit.

This episode is part of our monthlong Do Life Better series. 

We talk about:

• Jud’s definition of addiction
• The difference between the scientific view and the Buddhist view on addiction
• The buddhist concept of Dependent origination
• Dopamine and dopamine fasting
• A three gear plan for sticking to your resolutions 
• Judson’s disenchantment with the term “mindfulness”
• What we need to know about willpower
• The two types of stress – and its impact on our behavior 
• What makes us resilient – and why it matters
• How community plays a role in making habit changes
• And finally, a friendly debate on whether there is such a thing as healthy anger?

Related Episodes:

• Do Life Better
• Get Fit Sanely
• The Anti-Diet | Evelyn Tribole
• The Science of Why You Eat When You're Not Hungry–And How to Stop | Judson Brewer
• Modern Life Is Making You Sick, but It Doesn't Have To | Gabor Maté
• Why We're All Suffering from Racial Trauma (Even White People) -- and How to Handle It | Resmaa Menakem
• I Just Went Through A Career Earthquake: This Is What's Next.
• How to Break Your Anxiety Habit | Judson Brewer 

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Full Shownotes: https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/judson-brewer-898

Additional Resources:

• MindShift Recovery