Wendy Wood, a psychology and business professor at USC, dives into the intriguing world of habit formation. She shares how we often operate on autopilot, caught in bad habits that affect our happiness. Discover the power of environment in shaping healthier behaviors and how routines can make good choices feel effortless. With insights from a former army doctor about tackling addiction, Wood reveals that lasting change isn't just about willpower—it's about smart strategies and context that empower us to break free from old patterns.
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Richard Ratner and the Vietnam War
Richard Ratner, a doctor drafted during the Vietnam War, was tasked with addressing heroin addiction among soldiers.
The army's initial approach was to force soldiers to go cold turkey.
insights INSIGHT
The Challenge of Relapse
The challenge wasn't just detox, but preventing relapse triggered by boredom, stress, and habitual urges.
Willpower alone was insufficient; a deeper understanding of habit mechanics was needed.
insights INSIGHT
Willpower's Ineffectiveness
Wendy Wood highlights that willpower is often ineffective for lasting change.
Focusing on what you don't want to do reinforces the unwanted behavior.
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The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
Katy Milkman
In this ground-breaking book, Katy Milkman reveals a proven path to help readers move from where they are to where they want to be. Drawing on her original research and the work of her world-renowned scientific collaborators, Milkman shares strategic methods for identifying and overcoming common barriers to change, such as impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness. The book offers innovative approaches like 'temptation bundling,' using timely reminders, and creating 'set-it-and-forget-it systems' to make change more achievable. It emphasizes the importance of tailoring solutions to specific roadblocks and using science to stack the deck in favor of successful change.
Good Habits, Bad Habits
Wendy Wood
In 'Good Habits, Bad Habits,' Wendy Wood draws on three decades of original research to explain the fascinating science of how we form habits. The book highlights that nearly half of our daily actions are automatic and not conscious choices, but rather the result of our non-conscious mind. Wood argues that willpower alone is inadequate for making positive changes and instead offers practical strategies based on neuroscience, case studies, and experiments. She explains how our brains respond to rewards, receive cues from our surroundings, and shut down when faced with too much friction. The book provides a detailed look at the three bases of habit formation: context, repetition, and reward, and offers practical advice on how to form better habits and make lasting positive changes.
We all have bad habits - things we eat, drink, do or say that cause us unhappiness. We repeat these behaviours over and over again - almost as if we are on autopilot. But we can break free from them, and use the mechanics of habit formation to make doing good things feel effortless.
Dr Laurie Santos meets a scientist who sleeps in her running gear and a former army doctor who went to Vietnam to fight a wave of heroin abuse in the military and discovered something startling about habits.
For an even deeper dive into the research we talk about in the show visit happinesslab.fm
The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos 
