New Year's Resolutions: Why don't they work?

Answer: Our brain gets in the way.  
If you think it takes mere willpower to keep a New Year's Resolution, you are barking up the wrong tree. Changing a habit is much more complex than just willpower. 


Consider the following about our brains: 


1. Our brain seeks immediate reward. For example, kicking the habit of smoking: Smoking a cigarette gives your brain an immediate pleasure response.  (Your brain secretes a chemical called dopamine that is associated with pleasure.)   NOT smoking the cigarette is very unpleasant to your brain in the short term. One of the main functions of your brain is to keep you happy even if there are long-term consequences.

2. Habits are hard wired into our brain. A habit is something we do over and over again.  Our brain knows it well.  In fact, the neuropathway gets stronger the more we repeat the habit.  It goes something like this: Your brain senses that you are feeling uncomfortable, your brain "tells" you to smoke a cigarette and then your brain notices that you feel better after you smoke.  The behavior is then repeated thereby making that pleasure pathway in your brain stronger. 



There is some GOOD NEWS. 
There are some things that you can do to improve your chances of changing a habit for good. 
1. Repeat the new behavior over and over again, effectively trying to change the wiring in your brain by building a new pathway. 
2. Practice stress management on a daily basis. When we are stressed out we are more vulnerable to falling back into old habits.  (Remember our brain wants us to feel good.) 
3. Practice healthy habits on a daily basis that give you pleasure , such as exercise, hobbies, connecting with others, etc. (Makes the bad habit that we are trying to change a little less appetizing to our brains.)
 4. Cut out other practices that are associated with the habit you want to change. For example, if you always take a smoke break outside during your work day, don't go outside on your breaks.
 
Remember changing habits is less about willpower and more about TRAINING YOUR BRAIN!!!!