The Biology of Motivation and Habits – Why We Drop the Ball (17)

Therapist Uncensored Podcast

Sue Marriott LCSW, CGP & Ann Kelley PhD

Social Sciences, Society & Culture, Science, Relationships, Education, Self-improvement

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 11 January 2017

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Understanding Research Behind Motivation and Habits Even when it is so important to us, why is it that it’s so hard to follow through when we are trying to make or break habits? In this episode, we discuss research and biology around why it is so hard to change our patterns and stick to the goals we set for ourselves. How we view our goals significantly impacts how we behave and the decisions we make. In general, people tend to have elevated levels of motivation and aspirations when we are planning for a ‘new start’ or considering our future self. However, we tend to minimize the obstacles that will get in our way. In this episode, we discuss why ignoring these obstacles is a big factor to our “dropping the ball,” why we tend to do it, and how our brain “chunks” patterns of behavior into well-worn habits that require very minimal thinking and decision-making along the way. Our brains are highly trained to focus first on survival…not on our higher aspirational selves. Developing strategies to tune into your higher, value-driven self may be just what we need to help move out of automation and accomplish goals that are so important to ourselves. Learn about our neuro-chemical reward system, habituation and satiation systems so that you can hack your biology. Join our email list at www.therapistuncensored.com to access our private online Facebook community supporting the dissemination of the relational sciences to support healthy connections and relationships around the world! RESOURCES: Additional resources for this episode: Jefferey M. Schwartz, M.D. & Rebecca Gladding, M.D. – You are Not Your Brain – The 4-Step Solution for Changing Bad Habits, Ending Unhealthy Thinking and Taking Control of Your Life. Ann M. Graybiel & Kyle S. Smith (2014). – How the Brain Makes and Breaks Habits Judith Wright – The Soft Addiction Solution: Break Free of the Seemingly Harmless Habits That Keep You From The Life You Want. Charles Duhigg (2012) -The Neuroscience of Habits: How They From and How to Change Them These and other resources have been collected for you on our Resources page! Tweet See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Therapis Unsensored, a podcast where therapists freely speak their minds about real life matters. I'm going to
0:15.0	Welcome back to Therapist Uncensor.
0:17.5	This is episode 17 where we're going to be talking about the biology of motivation and dropping the ball that happens right after we're motivated.
0:26.7	I think it was a good discussion.
0:28.7	I certainly learned some things about both why that there's times when I'm into more discipline and better
0:36.4	self-care and other times where I just drop out and what I can do about that.
0:40.8	So I hope you enjoy it as well. You'll be hearing Ann Kelly, Patty
0:44.4	Allwell, and myself Sue Marriott. Thanks for listening. We are very excited to bring another
0:51.1	perspective as we try to do. this is about you know you ever tried to kind of have a new start and then that new start kind of
0:59.2	butters out. Are you talking about the diet I start every Monday after a weekend of self-indulgence?
1:07.0	Or I think about, you know, my kids will say like, I use too much screen time.
1:12.0	I really want to cut back on my screen time and then I come home the
1:16.1	chairs and then right in front of the TV and they're like killing people on their game
1:20.1	you know and they're saying I'm gonna start going to start tomorrow. That's right. Right, well,
1:24.8	I'll quit tomorrow and they're a great book about that. Yes. So this notion of there's this high
1:31.5	motivation to do something new and to have a transformation,
1:35.3	whether it be social media and screen time or health or fitness or losing weight
1:41.1	or whatever the habit is.
1:43.6	Anne's going to talk to us and lead a discussion about habits.
1:46.6	When you're talking about the fresh start, that's a really fun place to start.
1:50.8	And it is actually, believe believe or not, completely coincidental
1:53.6	we're doing this after the first of the year, but perfect timing.
	...

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