The Neuroscience of Habit Formation
Are success gurus helpful or is there more we need to know?
Habit formation is a popular topic, with every success guru claiming they have the secret to you being your best, most productive, most successful and even most likeable self.
For some reason, a lot of us are continually seeking ways to improve ourselves. It’s almost like we live in a world where we never feel good enough and never live up to the ridiculous standards and expectations that are put on us.
While I reject the idea that we all need to be on a never ending quest of self improvement, I do accept the fact that habit formation is a fundamental aspect of achieving certain things and living in a certain way.
When done for the right reasons, habit formation can improve your quality of life. It certainly has for me now that I’ve stopped trying to be the smallest possible version of myself. Focusing on a few simple but key changes has also helped me to let go of the ridiculous expectations I put onto myself.
The issue with some habit formation content, whether that’s books or the weekly habit forming newsletter or column you see, the ‘success stories’ are often exaggerated or missing key information, the principles are not based on rigorous scientific research and the ‘practical advice’ is usually anecdotal and not an evidence based strategy.
For today’s deep dive, I’m reviewing a 2024 publication called The Neuroscience of Habit Formation. The article explores how the interplay between neurochemistry and neuroplasticity supports the development and reinforcement of habits. This is just ONE piece of research but is a nice summary of a few key areas. Wyatt is pretty loved up with meditation and mindfulness, which I don’t mind but we will keep some perspective as we go along.
This is a pretty long winded piece too, I would not be offended if you skipped straight to the key takeaways part. I would probably do the same.
What you need to know about habits
The formation of habits is a multifaceted process influenced by consistent behaviour, cognitive processes, external environments, and neurochemical foundations. Soz word salad.
The basal ganglia (a group of nuclei in the brain) play a crucial role in this, interfacing with the motor and cognitive functions essential to habit formation. These structures work in tandem with the dopaminergic system (cc: dopamine), which is central to the development of habitual behaviours through the mediation of routine actions and reward signals.
Dopamine, a key neurotransmitter in the reward system, not only helps shape but also reinforces neural pathways linked to habitual actions. The release of dopamine with each successful habitual action promotes the repetition of the behaviour and enhances brain neuroplasticity, allowing for the creation of new neural connections.
Neuroplasticity is pretty fucking cool. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. This capacity for plasticity allows the nervous system to adapt to new information, experiences, sensory stimulation, development, damage, or dysfunction.
This adaptability provides an opportunity to cultivate new, beneficial habits. Research highlights the positive effects of things like optimised sleep and physical exercise on habit formation. Wyatt’s review explores how the interplay between neurochemistry and neuroplasticity supports the development and reinforcement of habits. Lets dig in.
Neural Mechanisms of Habit Formation
You have got to understand the brains role in this. The process of forming habits is not just about willpower; it's deeply rooted in the brain's structure.