Podcast 204: How to Break and Build Habit Loops with Dr. Jud Brewer

Dr. Jud Brewer joins this week's podcast to talk about breaking bad habit loops, identifying your vices, reducing stress, and understanding the thoughts that power our actions.

January brings big ambitions to tackle one's goals - and it can bring lots of stress and anxiety with it. Dr. Jud Brewer, a psychiatrist, neuroscientist and New York Times best-selling author who is also an internationally-renowned expert in mindfulness training for addictions, including smoking, emotional eating, and anxiety, and has extensively studied the neural mechanisms behind mindfulness practices. He joins WHOOP VP of Performance Kristen Holmes to share practical tips for reducing the stress and anxiety that can come from trying to build new habits, or break them.

Want to see your questions answered? Email us – Podcast@whoop.com – or you can call our listener line (508-443-4952) and leave a voicemail, and your question might be answered on a future episode.

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

• 4:03 - The difference between anxiety and stress
• 6:02 - What our mind is doing in a moment of anxiousness
• 12:40 - How to approach habit change and habit loops
• 15:29 - Getting someone to be aware of their habit loops
• 19:36 - Finding a way to be okay with our own thoughts and stresses
• 21:51 - Examples of vices that cause worrying and how to break those habit loops
• 30:20 - Awareness is key to understanding a habit
• 36:50 - Becoming more aware of our internal state so we can be more consistent in our daily life
• 42:27 - How to use stress to your advantage
• 45:34 - How Dr. Jud changed his commute and rethought his everyday problems
• 49:25 - How different mental states impact the reward hierarchy
• 52:40 - Spreading the word on how to become more self-aware and mindful

Research Links:

Dr. Jud's Website Dr. Jud's YouTube Unwinding Anxiety Map My Habit