Remove Bad Habits: What Hooks Us and How Can We Break Bad Habits

Human learning is similar to that of sea slugs, with only twenty thousand neurons. Single-celled organisms have simple, binary mechanisms for survival, such as moving toward nutrient and away from toxin. The sea slug's basic nervous system utilizes this approach to lay down memories, earning Eric Kandel the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 2000. However, humans may have taken cues from lower organisms, influencing our behavior. This knowledge could help change habit patterns and discover a new way of relating to ourselves and others, transcending basic nature and uniquely human.
The reward-based learning process, shared among countless species and dating back to the most basic nervous systems, involves the brain triggering and rewarding behavior when we see or taste good food. This process can be applied to other behaviors, such as eating when feeling sad or angry, or when trying to be cool. The same learning process can lead to habit loops, leading to obesity and smoking as leading preventable causes of morbidity and mortality. The brain mechanisms involved in these behaviors have evolved over time, influencing our behavior and influencing our overall well-being.
In order to learn to find our way when we get lost, we will examine how mindfulness enables us to read and utilize the stress compass.
yelling at our partner out of frustration, binge-watching YouTube videos out of boredom, or reaching our breaking point with an addiction. From acting like a sea slug, we can develop into fully human beings.