Habit Formation

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Habit Formation

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A split image showing a brain scan on the left and hands using a smartphone on the right.
6mins
Perception Box
Addictions and habits, explained by a neuroscientist, a psychologist, and a journalist
Daily habits can help you thrive or quietly turn into addictions. The difference is how your brain handles cues, routines, and rewards. Three experts explain how to work with your wiring instead of against it.
Carl Hart, Charles Duhigg & Adam Alter
Unlikely Collaborators
A person in classical attire holds a laurel wreath and a palm branch against a blue sky background.
6mins
The Well
Is virtue worth pursuing? A psychologist explains
Virtue is hard to attain, and that’s the point. Sarah Schnitker explains why self-help shortcuts miss the mark.
Sarah Schnitker
7mins
Your Brain on Money
Change bad spending habits in 5 steps
Addicted to spending money you want to save? Here’s how to stop.
Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, Dr. Moran Cerf, Dr. Joseph Kable, Steven M. Hughes & Dr. George James
Million Stories
A red flag on top of a gray rock, with the right side dissolving into particles—like automatic habits breaking apart—set against a solid green background.
3mins
The Well
Are goals necessary? A habit scientist answers.
The US reduced smoking rates from 50% to 15% with a simple habit hack.
Wendy Wood
John Templeton Foundation
Two men in athletic clothing stand against a black background, with glowing light trails swirling around them—symbolizing the energy and persistence involved in forming habits through dedication and motion.
3mins
The Well
How do elite performers automate their habits?
Practice doesn’t actually make perfect. Here’s the willpower equation necessary for elite athletes and musicians.
Wendy Wood
John Templeton Foundation
Line drawing of a person with one arm raised, swinging a tennis racket to hit an unseen ball—motion lines suggest the path of the racket and capture the power of habit in each practiced stroke.
The Well
Hit peak performance with the power of habit
There’s a psychological reason you haven’t created healthier habits in your life.
Wendy Wood
John Templeton Foundation
A muscular figure pries open the jaws of a roaring lion lying on its back, depicted in a dramatic, dynamic scene with expressive brushstrokes—symbolizing the struggle of learning how to change habits.
The Well
The secret habits that control your life
Habit-forming rituals are subconsciously controlling your life. Here’s how to master them.
Wendy Wood
John Templeton Foundation
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