How to Break Up with Your Bad Habits

Breaking bad habits often feels like a test of willpower. We tell ourselves we’ll stop scrolling, eat better, or exercise more — and then fall right back into the same routines. So why is lasting change so hard? As part of our spring cleaning series, we’re revisiting a powerful episode from The Happiness Lab archives that reveals a surprising truth about behavior change: it’s not about willpower at all. Dr. Laurie Santos sits down with psychologist Wendy Wood to explore what the science of habits really says about why we get stuck — and how we can finally change. Along the way, we hear the remarkable story of American soldiers in Vietnam who abruptly overcame heroin addiction after returning home, offering a powerful clue about how habits really work. If you’re looking to break a bad habit or build a better one, this episode shows how small changes to your environment can make lasting change feel almost automatic. Experts Mentioned: Wendy Wood • , Provost Professor of Psychology and Business, University of Southern California. Dr. Richard Ratner • , Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences Resources Mentioned: Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick • , by Wendy Wood (2019) • “ How Do People Adhere to Goals When Willpower Is Low? The Profits (and Pitfalls) of Strong Habits • ,” by David T. Neal, Wendy Wood, and Aimee Drolet ( Journal of Personality and Social Psychology • , 2013) • “ The Pull of the Past: When Do Habits Persist Despite Conflict with Motives? • ,” by David T. Neal, Wendy Wood, Mengju Wu, and David Kurlander ( Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin • , 2011) • “ Ironic Processes of Mental Control • ,” by Daniel M. Wegner ( Psychological Review • , 1994) • “ How Permanent Was Vietnam Drug Addiction? • ,” by Lee N. Robins, Darlene H. Davis, and David N. Nurco ( American Journal of Public Health • , 1974) CBS News Lottery Draft 1969 • (Archival Footage) "G.I. Heroin Addiction Epidemic in Vietnam" • ( The New York Times • , 1971) G.I. Junkie • (Documentary, 1971) Related Episodes: • " A New Hope • " • " You Can Change • " • " Happiness Lessons of the Ancients: Sikhism and Daily Habits • " See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.