Habit Formation

Under sustained stress your brain hands control from flexible thinking to rigid habit circuits. Rules, routines and reactions take over because they're fast. It kept you alive. It also keeps you stuck.

Sources: Schwabe, L; Arnsten, A

"When X happens, I will do Y" plans hand the decision to your environment, so you don't need willpower in the moment. Across many studies they make follow-through far more likely than good intentions alone.

Sources: Gollwitzer, P