Do you have a habit or something that you keep doing over and over again that frustrates you or others around you? A habit that you really want to change? Rewiring your brain to improve how you act is possible.

That's what we are talking about today on Episode 1: Upgrading Your Habits.

Your Better Mental Wellbeing is a weekly podcast helping you to manage stress and build resilience with easy evidence-based tools.

We're your hosts, Neera and Soen.

Dr Neera Dholakia is a GP for Boots Online Doctor and the NHS. She is an expert in mental wellbeing and has extensive experience designing mental health services whilst working for NHS England, Healthy London Partnership and mental health trusts. As well as promoting self-care, she also works to improve mental wellbeing in the workplace.

Soen Trueman is a full stack developer with Boots Online Doctor, specialising in graphics design, user experience, and user behaviour. Soen’s interests in behavioural analysis extends to psychology and further to neuroscience, which he is currently studying at Harvard University.

Links to this week's discussion:

[02:56] What habits are, why they are useful and why they can also be unhelpful

[05:14] Neuroplasticity and the ability of the brain to form new connections and pathways

[09:02] How habits develop and how noticing our cues and triggers can begin to change them

[13:14] Why motivation and willpower is not enough

[16:29] Making mistakes and slipping up, but not giving up

Key takeaways:

-Believe you can change your habits - neuroplasticity means that our brains can rewire to form new pathways and connections

-Ask yourself why you really want to change - how does that habit make you think, feel and do

-Do something achievable that you can stick to over and over again, even when you are tired or have low motivation

Join us next time when we discuss how to manage stressful moments.

Find our more:

For transcripts visit our website: http://yourbettermentalwellbeing.show

For great health, lifestyle and wellbeing information visit: https://onlinedoctor.boots.com

The information in this podcast is not intended to replace your own GP or other doctor’s professional medical advice.