The video explains that habits form because the brain associates the behavior with a reward, such as the release of dopamine that mediates feelings of pleasure. 
Over time, the brain builds connections linking the reward with the behavior and starts associating the behavior with other cues in the environment. Eventually, the context alone can trigger the habit.

How Habits Form and Reward Connection

For more ingrained habits like nail-biting or hair-pulling, habit reversal training can be helpful. This involves replacing the detrimental habit with a less harmful one.

Reversing Ingrained Habits

For example, keeping a fidget toy at your desk and using it when you feel the urge to bite your nails.
The video concludes by emphasizing that breaking a habit takes time and patience. It also suggests celebrating the good habits that help us in our daily routines.

Tools for Breaking Habits

The video suggests identifying the cues or environments that trigger the habit and modifying them to make it more difficult to perform the habit.

Identifying Triggers and Modifications

Habits are defined as regular behaviors that are performed subconsciously in response to certain environments or cues. These behaviors can range from simple actions like hair-picking to more complex practices ingrained in daily routines.

Defining Subconscious Habits

This YouTube video discusses the topic of habits and how to break them. It begins by acknowledging that most people have some sort of habit they would like to stop, such as nail-biting.

Understanding Habits and Breaking Them

While habits can be beneficial, not all of them serve us well. Intentions alone often fail to lead to long-term behavior change. However, by understanding the basis of habits, we can create better plans for changing them.

Changing Habits with Understanding

Explore the psychology behind how good and bad habits are formed, and get tips on how to manage these behaviors.

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Many people deal with a nail-biting habit at some point in their lives. Some will go to great lengths to try to stop, employing strategies like dipping their hands in salt or wearing gloves. And while not all of us are nail-biters, most of us do have a habit we’d like to kick. So, what's the best way to break one? Explore how habits are formed, and discover tips on how to manage these behaviors.

Directed by Sacha Beeley.

This video made possible in collaboration with Character Lab
Learn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: https://bit.ly/TEDEdPartners

A special thanks to Wendy Wood who provided information and insights for the development of this video.

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View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-is-it-so-hard-to-break-a-bad-habit
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Animator's website: https://www.sachabeeley.com
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