Building Habits Archives - Margaret van Steenderen

Traditional Wisdom and Modern Science: When Old Meets New

Recently, I was chatting with a friend who instinctively rubbed her son’s arm when he hurt himself. This simple act made me think about how some theories, like the “pain gate theory,” are rooted in our instincts. This theory explains that rubbing a...

Optimizing Daily Routines for Brain Health

A healthy brain is essential for overall well-being and functionality. Just as we routinely care for our physical health through diet and exercise, we can also cultivate habits that promote cognitive function and neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt and...

Harnessing Motivation and Habit Formation for Lasting Change

We’ve been chatting about forming habits a lot, with practical steps for forming, reviewing and keeping with good habits and habit changes. A part of this is motivation. Understanding motivation is crucial for forming good habits and achieving our goals. Motivation...

Mastering New Habits: The Neuroscience of Reflect, Recognize and Reframe

Building on my series about habit formation, the latest article, “Reflect, Recognize, Reframe,” focuses on a deeper, more thoughtful approach to developing long-lasting habits. It discusses how reflecting on our actions and their outcomes can help us...

Mastering New Habits: The Neuroscience of Track, Treat and Team Up

This is the next step after the previous article on plan, prepare and perform. Now that you’ve put these into place, let’s Track, Treat and Team Up. Our last step is going to be Reflect, Recognize, Reframe, look out for that article next week. This is a 3 x 3 series...

Mastering New Habits: The Neuroscience of Plan, Prepare, Perform

Starting a habit or making a change is like going on an exciting journey that changes not just what you do but also how your brain works. This process is guided by neuroplasticity, which means our brains can create new connections. To navigate this journey, we can use...