Dr. Benjamin Gardner is a Reader in Psychology at the University of Surrey, UK. He is a former lecturer in Health Psychology, with publications over the past decade in areas such as habit psychology and social psychology. In this episode of The Mental Wellbeing Show, we discuss the ins and outs of habits.I learned a lot of applicable tools and strategies, and a new way to think about my own habits in my life. I hope there is some value in this episode for you too.0:00 Introduction 0:21 What is a habit? 3:18 The role of motivation and willpower in habits 7:20 Breaking bad habits 10:53 The habit loop 12:20 Why self-awareness is crucial to changing habits 18:29 Reward value of behaviours 23:38 Bad habits act as coping mechanisms 26:18 Why social media is so addictive 29:01 Is moderation better than abstinence for your bad habits? 35:09 Breaking and forming habits faster 39:21 Curating your triggers for long-term changeFurther reading on studies mentioned in this episode: "Psychology of habit" (2016) by Wood and Runger "Modelling habit formation in the real world" (2010) by Lally et. al. "A review and analysis of the use of 'habit' in understanding, predicting and influencing health-related behaviour" (2015) by Gardner