Today’s guest is Judson Brewer. Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, is a thought leader in the field of habit change and the “science of self-mastery”. Judson is the Director of Research at the Center for Mindfulness, is an adjunct professor at Yale, and is an addiction psychologist.

Judson credits his motivation to continue his work in the field to the endless fascination of the human mind. He firmly believes that mindfulness is directly linked to high performance and that mindfulness begins by simply paying attention to your actions. He encourages us to look at the moments when we are being pushed and pulled by our desires and instead of reacting, to simply be and wrestle with those feelings instead of being sucked in to acting on them. This simple idea is what helps us to not only understand where our habits initiate but how to break them.

This idea of awareness and mindfulness is rooted in curiosity. By stepping back and asking yourself “what is happening in my body and brain right now” you develop curiosity which, according to Judson, “curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will”. By developing a sense of curiosity and settling into the conditions that support your goals, you truly can break any habit and conquer any fear.

Judson’s equation for mindfulness is awareness+curiosity=concentration/mindfulness This equation has allowed his clients to quit smoking, lose weight, and break the chains of addiction. Through his programs clients found 40% reduction in craving related eating over a three month period of time and were 5 times more likely to quit smoking than the typical programs offered.

To conclude, Judson challenges us to not only pay attention and be curious but to see how much you can pay attention. By engaging in this challenge you will be able to uncover your natural capacity to be curious and to change your habits.

JudsonBrewer.com

Programs: Eat Right Now and Craving to Quit

Book: The Craving Mind