如何戒掉坏习惯：英语精读讲义

This episode is supported by Blue Apron. 文化背景

本期节目由 Blue Apron 赞助。

We all have habits we'd like to break, 語法

我们每个人都有一些想戒掉的习惯，

whether it's biting your fingernails, smoking, or eating late at night. 語法

比如咬指甲、抽烟，或是深夜吃东西。

But why are these habits so hard to break?

但这些习惯为什么这么难改掉呢？

Perhaps you think your day is made up of deliberate conscious decisions, 短語動詞

也许你以为，自己的一天是由一个个经过深思熟虑的有意识决定组成的，

but in reality, 表達脈絡

但事实上，

a University of Duke study found that 45% of your everyday behaviors

杜克大学的一项研究发现，你日常行为中有45%

are actions that you repeat every day and tend to do in the same location. 語法

是每天都会重复、而且往往在同一个地点进行的动作。

These are your habits.

这些就是你的习惯。

Habits are attributed to one of the most primitive structures in your brain, 短語搭配

习惯与大脑中最原始的结构之一有关，

the basal ganglia, 文化背景

也就是基底神经节，

the same region that helps control processes such as breathing and swallowing.

这个区域也负责协助控制呼吸和吞咽等过程。

In an MIT experiment,

在麻省理工学院的一项实验中，

a mouse sits behind a gate of a T-shaped maze where to the left is a piece of chocolate. 語法

一只小鼠待在一个T形迷宫的闸门后面，迷宫左边放着一块巧克力。

When the door clicks,

当闸门发出“咔嗒”声时，

the mouse explores the maze, sniffing and scratching at the walls. 語法

小鼠会一边四处嗅闻、抓挠墙壁，一边探索迷宫。

First, 表達脈絡

一开始，

it explores to the right and then to the left,

它先探索右边，再转向左边，

eventually finding the chocolate.

最后找到了巧克力。

A scan of the basal ganglia shows it's working furiously throughout the whole process.

扫描结果显示，基底神经节在整个过程中都异常活跃。

However,

然而，

after a week of training,

经过一周的训练后，

the mouse runs immediately towards the chocolate once the gate clicks.

闸门一发出“咔嗒”声，小鼠就会立刻朝巧克力跑去。

At this point, 表達脈絡

这时，

there's very little brain activity once the gate clicks,

闸门发出声响后，大脑几乎没有什么活动，

and the brain doesn't fire back up again until it reaches the chocolate. 講解

直到小鼠到达巧克力跟前，大脑才会重新活跃起来。

Our brains seek to minimize effort and space, 短語搭配

我们的大脑会尽量节省精力和空间，

and this kind of automatic brain behavior is referred to as chunking. 短語搭配

这种大脑自动运行的行为被称为“组块化”。

Chunking aids in creating a new habit pattern in cells of the brain. 短語搭配

组块化有助于在脑细胞中形成新的习惯模式。

It's like a task you do every day that you no longer really have to think about, 講解

就像你每天都会做、如今几乎不用思考的事情，

brushing your teeth, or backing out of your driveway, 短語動詞

比如刷牙，或倒车驶出自家车道，

skills that were once difficult to master, 表達脈絡

这些技能曾经很难掌握，

but now become automatic.

如今却变成了自动行为。

This process is a three-step loop.

这个过程是一个由三步构成的循环。

Step one is the cue, 表達脈絡

第一步是提示，

which for the mouse is the click of the gate.

对小鼠来说，就是闸门发出的“咔嗒”声。

Step two is routine,

第二步是惯常行为，

run through the maze,

也就是跑过迷宫，

and step three is the reward,

第三步则是奖励，

in this case, chocolate.

在这里就是巧克力。

The cue and reward eventually intertwine, 習語

最终，提示与奖励会相互交织，

creating anticipation and cravings, 語法

产生期待和渴望，

another essential part of habits.

这是习惯的另一个关键部分。

Because we go into automatic mode during routines, 習語

因为在执行惯常行为时，我们会进入自动模式，

our brain stops fully participating in decision making. 短語搭配

大脑就不再完全参与决策。

Our habits will automatically unfold every time there is a cue. 語法

每当提示出现，我们的习惯就会自动启动。

These habits can be so entrenched that the reward doesn't even have to be good. 講解

这些习惯可能根深蒂固到连奖励好不好都无所谓。

A study of habitual popcorn eaters at the movies

一项针对在电影院习惯吃爆米花者的研究

found that they were minimally impacted by hunger or how much they liked the food, 用詞

发现，饥饿程度或他们有多喜欢这种食物，几乎不会影响他们，

and they ate the same amount of popcorn regardless of whether it was stale or fresh. 語法

无论爆米花是放久了还是新鲜的，他们吃下的量都一样。

Our habits often overrule what we know is good for us. 用詞

即使明知怎样做对自己有益，我们也常常还是会被习惯牵着走。

For example,

例如，

a study of America's Take 5 campaign to encourage citizens to eat five fruits and vegetables a day 語法

一项针对美国“Take 5”活动的研究，该活动鼓励民众每天吃五份水果和蔬菜，

found the program was effective in educating the public, 語法

发现这项计划在教育公众方面确实很有效，

but an assessment found that it did not change American intake, 用詞

但评估结果表明，它并未改变美国人的蔬果摄入量，

where only 11% met the goal.

只有11%的人达到了目标。

It changed people's intentions, 表達脈絡

它改变了人们的意愿，

but not their habits.

却没有改变他们的习惯。

So, what are you to do? 語氣意圖

那么，你该怎么办呢？

Charles Duhigg,

查尔斯·杜希格，

author of The Power of Habit,

也就是《习惯的力量》一书的作者，

gives an example of buying a cookie every day around 3:15 p.m. at work.

举了一个例子：他每天上班时，下午3点15分左右都会买一块曲奇饼。

The cue is 3:00,

提示是下午3点，

but the reward is a bit more complicated, 短語搭配

但奖励就复杂一些了，

as the cookie can be a bundle of many rewards. 習語

因为一块曲奇饼可能包含多重奖励。

It could be a relief from hunger or an energy boost,

奖励可能是缓解饥饿，或让人补充能量，

satiating a craving for something sweet, 短語搭配

也可能是满足对甜食的渴望，

or it could be a nice break from work, 短語搭配

还可能是让人从工作中轻松休息一下，

or even an opportunity to talk to people.

甚至是一个与人交谈的机会。

Duhigg wanted to break his cookie habit,

杜希格想戒掉每天吃曲奇饼的习惯，

and after some trial and error, 習語

经过一番反复尝试，

discovered that what he really craved was socialization that came from buying the cookie. 語法

他发现自己真正渴望的，其实是买曲奇饼时带来的社交互动。

So, around 3:00,

于是，每到下午3点左右，

he would get up and find someone to gossip with for 10 minutes instead. 短語搭配

他就会起身，找个人聊10分钟八卦。

By using the same cue and the same reward of socialization, 語法

通过保留同一个提示，并获得同样的社交奖励，

he was able to break the cookie habit.

他成功戒掉了吃曲奇饼的习惯。

But what about habits that you don't always notice, 表達脈絡

但那些你不一定总能注意到的习惯呢，

like biting your nails?

比如咬指甲？

Psychologists suggest that first,

心理学家建议，首先，

you think about when you bite your nails.

想一想自己通常会在什么时候咬指甲。

Are you nervous or bored?

是因为紧张，还是因为无聊？

In the case of boredom, 短語搭配

如果是因为无聊，

nail biting offers a physical stimulation.

咬指甲就能带来身体上的刺激。

So, next,

那么接下来，

you need to mark down every time in your day you feel bored and have the compulsion to bite your nails. 講解

你需要记录一天中每次感到无聊、忍不住想咬指甲的时刻。

Maybe that's five times a day,

也许一天有5次，

maybe it's 28.

也许有28次。

But then you want to implement a competing response. 用詞

接着，你要采取一种与咬指甲相对抗的反应。

Whenever you feel the desire to bite,

每当你想咬指甲时，

you immediately put your hands in your pockets.

就立刻把双手插进口袋。

Next,

然后，

find a substitute that provides a quick physical stimulation,

找一个能迅速带来身体刺激的替代动作，

like rubbing your arm or tapping your knuckles on the desk.

比如摩擦手臂，或用指关节轻敲桌面。

This allows for one habit to be replaced by another with a similar reward, 語法

这样就能用另一个带来相似奖励的习惯，取代原来的习惯，

but also uses the same cue.

同时还沿用了同一个提示。

So,

所以，

when you're ready to take on a bad habit, 短語動詞

当你准备对付一个坏习惯时，

just remember, figure out what your body is actually craving, 講解

只要记住：弄清楚你的身体真正渴望的是什么，

use the same cue and a reward that serves the correct purpose, 短語搭配

沿用同一个提示，并选择能真正满足需求的奖励，

and be patient to help build that new habit.

再保持耐心，帮助自己养成这个新习惯。

Now,

现在，

if your bad habit involves food,

如果你的坏习惯与食物有关，

our sponsor for today's video,

那么本期视频的赞助商，

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也就是 Blue Apron，

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正好为你准备了一个完美的解决方案。

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现在，

they're giving the first 100 people to sign up with our link, 講解

通过我们的链接注册的前100人，

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链接就在视频简介里，

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They actually deliver farm-fresh ingredients right to your door in a little refrigerated pack 講解

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There are also different types of plans to choose from 語法

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depending on how many people you're cooking for, 語法

具体取决于你要为多少人做饭，

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无论是一家人，

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And they have meals per week,

他们也提供每周餐食方案，

and all the meals take under 40 minutes. 短語搭配

而且所有餐点都能在40分钟内做好。

Thank you so much to Blue Apron for sponsoring this video.

非常感谢 Blue Apron 对本期视频的赞助。

Make sure you subscribe,

别忘了订阅，

and we will see you next time

我们下次再见，

for a new animated science video.

为你带来一部全新的科学动画视频。

See you later.

回头见。