The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos · Episode 15 · April 13, 2026 · 33 min
How to Break Up with Your Bad Habits
Breaking bad habits often feels like a test of willpower. We tell ourselves we’ll stop scrolling, eat better, or exercise more — and then fall right back into the same routines. So why is lasting change so hard? As part of our spring cleaning series, we’re revisiting a powerful episode from The Happiness Lab archives that reveals a surprising truth about behavior change: it’s not about willpower at all. Dr. Laurie Santos sits down with psychologist Wendy Wood to explore what the science of habits really says about why we get stuck — and how we can finally change. Along the way, we hear the remarkable story of American soldiers in Vietnam who abruptly overcame heroin addiction after returning home, offering a powerful clue about how habits really work. If you’re looking to break a bad habit or build a better one, this episode shows how small changes to your environment can make lasting change feel almost automatic. Experts Mentioned: Wendy Wood , Provost Professor of Psychology and Business, University of Southern California. Dr. Richard Ratner , Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences Resources Mentioned: Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick , by Wendy Wood (2019) “ How Do People Adhere to Goals When Willpower Is Low? The Profits (and Pitfalls) of Strong Habits ,” by David T. Neal, Wendy Wood, and Aimee Drolet ( Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 2013) “ The Pull of the Past: When Do Habits Persist Despite Conflict with Motives? ,” by David T. Neal, Wendy Wood, Mengju Wu, and David Kurlander ( Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , 2011) “ Ironic Processes of Mental Control ,” by Daniel M. Wegner ( Psychological Review , 1994) “ How Permanent Was Vietnam Drug Addiction? ,” by Lee N. Robins, Darlene H. Davis, and David N. Nurco ( American Journal of Public Health , 1974) CBS News Lottery Draft 1969 (Archival Footage) "G.I. Heroin Addiction Epidemic in Vietnam" ( The New York Times , 1971) G.I. Junkie (Documentary, 1971) Related Episodes: " A New Hope " " You Can Change " " Happiness Lessons of the Ancients: Sikhism and Daily Habits " See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.