Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind

In this chapter, the author introduces his concept of the “first gear,” in which people recognize and map out their own habit loops. Brewer relays a story about a patient named John who attended his outpatient clinic. John was addicted to alcohol, which he became dependent on due to his anxiety about work. Brewer helped John understand that his anxiety was a trigger that prompted him to drink, which provided him with the short-term reward of feeling numbed or relieved. Another related habit loop was John’s anxiety about work, which caused him to procrastinate, providing him with the short-term pleasure of distractions. Once John understood how habit loops work, he was able to recognize different triggers in his life that were causing other problems in his marriage.

Brewer suggests that the reader map out their own Trigger, Behavior, and Reward cycles to gain insight into their own habits. However, he warns the reader against trying to immediately fix all their bad habits right away using the same tricks they’ve tried before. This can simply cause more frustration and even reinforce poor habits. Brewer believes that each “gear” is equally important and encourages the reader to thoroughly understand each part of the book before implementing its lessons.