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

The brain compiles emotional, sensory, and behavioral experiences in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), which provides a powerful means of remembering rewards for previous behaviors. To break a habit and begin a new one, people cannot rely on willpower alone but should consider how to update their brain’s reward for their behavior. Awareness can help people register how their actions actually feel. For instance, a smoker might realize they actually do not like the taste or smell of cigarettes, or an overeater might feel sickened by a bag of chips. The author insists that when people pay close attention to how unrewarding their habits actually are in the long term, they become less interested in doing them again. In Brewer’s opinion, this strategy relies on knowledge, not willpower. He explains, “You now know how your brain functions, so you can work it rather than it working you” (113). The author calls this “the gift of disenchantment” and advises the reader to take full advantage of it (113). Rather than intellectualizing the exercise by overthinking, people should simply notice what is happening in their thoughts and bodies when they ask themselves “What do I get from this?” (115).