3 R’s of building a new Brain Muscle

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat are the 3 R’s

Brain habits encompass both beneficial practices for brain health, such as hope, positivity, and gratitude, and harmful habits, such as chronic stress, an all-or-nothing attitude, comparing oneself to others, and other forms of negative thinking. Acquiring a new healthy brain habit is learning a new skill, a new brain muscle. Additional examples of positive habits include engaging in mentally stimulating activities such as puzzles, maintaining social connections, learning a new word a day, keeping an hour a day for physical exercise, philanthropy, standing up for social justice, staying curious, and balancing sleep and healthy eating.

What is brain muscle?

The brain is a complex organ composed primarily of nerve cells. The brain-muscle metaphor is an analogy that highlights that the brain can be strengthened and improved through practice and effort, much like physical muscle. It is the muscle we use to create intentional change in our lives, and, like our physical muscles, it is weak if you haven’t trained it. The brain can be "trained" to improve its function through various science-backed cognitive exercises. Just as muscles can weaken with disuse, the brain's performance can decline if it is not regularly challenged.

What happens to your brain when you're learning a new brain habit?

Initially, forming a new habit requires deliberate effort from the prefrontal cortex. With repeated practice, the behavior transfers to the basal ganglia, which acts as the autopilot system. Once managed by the basal ganglia, the habit becomes automatic and demands minimal conscious input. This shift conserves mental energy, allowing focus on other activities. The process involves reinforcing neural pathways through repetition, a concept called neuroplasticity.

Why 3 R’s work?

The psychology behind habits shows that they are automatic behaviors developed through repetition, driven by a three-part "habit loop": a cue, a routine, and a reward. Habits develop as the brain becomes more efficient by "chunking" actions, which conserves mental energy for more complex tasks.

Psychological science shows that repeating an action helps form a habit by building and strengthening neural pathways through neuroplasticity, making the behavior automatic with practice. Over time, repetition transforms the action from a deliberate choice into an unconscious, habitual routine, making it a habit. It is also important to improve the speed and confidence in a new habit. Neuroscience research shows that repetition learning not only results in sustained hippocampal activation over time but also increases activity in extrahippocampal and neocortical areas. Repetition creates long-term memory by eliciting or enacting strong chemical interactions at the synapse of the neuron.

How to make 3 R’s work?

1.     Start with a small habit: Make it so easy that saying no is impossible, then gradually increase the effort in small steps. For instance, begin with just 5 minutes of exercise instead of an hour, or swap out 2 hours of reading for a single paragraph. Emphasize consistency over motivation or perfection, as tiny daily gains accumulate into meaningful long-term progress. 

2.     Start with 2 days a week and grow to 4 to 6 days- Make it easy to continue, then increase the days of repetition. For instance, first write gratitude for 2 lines, or meditate for 1 min, instead of writing a page or meditating for 30 mins. Slowly build the motivation and interest to continue.

3.     Break habits into chunks: Connect a new habit to an established routine. For example, after you finish walking, do 2 minutes of stretching. Gradually increase the difficulty or duration as the habit becomes more ingrained.

4.     Create an "if-then" plan: Decide on a trigger. For example, "If it is 5 pm, then I will stop and do loving mindfulness practice for 2 mins. Before stepping out of car, I will do a new word a day.

5.     When slips get back quickly - Be consistent, not perfect. Knowing that slipping is natural and happens to everyone. The key is to respond constructively to the setback rather than giving in to an "all-or-nothing" mentality. Build back slowly again, starting from small habit and duration.