Synaptic Pruning

Synaptic Pruning

Similarly, there is another neurological phenomenon for us to consider that makes it harder to change our habits: Synaptic Pruning. Synaptic pruning is essentially the brain’s way of removing–or pruning–options that aren’t often utilized.

Watch this 3-minute video to get a sense of what synaptic pruning is and when you come back, we’ll look at how it plays a role in the brain’s function around habit formation

As you can see, your brain prunes away connections between neurons that don’t get used and builds up connections that get used more frequently. So, once you have developed a good habit, it’s easier to maintain. Unfortunately, the same is true for bad habits. The more you do something, the stronger and more efficient the connection becomes.

So, the common question that occurs is, “How long does it take for me to build the new neural pathways to stop a bad habit or start a new one?” We’ll cover that now.