Your Brain on Habits Script

Introduction & Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Today, we're going to explore something that shapes a huge part of our daily lives, often without us even realizing it: habits. Has anyone ever found themselves doing something automatically, almost without thinking about it? Like, you just do it?"

Teacher: "Let's start with a quick warm-up. On the screen, you'll see a question. Please take a moment to think about it, and we'll discuss it briefly."

(Display Warm-Up: Habit Start on the screen)

Teacher: "What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘habit’? Think about both good habits and not-so-good habits. Just share your first thoughts, there are no wrong answers here."

(Facilitate a brief discussion. Acknowledge all responses. Guide them towards the idea of automatic actions.)

What are Habits? (10 minutes)

Teacher: "Great ideas! Many of you touched on the core of it. So, what exactly is a habit? Let's look at our first slide."

(Advance to Slide Deck: Your Brain on Habits - Slide 1: "What's a Habit Anyway?")

Teacher: "As the slide asks, have you ever found yourself doing something without even thinking about it? Like brushing your teeth every morning, or automatically checking your phone when you hear a notification? These are all examples of habits! A habit is simply a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously."

Teacher: "But how do these habits form? Why do our brains like them so much? It all comes down to something called the Habit Loop. Let's move to our next slide."

(Advance to Slide Deck: Your Brain on Habits - Slide 2: "The Habit Loop: How Your Brain Builds Habits")

Teacher: "Every habit, good or bad, can usually be broken down into three main parts: a Cue, a Routine, and a Reward."

• Teacher: "The Cue is like a trigger. It's something that tells your brain, 'Okay, it's time to do this particular habit.' It could be a time of day, a place, a feeling, or even another action. Can anyone think of a cue for a simple habit, like eating lunch?"
  
  
  
  

• Teacher: "Exactly! Feeling hungry, seeing the clock hit noon – those are cues. The Routine is the behavior itself. It's the action you take. So, if the cue is feeling hungry, what's the routine?"
  
  
  
  

• Teacher: "Right, eating lunch! And finally, the Reward. This is the positive feeling or benefit you get from completing the routine. Your brain loves rewards because they tell it, 'Hey, that was good! Let's do that again next time.' What's the reward for eating lunch when you're hungry?"
  
  
  
  

Teacher: "Feeling full, having energy, tasting something delicious! Your brain registers this reward and strengthens the connection between the cue and the routine. Over time, that connection becomes so strong that you do it without really thinking."

(Advance to Slide Deck: Your Brain on Habits - Slide 3: "Habit Loop Examples")

Teacher: "Let's look at a couple more examples on this slide. See how the cue, routine, and reward fit together?"

Exploring Your Habits (15 minutes)

Teacher: "Now that we understand the Habit Loop, let's try to identify some of our own. I'm going to hand out a worksheet called Worksheet: My Habit Loop."

(Distribute Worksheet: My Habit Loop.)

Teacher: "On this worksheet, I want you to think about a habit you have – it could be something positive or something you'd like to change. Then, I want you to try and break it down into its cue, routine, and reward, just like we did with our examples. You can work individually or quietly with a partner if you prefer."

(Circulate around the room, offering help and prompting students with questions if they get stuck. For example: "What happens right before you start that action?" "How do you feel after you do it?")

Building Positive Habits & Breaking Bad Ones (10 minutes)

Teacher: "Excellent work, everyone! It can be a little tricky at first to spot all parts of the loop, but the more you practice, the easier it gets. Knowing this loop gives us power. It means we can actually design our habits!"

(Advance to Slide Deck: Your Brain on Habits - Slide 4: "Building Awesome Habits!")

Teacher: "If you want to build an awesome, positive habit, you can use the loop to your advantage. First, identify a clear cue. Make it something specific that you can easily recognize. Second, choose a simple routine. Don't try to do too much at once! Small steps are key. And third, recognize your reward. What makes this new habit feel good? Sometimes the reward is obvious, like feeling healthier after exercise. Other times, you might need to give yourself a small, positive pat on the back. Let's hear some ideas from your worksheets. Did anyone identify a positive habit they want to build and how they might set up its cue and reward?"

Teacher: "Fantastic! Now, what about those not-so-great habits? It's harder to just stop doing something. Instead, we can try to change the routine."

(Advance to Slide Deck: Your Brain on Habits - Slide 5: "Breaking the Not-So-Great Habits")

Teacher: "The trick here is to keep the Cue but change the Routine to something more positive or neutral, while still getting some kind of Reward. So, if your cue for checking your phone is boredom, instead of scrolling social media, maybe you could decide to read one page of a book, or stretch, or talk to a friend. You still get a reward (distraction, connection), but with a different, more beneficial routine. Did anyone on their worksheet identify a habit they want to change? How might you swap out the routine?"

Conclusion & Cool-Down (5 minutes)

(Advance to Slide Deck: Your Brain on Habits - Slide 6: "You've Got This!")

Teacher: "Amazing discussions today! Remember, your brain is incredibly powerful, and by understanding how habits work, you have the power to train it to work for you. Small, consistent steps can lead to big changes over time. You are in control of your habits more than you might think."

Teacher: "To wrap up, I have a quick cool-down activity. On the Cool-Down: Habit Commitment, I want you to briefly reflect on one small step you can take this week to either build a positive habit or adjust a less helpful one. This is your personal commitment. When you're done, please hand it in as your exit ticket."

(Collect [Cool-Down: Habit Commitment](#habit-commitment-cool-down] as students complete them.)

Teacher: "Thank you for your engagement today, everyone! I'm excited to see how you apply this knowledge. Have a great rest of your day!"

Warm-Up: Habit Start

What comes to mind when you hear the word "habit"?

Think about both good habits and not-so-good habits.

Worksheet: My Habit Loop

Instructions: Think about one habit you have, either a good one you want to keep or a not-so-good one you want to change. Fill in the sections below to break down your habit into its Cue, Routine, and Reward.

My Chosen Habit:

1. Cue (The Trigger)

What happens right before you do this habit? What signals your brain to start this action? (e.g., a time of day, a feeling, a place, a sound, another action)

2. Routine (The Action)

What is the actual behavior you do? What are the steps involved?

3. Reward (The Benefit)

What positive feeling or outcome do you get after doing this habit? Why does your brain like this habit? (e.g., feeling full, relief, entertainment, comfort)

Reflect and Plan:

If this is a positive habit you want to strengthen:

• How can you make the cue even more obvious?
• How can you make the routine even easier to start?
• How can you celebrate the reward more?

If this is a not-so-good habit you want to change:

• What is the cue that triggers it?
• What new, different routine could you try when the cue appears?
• What new, positive reward could you get from that new routine?

Cool-Down: Habit Commitment

Think about what we learned today about habit loops. On a scale of 1 to 5, how confident are you that you can start to identify your own habit loops? (1 = Not at all confident, 5 = Very confident)

What is ONE small step you will commit to taking this week to either build a new positive habit or change a not-so-good habit?