Curious Habits: Why we do what we do and how to change by Luke Mathers

Habits are learned behaviour, generally developed to find the easy way forward, but once embedded become something that is a not necessarily a terrific thing. He looks at the issue from the basis of curiosity: curiosity about ourselves as humans and how to use this innate skill to make positive change in our lives.

Everyone has habits both good and bad, but when they start restricting you becoming your best then something needs to be done about them. He says, if you could talk to yourself as a younger person what would you say to yourself and thank yourself for. It may be cliche’d but it is also very telling, which begins the process of unravelling the many both good and bad habits gathered over the years.

Luke Mathers talks from a personal basis as he managed to jettison an excellent career due to habits, which he was forced to confront and now uses this life lesson, along with evolutionary biology, neuroscience and Stoic philosophy to empower others to achieve their best.

He uses the medium of humour, weird and wonderful facts, even Instagram, in conjunction with science to present the basis of change, what can be done and why you, or rather your brain, has decided that right where you are, in your zone of comfort, surrounded by your habits, is the right place to be, whether it is or not.

Science and research say that at least between 40-70 percent of what we do is habitual, which is astonishing. Naturally, we like to keep the habits that make us feel warm and terrific and would love to get the bad habits out of the way, but a dose of honesty is required to be able to reset the body and brain to achieve the best.

Curious Habits: Why we do what we do and how to change is certainly a book for the curious, those wondering why and the many who are simply ‘curious’ about how the body works.