Psychologist: Why You Can't Break Bad Habits, The 95% Rule

What this episode is about

The discussion highlights that Gen Z is significantly reducing alcohol consumption compared to previous generations, likely due to a heightened awareness of alcohol's effects on health and personal values. Key points emphasize the importance of recognizing behavioral patterns, achieving small victories, and maintaining self-awareness as essential steps to breaking bad habits and aligning actions with one's core beliefs and goals.

Key takeaways

• Gen Z is redefining drinking culture: alcohol is out, awareness and wellness are in.
• Beware the 21-day habit myth; meaningful change unfolds in micro-wins and self-reflection.
• Alcohol's appeal may fade as Gen Z prioritizes principles and personal alignment over escapism.
• Understanding our unconscious patterns holds the key; only 5% of our behavior is truly conscious.
• Breaking habits? Replace them with purpose-driven actions, not just empty resolutions.

Who speaks in this episode?

• LA (Guest) · 15 min speaking
• Host (Host) · 6 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 5:00: Unconscious Moderation
2. 5:00 – 10:00: Unconscious Moderation
3. 15:00 – 20:00: Unconscious Moderation, Dry January
4. 20:00 – 20:57: Unconscious Moderation

Notable quotes from "Psychologist: Why You Can't Break Bad Habits, The 95% Rule"

• Doing something wrong? we don't just tackle like s the system that it's very conscious mind, we tackle the unconscious mind so you can rewire internally so you can see from a different perspective.

  about Unconscious Moderation · at 11:14

• We also have a drink tracker and everything will be launched by dry January. We know that sometimes the holidays can be tough and you're surrounded with a lot of drinking and…

  about Dry January · at 16:14

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

Companies & orgs

• Unconscious Moderation — Company · Business focus · 6 mentions · first at 1:33
  The app helps users break habits, particularly around alcohol consumption, by addressing unconscious patterns.

Places & events

• Dry January — Event · Key initiative · 1 mention · first at 16:17
  Highlighted as a significant time for users to start rewiring their habits with the Unconscious Moderation app.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 Gen Z as a generation are actually drinking less. Gen Z are drinking way less than other generations. And I think we can attribute it to being conscious of the effects that alcohol has in your body, how you feel afterwards. And you start acting disaligned to what you believe in and your principles and your main goals in life.

0:24 What do you find is something that people can do? Maybe one, two, three things. if somebody wants to start breaking habits just in general.

0:32 So understanding your patterns it's a ma the main thing little by little start uh adding habits that align with the version of you that you want to build. Those micro wins give you that rush and that oh like I can do it. It takes a while. It takes conscious action and it takes you understanding yourself. So the main things awareness micro wins and checking in with yourself.

1:05 So LA uh there's a fascinating thing that's happening right now that I hear that Gen Z as a generation are actually drinking less and I'm seeing this big push for alcohol-free products. Um, which I find fascinating and I'm I'm curious, you know, we can dive into this later around like what's the future? Will alcohol be will people drink less alcohol or is this just a movement right now? But I know what what is going on at the unconscious moderation what you're all trying to do your mission. But what do you think that changed when when you all realize that someone's drinking problem, it's not about the alcohol at all. It's about what you all call the unconscious mind.

1:51 Okay. So, I do believe that like what you're saying, the statistics show, Gen Z are drinking way less than other generations. And I think we can attribute it to being conscious of the effects that alcohol has in your body, how you feel afterwards. And sometimes when you drink a little too much, you start acting disaligned to what you believe in and your principles and your main goals in life. So I think it's attributed to that and I do believe that we are getting into a point that it's so important to know about ourselves and I do believe that all the other generations are catching up to understand more about your unconscious patterns on why you do the things you're doing because maybe those habits don't serve you anymore or they used to they don't anymore or they've never served you and they didn't align with your personal preferences. So that's why we think alcohol and alcohol moderation

2:58 it's a big thing coming up for a lot of people. So when you when you talk about breaking habits, what do you find is something that people can do maybe one, two, three things if somebody wants to start breaking habits just in general? Cuz I imagine alcohol consumption can easily become a habit because of how it might make you perceive that you're feeling better, right? I I know there's, you know, a lot of reasons why we all would want to feel better in life, but what is what are things that people can do to break habits? So for example, we do believe the first thing is awareness.

3:35 Knowing about that habit that is not serving you anymore. Sometimes we try to mask it or try and say like ah this is a one-time thing but it's it keeps on happening. So awareness is the main thing. uh awareness that you have unconscious patterns that most like 95% of of our behavior including our drinking patterns uh usually originates beneath beneath the surface. So it's only 5% of it is like really conscious. So understanding your patterns it's a ma the main thing. I also believe to change habits, you got to install habits that are aligned with you in small increments. So little by little, start uh adding habits that align with the version of you that you want to build.

4:31 Like for example, oh like I would want to drink more water. So I will pour myself a glass of water before I go to bed and have it on my nightstand just when I wake up. That's how I kickstart my day. Just one glass of water right there. Um, so little by little like those micro winds give you that rush and that oh like I can't do it. So that's a a big thing. Another thing is um also checking in with you because sometimes we are very tough and we want to like start a habit right away and be awesome the next day and just have it installed or maybe we have like fit into the the idea that a habit can change in 21 days.

5:16 That's really not true. It takes a while. It takes conscious action and it takes you understanding yourself. So, the main things uh would be those awareness, micro wins, and checking in with yourself.

5:31 Thank you for saying that. I was thinking about that as you're talking, like the whole 21 days thing, and that's never worked for me in my life. So, I thought maybe I was just different. Uh, but I I can I like the idea of taking different habits in replace of habits versus like I'm only going to stop this instead of like, okay, instead of doing this, I'm going to do this other thing. that's positive in my life. Uh, something that I've personally been a huge fan of is is hypnotherapy. I've been doing it since I was around maybe 15 years old and hypnosis has really changed my life. Um, and I know hypnosis, journaling, and movement are part of the tools in the app. What happens to someone when they do these three things together? So for us the the the main thing like for example hypnotherapy a lot of people and you've experienced it but a lot of people think it's those like magic tricks um that you

6:28 see but it's not and it's not that you lose control of yourself and that someone else is taking the the controller of your life. It's more about being in a relaxed state that you can like your nervous sh system shifts uh and your brain receives suggestions suggestions into asking yourself deeper questions and learning more about yourself and also um what we see a lot about the internal dialogue. You can start during the hypnotherapy finding that internal dialogue that helps you. Those I am statements I am strong, I am powerful, I can do whatever I set my mind to. Those can be done during the hypnotherapy and it becomes your internal day-to-day dialogue. Also, journaling is so beautiful because it's not it speaks directly to the unconscious language because the unconscious mind is not rational. It's not like logical. It it happens through symbols and journaling is one of the ways that we can create that bridge

7:36 between the unconscious mind and our conscious mind. So we understand the s symbols through journaling and your hand doesn't go as fast as your brain. So you got to slow down, write it down and understand that deeper meaning of those sentences that you're writing. And the last thing that we do believe in a lot in unconscious moderation is movement. Uh we believe the the phrase the move a muscle change of thought because it is a k like a chemical reset to your brain. Your brain is being hit by all this feelgood neurotransmitters.

8:14 So when you actually move, you are changing the brain chemistry and it helps you understand your life through a different perception.

8:23 Wow. I never knew that about journaling. Like I I never It makes total sense. My brain is moving five million miles a second. I'm writing like one tenth of a mile every five hours. So I could see it. It's probably good just to even get into the habit of slowing down in life, right? Because I'm always trying to think of, you know, five hours from now versus like the next three minutes. uh you've so I know that this app has helped people break decadesl long habits um in 90 days which is amazing right um you mentioned it earlier but what actually happens to someone day one to day 30 and then day 30 to day 90

9:08 so it would be like we do believe that consistency is key rather than like extreme perfection and that's why I said like 21 days it's not like the the time frame, it's the day-to-day, it's being present and being in the moment. And what I said, those three uh main activities help you be here in the moment. Uh so the 90-day program is more of understanding, finding the clarity. That's the first month. So it's more of like, okay, this month don't drink. Just create space between between the impulses and your choices. And that way you can understand better why are you reaching for that drink uh rather than doing it unconsciously. Uh then month two would be the conscious choice of like okay moderation becomes an option here and I understand why I reach for that glass and maybe sometimes it could be because I'm numbing something and I don't want to feel the emotions or maybe it's because I enjoy a glass. Right? So

10:12 those are two different paths. one of them when it's like for numbing maybe let's find a different habit that can help you understand that feeling instead of numbing but if you're enjoying it and if you enjoy that glass and you feel that you can do one glass that's great like understand your internal psychological uh wiring um and then the third month would be the reinforcement so this new patterns of asking yourself the question why am I drinking do I want to drink? Do I feel pressure to or do I feel that I don't need it right now, but I can hang out in this situation? So, it's more like that transformation of patterns for a conscious effort. And we do believe that like a lot of like other approaches are based mostly on willpower and willpower alone it doesn't work, right? It's it's tough. And that's why after 21 days and you haven't seen a change, you're like, am I wrong? Am I doing something wrong? Uh we we don't

11:17 just tackle like s the system um that it's very conscious mind, we tackle the unconscious mind so you can rewire internally so you can see from a different perspective.

11:31 Yeah. Thank you so much for for sharing um those steps along the way. I'm really excited personally to change some habits. I'm not even I I don't really drink too much. Uh but I'm thinking like I could use this app to change other habits that are un even unrelated to drinking because these tools can be used across so many things. Uh when you when you look at shame and guilt because I almost when I think of it I'm like well isn't kind of isn't that kind of one and the same or do they go together and how that even relates to drinking? Can you walk me through that?

12:05 Of course. That's like one of my our main topics. And the thing is, yeah, it's used as an interchangeable thing, shame and guilt. And they're very different. And our brain experience it so different. So, for example, guilt is something that happens when you your behavior doesn't align with your values and your principles. Um, so it's behavior-based. While shame, it's very internal. You identify with it. So for example, guilt would be I made a mistake while shame is I am the mistake. And that's a big eyeopening insight for a lot of people.

12:47 It's like oh I've been wired and I think that I am the mistake and maybe what I'm seeking for when I feel that shame is just connection. That's that's how I get out of that shame spiral. while with guilt it's okay how can I act differently so that's a main thing that we talk about because sometimes it's used interchangeably and it's not

13:14 how much of this do you think is tied into the traumas that we carry seem trauma seems to be like the word that people talk a lot about now um which I think I don't know if that's good that we're recognizing that we go through things like you said in the beginning around we are consciously you know thinking now more about stuff, but how much do you think that our previous experiences or traumatic experiences or trauma play into maybe unconsciously how we react or do things now? a lot a lot because we are actually we have different stages in life where we are very prone to like understand or signify things and one of them could be like a traumatic event and when I'm saying trauma it's not like something very drastic it's some it's how you understood the situation that you went through so everyone has traumas right and understanding that you put that event and that you live through that event and then at that you put a meaning

14:20 to that event. It's it's big and that meaning could be unconscious. You could do this wiring completely unconscious. So, it's like, oh, um, I don't know. I had a situation at a party. I was very anxious and I drank to feel comfortable. And you associated like anxiety, bad drinking can help me like get out of my anxiety and you associated that and you kept on drinking every single party because that's how it bonded in your in your brain. And look, it's not something like super scary. It's, oh, I had an uncomfortable situation. I gave meaning to that situation and now that's an an unconscious pattern engraved in my head.

15:06 So, what we try to do is understand like those traumas and reignify those traumas so we can make a conscious choice when we're faced to situations that trigger us. And that's what we try to do at Unconscious Moderation. I guess we are the old phrase creatures of habit and many times it's negative habits not of positive habits until we wake up and realize that we can make the change within ourselves. I get stuck in the same like you said if I get anxious somewhere I'll just do something and then I'll continue doing it and I don't even recognize that I'm even doing it or that's that's how I kind of replace the feeling of ne of uh anxiety. I know unconscious moderation is going through a lot of changes. You have some exciting things coming out. Can you walk me through what's going to be happening in January and beyond?

15:58 Yes, of course. We're really excited because we are building a wonderful app that guides you through the 90 days. It's a 90-day journey where you get achievements and different moments. Um, we also have a drink tracker and everything will be launched by dry January. We know that sometimes the holidays can be tough and you're surrounded with a lot of drinking and party and everything. So, we really want to make dry January our month where we start rewiring and of course like new year, new me that that um that phrase that a lot of people say maybe this could be a help like a big help to make the changes that you want. We are also um having uh a partnership with masterclass which is awesome. So if you get the app you also can get master class and you can hear this wonderful people like top at their craft people speaking to you and you can learn so much more. Um, and well, we can also like kind of just try

17:12 and replace doom scrolling and like that. Oh, like let's go through social media and uh when I'm anxious with learning and with learning about ourselves. So, that's what we're trying to make um with this app. I wonder how many people start in January and I wonder what the statistic is if like how many continue their New Year's resolutions and things, you know, like I wonder I have to look this up to see like what is the statistic and versus ones that you know like they stop 90 days in or 70 days in. But I hope they continue because uh I I really like what you're doing. I mean, the fact that that it's linking up with MasterClass, which by the way, I used Masterclass to create the world's greatest eggs. I learned how to cook eggs.

17:59 And then of Ramsey, no, it's uh Oh, I forgot his name, but he has his uh restaurant is French Laundry. Um, and he it's like one of the the greatest restaurants, highest rated restaurants in the US. And I got to meet him not too long ago. And I told him, "Hey, I watched your master class and I learned how to make eggs." And he thought that was pretty funny, but I love Masterass. Like, talk about wanting to change habits and wanting to learn something new and skills. So, the fact that you're not just like an app that you're it's an app that's also combined with making people's lives better. I find we need more of those. So, LA, if people want to get in touch with you, they want to find out more about the app. I know you do, uh, you know, you're a spokesperson. You talk a lot about the app. So maybe they want to watch more of of the content that you create. How can they do so?

18:49 So you can definitely look uh unconscious moderation app which is um app. Uh you can download it of course and then you can also watch our content in Instagram, Tik Tok. We also have like large uh uh content videos from psychology in our YouTube channel. So you can check those out. Um, and we're always open to like answer any questions and we do have a way that can people can just uh start the journey. We have a promo code uh for people to download the app uh which is called LAAM20 and that way people can get the discount uh for the first month and start the journey. And I mean, one one cocktail, it's a little it's more expensive than the app. So that's I'm just going to leave it right there for for everyone to listen to because I think it's a great it's an investment on yourself and on the people that want to change their habits.

19:53 Well, I think we've never been in a place in our lives as humans where we really want to better ourselves. Like we want to be healthier. We want to live longer. we want to be healthier when we live longer. Um, I think we're at a really, you know, biohacking like all this stuff I find to be very amazing that we really want to be better and and if Gen Z and Gen Alpha they consciously want to be better, I think that's fantastic. Um, so unconscious moderation laorsa, thank you for joining us and filling I I learned so much today. I learned so much that I'm going to take to all aspects of life and I'm just really fascinated by what you all are doing with the app and I can't wait come back in six months to a year share what's happening then because I imagine this launch is going to be massive and you know millions of people around the world are going to be impacted positively. So thank you for all that

20:45 you do and thanks for joining us today on Founders Story. Thank you so much for having me. It was great speaking to you.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Psychologist: Why You Can't Break Bad Habits, The 95% Rule"?

LA (Guest), Host (Host).

What is "Psychologist: Why You Can't Break Bad Habits, The 95% Rule" about?

The discussion highlights that Gen Z is significantly reducing alcohol consumption compared to previous generations, likely due to a heightened awareness of alcohol's effects on health and personal values. Key points emphasize the importance of recognizing behavioral patterns, achieving small victories, and maintaining self-awareness as essential steps to breaking bad habits and aligning actions…

What is mentioned in this Founder's Story episode?

2 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Unconscious Moderation, Dry January. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Psychologist: Why You Can't Break Bad Habits, The 95% Rule"?

The episode runs 21 min; the transcript is about 3,389 words in 29 timestamped sections.

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