Your Boss Brain vs Your Autopilot Brain
Put Your Health and Weight Loss on Autopilot- #2
In our last episode we found out that your life is complicated.
(But, you already knew that… ;-)
And, that it’d be awfully nice if you had an autopilot to help you run things-- especially when you add getting healthy and losing weight to an already busy, complicated life.
Your Brain--the Pilot and Autopilot
Good thing you already have an autopilot system built into your brain!
Pretty cool, huh?
Let me explain how it works….
There are two different ways your brain thinks. Neuroscientists have nicknamed these different brain systems-- System 1 and System 2.
System 2—The Pilot
The top-level thinking part of your brain is called System 2. It’s just like the pilot of an aircraft. (I also call it The Boss.)
The Pilot part of your brain is the planner, the goal setter, and is in charge of long term thinking. It’s in charge of willpower and your conscious thoughts.
The pilot isn’t like a computer. It can only do one thing at a time. And surprisingly, only 5% of your brain’s activity is in Pilot mode. But, this part of your brain is in charge of all your important decisions.
System 1—The Autopilot
The other way your brain thinks is called System 1. This is your subconscious--the quick-thinking, habit part of your brain. This is like your brain’s autopilot. (I also call this The Assistant.)
Your autopilot brain can juggle multiple tasks like walking, talking, digesting, and breathing all at the same time. This is the subconscious, intuitive, habit part of your brain. It’s all about running systems and habits. Incredibly, 95% of your brain’s activity is the subconscious autopilot part of your brain!
What the Pilot is In Charge of
In real life, an aircraft pilot is in charge of the flight plan, taking off, monitoring systems and the flight, weather, malfunctions, and landing.
And in your brain, the pilot part of your brain is in charge of pretty much the same stuff.
The pilot part of your brain is in charge of setting your overall goal (flight plan), how to set up your healthy habits (taking off), tracking and analyzing habits and progress (monitoring systems and monitoring the flight), creating workarounds for obstacles (weather and malfunctions), and transitioning to maintenance habits (landing).
What the Autopilot is In Charge of
In real life, the autopilot of an aircraft is in charge of keeping the aircraft flying within a pre-programmed path with working systems.
And in your brain, the subconscious, autopilot part of your brain is in charge of making sure that your body systems (cardiovascular system, pulmonary system, digestive system, etc) and habit systems (like eating right, moving more, getting sleep, and managing stress) all run smoothly every day.
The autopilot does most of the work in both the plane and your body, but the pilot is ultimately the one in charge.
The autopilot keeps things running while the pilot is focusing on broader, more important things like--am I going where I want to go, are there obstacles that I need to avoid or get through, and what systems do I need to put in place or change so I get to where I want to go.
Why There are Problems
The problems between a pilot and autopilot happen when there is a mismatch or miscommunication.
If the pilot tries to do all the stuff the autopilot does, she may get overwhelmed, tired, or make a mistake.
And on the other hand, if the pilot thinks that the autopilot will follow through on a task, but doesn’t, this is a BIG problem as well. In 2013 a commercial plane crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport. The pilots assumed the autopilot was doing something that it wasn’t actually doing.
The Outdated Autopilot Software
The biggest problems when it comes to health and wellness, revolve around how the brain’s autopilot software has been programmed.
The autopilot in your brain (your subconscious) was programmed to keep you alive by getting more pleasure, avoiding pain, and being lazy.
Your autopilot brain software was programmed millennia ago.
Back then, getting more pleasure, avoiding pain, and being lazy were all good things. The autopilot kept you well-fed, away from bad-mannered neighbors, and safe and warm near the campfire.
It’s a Very Different World
But nowadays, you live in a very different climate.
Nowadays you have high calorie, tasty food options everywhere. And that ultra-tasty food is super-fast, easy to obtain, and relatively inexpensive. (No chasing down deer with a spear or planting crops with a shovel and then waiting months).
You have to go out of your way to move your body at the gym. (No sawing down logs for a cabin, churning butter for ½ hour, or walking a mile to the stream).
Sleep is easy to postpone with phones, TV, and electric lights. (No lights out when all goes dark).
And your stress levels are compounding when you see the latest political arguments or the sufferings of strangers ½ a world away on the news. (No waiting for the pony express to get the latest).
Yep, most of the problems with your health and weight loss happen because of that outdated autopilot software.
How the Mismatch in the Autopilot Software Sabotages Your Health and Weight
Remember the pilot brain is in charge of setting your overall goal (flight plan).
But the autopilot brain is WAY stronger than the pilot brain.
If you don’t make the goal or destination desirable enough, your subconscious autopilot brain takes over. “Forget it. Not enough pleasure. Let’s eat ice cream instead of salad.”
If you’re trying to set up healthy habits (taking off), and the habits are too big, too painful, or too hard, then again the autopilot won’t follow through with them. “I’m not going to the gym. I’ve had a long day. How about Netflix instead?”
If you don’t monitor your body system’s progress with a tracking system like a scale, fitbit/apple watch, or lab tests, then you may not have the data to know when there are problems. “I’m so tired lately. I’ll just ignore it. Probably just getting older.”
If you don’t create workarounds for obstacles (equipment malfunctions), then your autopilot will take the path of least resistance. “Oh well, I forgot my healthy lunch at home. Guess I need to go out for a burger.”
If you don’t have a workaround (for stormy weather), then again your autopilot will take the path of least resistance. “I didn’t feel like meal prepping this weekend. I guess our only option is to take the kids through the drive-thru after their soccer game--again.”
Finally, if you don’t set-up the healthy maintenance habits (landing) after getting healthy or losing weight, then your autopilot will have you going back to your same old routine and you’ll be back to your starting point in a New York minute. “Now that I’ve lost 20 pounds, I can eat whatever I want again.
You Can Work with Your Autopilot System
This autopilot brain software is a legacy system. That means you can’t just scrap the whole thing. You can’t make the subconscious autopilot part of your brain suddenly hate pleasure, move towards pain, and not be lazy (that would be dangerous anyway).
But if you understand your brain and work with it, instead of against it, you can set your autopilot to get to your health and weight loss goals in an enjoyable and sustainable way.
how do you actually do that?
How do you program your health and weight to run on autopilot?
Be sure to check out episode #3, to find out how to get your autopilot to take care of your health and weight while you stay focused on living your life.
And when you’re done with the series, be sure to download the The Roadmap to Autopilot Health and Weight Loss as my gift to you, so you can get your health and weight loss running on Autopilot.
Until next time,