Bad Habits May Actually Be Brain’s Survival Strategies, New Psychology Book Suggests

What many people dismiss as bad habits – nail-biting, procrastination, and avoidance – might actually serve as protective mechanisms for the brain, according to a new psychology book that challenges conventional thinking about self-sabotaging behaviors.

In “Controlled Explosions in Mental Health,” clinical psychologist Dr. Charlie Heriot-Maitland explores the counterintuitive idea that seemingly destructive behaviors may function as survival strategies developed by our brains to keep us safe.

“Our brain is a survival machine,” Heriot-Maitland told Fox News Digital. “It is programmed not to optimize our happiness and well-being, but to keep us alive.”

The book draws on extensive clinical research and therapeutic practice to explain how the human brain has evolved to prioritize predictability and safety over comfort or happiness. This evolutionary adaptation stems from our ancestors’ need to remain vigilant against threats, where being caught off-guard could prove fatal.

“The brain prefers predictable pain over unpredictable threat,” Heriot-Maitland explained. “It does not like surprises.”

This preference for the known over the unknown means that when faced with uncertainty, the brain may opt for smaller, controlled discomforts rather than risking exposure to larger, unpredictable threats. For example, procrastination may create stress and frustration, but it can also delay the potentially greater psychological threat of failure or judgment.

“The central argument is that behaviors we label as ‘self-sabotaging’ could actually be attempts by the brain to control discomfort,” said Thea Gallagher, a psychologist and wellness programs director at NYU Langone Health, who commented on the book’s premise.

In contemporary society, threats are typically more emotional than physical. Yet the brain processes rejection, shame, anxiety, and loss of control using the same survival systems that evolved to protect against physical dangers. This evolutionary mismatch can lead to seemingly irrational behaviors.

“Our brains have evolved to favor perceiving threat, even when there isn’t one, in order to elicit a protective response in us,” Heriot-Maitland noted. Self-criticism, avoidance behaviors, and nervous habits like nail-biting can all function as attempts to manage perceived dangers in a controlled manner.

While the concept offers an intriguing framework for understanding problematic behaviors, Gallagher pointed out that the book relies more on clinical insight than empirical research. “That doesn’t make it wrong, but it means the claims are more interpretive than scientific,” she said, adding that more data is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms.

Gallagher also emphasized that external factors like ADHD, trauma, chronic stress, or socioeconomic pressures can influence these behaviors in ways that extend beyond simple threat responses.

Rather than viewing patterns like procrastination as character flaws, the book encourages people to understand their protective function. However, both experts stress that people should seek professional support for destructive behaviors that cause severe distress or self-harm.

“I encourage my patients to think about short-term pain for long-term gain, because if you just respond to discomfort and distress in the moment, you might find yourself in longer-term patterns you don’t like or want,” Gallagher advised.

For those who recognize these patterns in themselves, Gallagher offered practical recommendations. First, shift from self-judgment to self-compassion by focusing on the function of the behavior rather than criticizing yourself. Ask what the behavior might be protecting you from or what purpose it serves.

Second, observe patterns without immediately trying to fight them. “Observing the behavior with curiosity helps weaken the automatic threat response,” Gallagher explained.

Third, build a sense of safety through grounding techniques, supportive relationships, predictable routines, and self-soothing practices. This creates the security needed to gradually change patterns.

Finally, practice small, low-stakes exposure to feared situations. “If the brain fears uncertainty, gently introducing controlled uncertainty can help retrain it,” Gallagher suggested.

Heriot-Maitland emphasized that everyone has choices in how they handle potentially harmful habits. “We don’t want to fight these behaviors, but nor do we want to appease them and let them carry on controlling, dictating and sabotaging our lives,” he said.

Understanding these behaviors as protective rather than purely destructive opens new pathways to address them with compassion while still working toward healthier alternatives.