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.