Judson Brewer’s Unwinding Anxiety offers a science-based approach to using mindfulness to regulate emotions and change habits. Learn to use Brewer’s technique, habit mapping, for stress relief.

Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Judson Brewer offers a science-based approach to using mindfulness to regulate emotions and change habits—especially the ones that keep us stuck in stress and overwhelm. While the book’s title speaks to anxiety, its message applies far more broadly: stress, avoidance, overeating, overplanning, procrastination, even doomscrolling. These, too, are habits we fall into when we’re trying to escape uncomfortable feelings.

The good news? We can learn to identify these automatic behaviors and change them—starting with two mindful approaches: habit mapping and RAIN. This post will walk you through habit mapping, a foundational practice for increasing awareness of your stress-driven habit loops.

For my post explaining Brewer’s take on the mindfulness technique RAIN, read this!

Learning to Unlearn

Brewer explains that our brains, designed for survival, are also wired for habit. When we’re under stress, the brain seeks relief by repeating what has worked before. But in today’s world—full of information, stimulation, and pressure—those responses often become reactive and unhelpful.

The key to change? Learning how to recognize and interrupt these automatic loops.

The Habit Loop

At the heart of Brewer’s approach is an understanding of how habits are formed—and how they can be unlearned. Every behavior, including how we respond to stress, is built through a simple three-step loop:

  1. Trigger – A feeling or situation that initiates a reaction
  2. Behavior – What you do in response
  3. Result – The outcome, which your brain interprets as a reward/punishment

This loop forms the basis of how we learn—and it’s also the foundation for how we can unlearn.

Our brains act as prediction machines, constantly scanning our internal state and environment for cues. Based on this information and past experiences, the brain makes a snap decision about what to do next.

If a behavior worked even once—say, yelling, snacking, or avoiding—it gets saved as a shortcut for next time. This is efficient, but risky. The behavior may bring temporary relief, but it often leads to negative outcomes later. And yet the brain keeps the shortcut unless we consciously rewire it.

Habit Mapping

You can begin to identify (and thereby change) your own stress habits by recording your habit loops: Trigger → Behavior → Result. Brewer calls this process habit mapping and offers a downloadable worksheet on his website to help guide the practice.

Access Brewer’s “The Habit Mapper” Worksheet here!

Here’s how to start mapping your stress habits to improve your responses:

  • Trigger: What initiated this loop? (Thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, or circumstances)
  • Behavior: What’s the habit—what did you do or think in response?
  • Result: How did you feel afterward—both short-term and long-term?

Real-Life Examples of Stress Loops

Overeating After Work

  • Trigger: Feeling mentally exhausted and emotionally drained
  • Behavior: Snacking mindlessly (often on sugary or salty foods)
  • Result: Temporary comfort, followed by sluggishness or guilt

Snapping at a Partner or Child

  • Trigger: Feeling overwhelmed by demands or lack of personal time
  • Behavior: Speaking sharply or with irritation
  • Result: Brief release, followed by regret or disconnection

Doomscrolling Before Bed

  • Trigger: Restlessness or anxiety about the next day
  • Behavior: Scrolling news or social media
  • Result: Distraction, followed by poor sleep or feeling wired

Procrastinating

  • Trigger: Fear of failure or self-doubt
  • Behavior: Avoiding the task by checking email or phone
  • Result: Short-term relief, followed by increased pressure or anxiety

Why Habit Mapping Works

Habit mapping brings automatic, learned responses into conscious awareness. By slowing down and reflecting on your stress responses, you can spot patterns and examine what’s truly helpful—and what isn’t.

This is the first step in changing unhelpful habits and building more effective ways of coping with stress.

When we become curious about our behaviors—without judgment—we start to see them differently. This awareness opens the door to change.

As Brewer writes:

“If you really pay careful and close attention—without making any assumptions or relying on past experience to guide you—and you see that a behavior is not rewarding right now, I promise you that you will start to get less excited about doing it again.” (p.112–113)

Our brains are wired to seek rewards. If we recognize that a behavior no longer delivers one, the brain gradually lets go of the habit.

The Science Behind Habit Mapping

Brewer has conducted extensive research on the brain’s learning systems and how mindfulness, including habit mapping, can rewire them. His lab has developed several evidence-based digital tools and apps for habit change—used in clinical settings and by the general public.

Results from Brewer’s Studies on Habit Change:

  • 40% reduction in craving-related eating
  • 5x success rate over leading treatment for quitting smoking
  • After just 10 to 15 sessions of mindful awareness, participants reported a sharp drop in the reward value of their habits

This research confirms that by increasing awareness of the stress loop, people can start to unlearn the habits that keep them stuck—and find healthier ways forward.

Small Changes, Big Transformation

Habit mapping is one small change we can make to prioritize our health and build resilience. Just a few moments of mindful attention can help you recognize your triggers, interrupt automatic loops, and make more intentional choices. Wellness doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming. Give this practice a try this week and let me know how it goes!

Need help putting this into practice?

When you’re ready to go beyond reading and start applying these tools in your daily life or workplace, I can help. I offer 1-on-1 coaching and customized trainings for organizations. Let’s work on it!

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