Happy New Year!
The beginning of the year is always a great moment to reflect on the last year and assess what we would like to change. It is often a period when we feel a lot of energy and motivation and set ambitious goals for ourselves. We often want to create new habits or get rid of old bad ones.
Unfortunately, we often get caught up after a couple of weeks, slipping back into our old habits without even noticing it. That could be returning to sport, changing our eating and sleeping habits, or starting a new hobby. If we don’t pay attention, we slowly start thinking, “I’ll start tomorrow” and that tomorrow might never come.
Luckily, there are a couple of strategies we can use to ease the process of creating and maintaining a habit. Many strategies exist, and I will discuss 5 that I have found to be quite effective.
Before digging into them in detail, let’s see what a habit is and how it forms.Subscribed
What is a Habit?
Habits are the routines our brains follow on autopilot. They are formed through repetition. This means that we do not have to think about them anymore. We have done them so many times that they become tasks we do subconsciously.
A couple of habits might include:
- Brushing your teeth
- Taking a coffee first thing when arriving at work
- Having a cigarette after lunch
- Drinking a soda while eating
- Going to the gym after work
With the new year, you might want to get rid of a habit you consider “bad” or unhealthy—like smoking—or start a new habit that is important to you, like getting back in shape.
The Habit Loop
The habit loop is a three-step psychological framework that explains how habits are formed.
- Trigger: This could be a location, a time, an emotion, an event, or anything that triggers a certain behavior.
- Routine: What action or behavior do you implement in reaction to this trigger?
- Reward: Expressing the behavior will generally create a feeling of satisfaction, sometimes in the very short term.
Repeating those actions strengthens these patterns.
Let’s look at two examples.
Example 1:
- Trigger: You had a stressful week at work.
- Routine: You decide to treat yourself to a very caloric meal.
- Reward: The meal creates a feeling of stress relief, and you feel better afterward.
The more this trigger occurs and you cope with it in the same way, the more it becomes a habit.
Example 2:
- Trigger: It’s 6:00 PM, and you finish work.
- Routine: You head directly to the gym.
- Reward: After training, you feel good.
Very quickly, you will associate that particular schedule with going to the gym, and it will have become a habit.
5 Keys to Create a Habit
Here are 5 keys to make habits stick!
1. Set a Specific Goal
One of the most important parts of creating habits is to have a specific goal to work towards. When we set specific objectives, our brains respond with a sense of accomplishment, making it more likely that the behavior becomes a habit. We also develop a sense of achievement as we get closer to our goal.
2. You Need a Better Reason
Find a deep, personal reason for building a habit. Oftentimes, we define general goals, but as those goals lack meaning, we end up forgetting about them and going back to old habits.
For example, switch from saying, “I’m going to eat healthy” to:
“I want to have a balanced diet, where I cook my own meals so that I can teach my kids how to eat properly and show them the importance of taking care of their own health. I want to be an example for them.”
All of a sudden, the reason to create a habit becomes much more tangible and also much deeper.
3. Goals Should Be Sustainable
Setting realistic and sustainable goals aligns with the brain’s capacity for long-term planning and delayed gratification.
As we’ve seen, the reward and the routine should go hand in hand. If your goal is unrealistic or unsustainable, you might not perceive enough reward in your day-to-day and get discouraged when you don’t see the results you expected.
4. Know Your Cues
Recognizing what prompts your actions is a powerful step toward intentional behavior change. By understanding your triggers, you can consciously create or adjust habits.
5. Reduce Stress
Stress affects decision-making and self-control, often pushing us to default to habits that give instant gratification. By managing stress levels, we indirectly influence our ability to maintain new routines and habits.
Reducing stress isn’t always easy, especially when external events happen, but we can adapt our goals to match the current situation. For example, momentarily lowering expectations during a tough period can help.
Bonus: Replacing a Habit is Easier Than Creating a New One
If you’ve identified “bad” habits you want to change, try replacing them with better ones.
Example:
If you drink a lot of soda, replace it with diet soda or sparkling water. The switch is easy, and it can make a big difference to your health over time.
A Few Extra Tips
Creating lasting habits is not easy, and it’s highly personal. Different strategies resonate with different people.
- Progress Over Perfection: There will be days when you can’t stick to your habit. That’s okay. Focus on doing what you can, even if it’s a small step.
- Start Small: Build up gradually. Small, consistent efforts lead to big changes.
- Celebrate Wins: Acknowledge your progress, no matter how small.
Remember: building habits is a journey, not a race. Here’s to progress and growth in the new year!