How Do Good Habits Form?
September 7, 2019
How many times have you wondered if you locked the door? You check again and see that it is indeed locked. It’s an action that has become so automatic that you no longer think about it consciously. You just do it. Why is that? Because you’ve developed the habit of thinking: “Every time I leave the house, I lock the door.” When you’re in a situation that reminds you of the habit, you act on it automatically. You can use this knowledge to eliminate bad habits and replace them with a healthy lifestyle. Try following healthy trends.
1. Schedule time for a new habit
You probably have specific times and triggers that activate your habits. For example, you brush your teeth before and after sleep. These two time points automatically lead you to the bathroom. Maybe you wake up at 6 a.m. on weekdays—and also on Saturdays? That’s the power of habit. Your body acts automatically, without conscious thought. Use this principle when trying to build a good habit—like training at home or at the gym. Decide exactly when you will work out, and stick to it. If you choose to train every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., your body will start reminding you automatically. If you skip it, you’ll feel uncomfortable—because it’s Tuesday at 7:00! You should be at the gym! You can also build a home routine—like during the COVID lockdown. Ignoring your internal clock leads to problems. It’s like going to bed without brushing your teeth—it just feels wrong.
2. Change the environment to break a bad habit
If you know that you always reach for snacks while watching Netflix on the couch at night, change the ritual. Listen to music, go for a walk, or read a book. If you always buy junk food at the store, try shopping at a different supermarket and go directly to the healthy foods section. After a while, you’ll get used to it. If you always smoke when drinking coffee, replace coffee with yerba mate or drink it only at home, where smoking isn’t possible. Intentionally avoid situations that trigger bad habits.
3. Set a trigger for your new habit
Tell yourself: “Every time I’m on the bus or train, I listen to an audiobook or read a book.” Or: “Every time I wake up, I drink a glass of lemon water.” The goal is to perform useful actions automatically under regularly recurring conditions.
4. The power of association
People function quite simply—we avoid pain and seek pleasure. If you associate fries with pleasure and the gym with struggle, you’ll choose the fries. So when thinking about a bad habit, focus on what really bothers you—guilt, low self-esteem, or fear of the scale. And when you think about working out, recall the best moments—your favorite exercise, compliments from others, or that amazing feeling when the first results appear.
5. Replace bad habits with a better lifestyle
Strong habits can’t just be replaced with “nothing.” You wouldn’t go to bed without brushing your teeth—unless you had an alternative way to clean them. Similarly, we need a replacement for bad habits that still satisfies our needs. When we have too much time and feel bored, we tend to do unproductive things—mindless scrolling, watching TV, eating sweets. Instead, find a good habit that brings you joy. For example: “Instead of scrolling through social media, I go for a walk, read something motivational, or practice football tricks.” That way, your new behavior activates automatically: “I have time, I’m bored—so as always, I go for a walk.”
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