What happens in your body...when you create a micro-habit
We’re wrapping up our Weekly Topic series by taking action!
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Over the past few weeks, we’ve learned a lot about our bodies—now, we’re taking action! At the start of the series, we talked about how our brains are pretty impressive because they can change based on what we repeatedly do. But that takes time. Sure, it’d be great if we could press a magic button and totally transform our bodies and habits overnight, but studies tell us that real change happens by setting small—we mean, ridiculously small—goals. By starting small, we’re better set up for early and repeatable success. We can then begin to build on that micro-habit to create a chain of events that leads to something bigger.
3 fast facts
When we break a complex task down into smaller ones, we tend to finish it faster—and at a better quality.
Setting goals that might seem ridiculously small in the moment actually sets us up for early—and frequent success. (That’s because they literally are crazy small!) This makes it more likely we’ll repeat the behaviour.
When we repeat these small behaviours enough, they can turn into micro-habits, which become the building blocks for more complex habits.
Try this technique
Think about a habit you want to form and break it down into the tiniest of steps. (Anything sparking interest from our six-part “What happens in your body...” series?) Create a habit loop focused just on that first step—and build up from there.
Cue: Even the smallest of behaviours need a signal in the environment to actually do it. Let’s say you want to practice mindful breathing for 30 seconds each morning. Decide what spot in your home will cue you to do it. (See last week’s cozy nook.)
Behaviour: Try out your small action and see just how doable it really is. (Remember, it should be small.) Want to go to bed earlier? Start with one minute. Want to exercise more? Do one jumping jack.
Reward: By aiming small, you’re setting yourself up better for satisfaction—and a boost in confidence. Having early success from doing what you wanted to do makes it more likely that you’ll keep repeating the behaviour...until you’re ready to add to it!