How to stick with healthy habits (and break up with bad ones!)
Learn how to monitor your behaviour, then either maintain or modify it.
Try this!
Start by monitoring a habit. Decide if you want to break up with this habit or stick with this habit. Then, modify the habit you'd like to change or maintain the habit you want to keep.
Let’s dive a little deeper...
The next time you catch yourself in a habit - freeze!
By paying close attention to what happens right before and after, we’re able see what’s making that habit easier to do. Then, we can actually make changes or protect it.
1. Monitor*
Pay close attention to when and where your habit usually happens. See if there are any consistent patterns with the time of day or specific place, how you feel, what you’re thinking, or what you most recently did (aka examples of the cues).
*Write down what you notice over a few days.
2. Choose one
Option A
Modify
If you want to break up with your habit, change one thing that supports it.
Want to stop your nighttime snack routine that constantly happens while you’re watching TV in the living room? Try reading a book or watching TV in a different room instead!
Option B
Maintain
If you want to stick with your habit, protect one thing that supports it.
Do you take a daily walk after lunch? Block your calendar for an hour to avoid any unplanned meetings or last-minute appointments.
