Small Habits that Stick

Every health article tells you to “eat better and exercise more.” Cool thanks I guess. But do you actually do it? When life is chaotic, motivation fades, and willpower runs out, how do you stay consistent?

The answer isn’t to try harder. Unlike what you might think, it’s better to think small.

Why Big Changes Fail

Most people approach health change the same way: Try hard on day one, burn out in 2 weeks, and after not seeing a six pack they feel like a failure and give up. There is nothing wrong with these people, it’s just how human psychology works. Motivation is unreliable. It peaks when you start something new and fakes fast. Habits, on the other hand, don’t require motivation.

2 Minutes

When starting a new habit, make it so small it takes 2 minutes or less. The goal is to start. Examples:

• If you want to eat more vegetables, instead of substituting a bag of chips for a bowl of vegetables, just add one vegetable to your plate.

• If you want to exercise, start small, with something like a minute of jump rope instead of trying to run a mile.

• If you want to drink more water, start by filling your water bottle every morning before you do anything else.

Once simple habits like these are established, you can build on it. But first it has to exist.

Stack Habits Onto Existing Ones:

The easiest way to build a new habit is to attach it to something you already do automatically. This is called habit stacking. Examples:

• After I pour my morning drink, I will eat a piece of fruit.

• After I sit down for lunch, I will drink a full glass of water first.

• After I get home from school, I will change into workout clothes.

• After I brush my teeth at night, I will put tomorrow’s healthy snack in my bag.

Small Habits Worth Starting Today

• Add one vegetable of fruit ti one meal per day

• Swap one sugary drink per day for water

• Walk for 10 minutes after school, even if it’s just around the block

• Go to sleep 15 minutes earlier than usual

• Eat breakfast, even if it’s something tiny

• Put your phone face-down during meals

• Read one nutrition label this week

Give It Time

Research suggests it takes an average of 66 days to form a habit. Some habits take longer. Be patient with yourself. Missing one day does not break a habit. Missing two in a row is where the habit starts to break. A general rule of thumb is to never miss a habit twice.

Every small choice in the right direction counts.