Consistency is the secret to lasting success, but sticking to habits can be a challenge. In this episode, Monica shares five practical, research-backed strategies to help you build habits that stick. Learn how to start small, stack habits, shift your identity, set clear intentions, and track your progress.
Consistency is the secret to lasting success, but sticking to habits can be a challenge. In this episode, Monica shares five practical, research-backed strategies to help you build habits that stick. Learn how to start small, stack habits, shift your identity, set clear intentions, and track your progress.
Savvy Psychologist is hosted by Dr. Monica Johnson. A transcript is available at Simplecast.
Have a mental health question? Email us at psychologist@quickanddirtytips.com.
Find Savvy Psychologist on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to the newsletter for more psychology tips.
Savvy Psychologist is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.
Links:
https://quickanddirtytips.com/savvy-psychologist
https://www.facebook.com/savvypsychologist
https://twitter.com/qdtsavvypsych
https://www.kindmindpsych.com/
Building consistent habits is key to achieving long-term success in any area of life, but sticking to them can feel like an uphill battle. The good news? Psychological research offers practical strategies to make habits stick. Here are 10 evidence-based tips, with real-world examples, to help you stay on track.
Welcome back to Savvy Psychologist, I'm your host, Dr. Monica Johnson. Every week on this show, I'll help you face life's challenges with evidence-based approaches, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.
Example: John wants to start meditating but struggles to find time. Instead of aiming for 30 minutes, he starts with just one minute a day, sitting quietly after waking up. Once this becomes a habit, he gradually increases the time.
I can’t stress starting small enough. Following up on the example, one of the biggest excuses I get for not implementing mindfulness is not finding the time. And as your resident internet psychologist, I am looking at you going—you don’t have time to pay attention to your life as it’s happening? Take the minute and you will find overtime you will find the space.
Example: Sarah wants to drink more water. She decides to drink a glass of water every morning right after brushing her teeth. The existing habit of brushing serves as a cue for the new habit.
True story, years ago I was trying to increase the number of times I floss in a week. How did I do it? By leaving floss next to the computer and prior to checking my email for the day, I had to get in a quick flossing. Believe me when I say this works!
Example: Mike wants to start exercising to get fit. Instead of saying, "I want to lose weight," he tells himself, "I am a gym goer." This mindset shift motivates him to more consistently, get up and go to the gym.
Generally, speaking, I find when something is your identity, you can’t really fail at it, but you can be motivated to be more inline with that identity. For example, I hate the gym, but being healthy is a value of mine and I define myself as an active person. What does an active person do? She goes to the gym, when she can’t go to the gym, she goes for a walk, when she can’t go on a walk, she does yoga, and when she’s totally tapped out and needs to rest that’s okay because active people are going to be active whenever and however they can be. Therefore, when it’s time to rest, there is no reason to feel bad about it.
Example: Emily struggles to stick to her workout routine. She sets a clear plan: "If it's Monday, Wednesday, or Friday at 6 p.m., then I will go to the gym for 30 minutes." This removes ambiguity and makes it easier to follow through.
Did you make a plan? Then it’s unlikely to happen whether big or small. There is a guy in one of my gym communities who always takes it to the limit in these high cardio classes that we take. I mean he’s jumping rope when everyone else is gassed and walking on the treadmill. It was round 10/10 and I said to myself, if he goes for the bike which is what I was using as my easy set, I would go all out on the ski erg. All I wanted to do was sit down and pass out over the handle bars, but when I saw him walking toward the bikes, I dragged my feet all the way over to the ski erg and accomplished my intention. That 1 minute showed me I can do hard things even when I don’t want to.
Example: David wants to read more. He sets a goal to read 10 pages a day and marks a check on his calendar for each day he completes it. Seeing a streak of checks motivates him to keep going and not break the chain.
Building habits is like trying to train a stubborn puppy—it takes patience, consistency, and, let’s face it, a lot of treats (preferably metaphorical ones, unless you’re into dog biscuits). You’ll have days where you nail it and feel like a productivity influencer, and other days where you’ll wonder if “Binge Watcher” can count as a legitimate identity. Be kind to yourself and start small. Also, check in to part 2 where I give you even more tips on how to achieve your goals.
How are you going to use one of these skills in your life? Let me know! You can contact me via Instagram @kindmindpsych or via my email at psychologist@quickanddirtytips.com.
The Savvy Psychologist is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast. It's audio engineered by Steve Riekeberg, with script editing by Brannan Goetschius. Our Podcast and Advertising Operations Specialist is Morgan Christiansen. Our Digital Operations Specialist is Holly Hutchings and Our Marketing and Publicity Associate is Davina Tomlin. Nathaniel Hoopes is our Marketing contractor. Follow Savvy Psychologist on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. That's all for this episode of Savvy Psychologist. Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week.