The start of a new year often feels like a blank slate, an opportunity to set intentions and embrace positive changes. Whether you’re looking to eat better, move more, or prioritise self-care, forming new habits can be both exciting and daunting. The key to success often lies in understanding the psychology behind habits. In this guide, we’ll explore how to make healthy habits stick for the long term.

1. Start Small, Think Big

Psychologists have long emphasised the importance of small, manageable changes when building new habits. Known as the small wins theory, this concept highlights that incremental progress creates momentum and builds confidence. Instead of vowing to completely overhaul your diet, try committing to eating an extra serving of vegetables each day. These small steps add up, making larger changes more sustainable.

2. Tie Healthy Habits to Existing Routines

One powerful technique for habit formation is habit stacking, a term popularised by behavioural psychologist Dr. BJ Fogg. This method involves attaching a new habit to an existing one. For example:

• After brushing your teeth in the morning, spend five minutes stretching.
• While waiting for your coffee to brew, drink a glass of water.
  By linking new habits to established routines, they become easier to remember and integrate into daily life.

3. Leverage the Power of Rewards

The human brain craves rewards, which are crucial for reinforcing behaviour. However, the reward doesn’t need to be extravagant. Simple pleasures, like marking off a calendar after a workout or savouring your favourite herbal tea post-meditation, can create positive associations with the habit.

4. Reframe Resolutions as Identity Goals

Shifting your mindset from doing to being can make a significant difference in maintaining habits. Rather than focusing on actions, think about the type of person you want to become. Instead of saying, “I want to exercise regularly,” reframe it as, “I’m becoming someone who values fitness.” Research shows that tying habits to identity makes them more resilient.

5. Embrace Imperfection

Psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck’s growth mindset theory reminds us that setbacks are part of the process. Instead of seeing a missed workout or an indulgent meal as failure, view it as an opportunity to learn and improve. The focus should always be on progress, not perfection.

6. Surround Yourself with Support

Habits thrive in environments that promote them. This might mean joining a community of like-minded individuals, partnering with a friend for accountability, or reducing temptations at home. Surrounding yourself with people and settings that encourage your goals significantly increases the likelihood of success.

7. Track and Reflect

Tracking your progress is one of the most effective ways to reinforce new healthy habits, and it’s supported by decades of psychological research. Self-monitoring not only keeps you accountable but also provides valuable insights into your behaviour and helps you adjust as needed.

8. Supplement Your Efforts

If your resolutions include improving health and wellness, consider supplements to complement your new habits. For example, products like Time Health Whole Food Multivitamin can support nutritional balance, while Adaptogen 10 can aid stress management during lifestyle transitions. Always choose high-quality, science-backed options to maximise benefits. Psychologists suggest that self-monitoring increases awareness of actions, which makes it easier to identify patterns and progress. This awareness alone can be a motivator. For instance, noticing that you’ve exercised five days in a row might encourage you to keep going to maintain that streak.

9. Commit for the Long Haul

A common misconception is that habits form quickly, often perpetuated by the popular myth that “it takes 21 days to form a habit.” However, research by Psychologist Dr. Phillippa Lally suggests that creating a new habit takes, on average, 66 days—and sometimes longer, depending on the complexity of the habit. The timeline can vary significantly based on individual differences, the nature of the habit, and environmental factors.

Final Thoughts

The New Year is a wonderful opportunity to reset, but true transformation happens through consistent, small changes grounded in an understanding of human behaviour. By applying these psychology-backed strategies, you can create habits that last far beyond January. Remember, every step towards a healthier lifestyle is a step worth celebrating.

Sources:

Dweck CS. Mindset: the new psychology of success. Choice Reviews Online. 2006;44(04):44-2397. doi:10.5860/choice.44-2397

BJ Fogg | Tiny Habits. Tiny Habits. Published June 10, 2024. https://tinyhabits.com/

Lally P, Van Jaarsveld CHM, Potts HWW, Wardle J. How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology. 2009;40(6):998-1009. doi:10.1002/ejsp.674