“Help me form healthy new habits!”

Research shows that 43% of our behavior is on autopilot. Here, experts share ways to break free of old patterns and invite change that sticks!

Get started Set your stage

Instead of trying to change ourselves, the much more effective first step is to tweak our surroundings, observes psychologist Wendy Wood, PH.D., “Modifying the world around us sets us up for success,” she says. If you want to eat healthier, for example, just replace the candy bowl on your counter with a bowl of fruit. “Once in place, the forces in our environment help us achieve our goals.”

Shrink your goals

Start with the smallest version of the routine you’re trying to adopt, urges habit researcher

B.J. Fogg, PH.D. “About 75% of people who start with tiny habits make them automatic within five days.” If you’ve resolved to exercise more, begin by taking one lap around the block. Then add something to make it fun by, say, listening to a great podcast only while you work out, adds Wood. Making things easier on ourselves helps us cement new habits.

Piggyback onto old habits

A powerful strategy proven to spark change is “habit stacking,” attaching a new habit to an old one, reveals psychologist Susan Weinschenk, PH.D. “I wanted to get into the habit of drinking more water, so I simply placed a glass next to my toothbrush to cue me to drink more every time I brushed my teeth.” she says. Piggybacking a new behavior onto an old one is shown to hardwire new habits in as little as one week.

Stick with it Spark change contagion

One small shift can trigger a ripple effect of change, says Wood, who reveals that in one study, when people told stories of successful new habits, more than a third mentioned a change in their environment, such as moving to a new place. That’s because shaking things up gets our brain out of autopilot mode, helping us adopt new routines. But you don’t have to move! Trying a new coffee shop or making a new friend can shift your perspective, making it easier to break out of old routines.

‘Check off’ success

When we reward ourselves with, say, a latte for keeping up with a new habit, it becomes dependent on that incentive—when the reward goes away, so does the behavior, reveals Weinschenk. The better motivator: Get out a calendar and check off each time you complete the new habit. “Our brain craves feedback,” she says. “When our mind recognizes a pattern—in this case, several check marks—it wants to continue that pattern, facilitating lasting change.”

Boost your self-belief

If a new habit isn’t sticking, ask yourself what the underlying belief is that may be keeping you tethered to old behaviors, urges Weinschenk. A common self-sabotaging script? I’m just not good at change. “Rewrite your narrative with a more positive spin, such as, I’m ready to try something new. This is proven to spur you to try again and write your next chapter.”