Tips for creating good habits

Usually there is enough room in our lives for small positive habit changes. However, during especially stressful or busy periods of time, you could instead make it a habit to listen to your needs closely and rely on others' support. It's important to pay special attention to your own wellbeing, resources, and self-compassionate attitude when aiming for a change. 

When you feel like you have enough motivation and resources to create positive change in your daily life, here are eight tips you might find useful in creating new habits. They are based on research in positive psychology practices and their application in my own daily life. Choose the ones that suit you or try them all!

1. Leverage willpower at its strongest. Willpower is like a muscle or resource that can be strengthened with practice but it also gets worn out with use, like over the course of the day. After a good night's sleep, it is often easier to make better decisions than when you're tired in the evening. So, start a new habit or make the necessary preparations when you are feeling well and energetic!
2. Aim for good habits instead of avoiding undesirable ones. Approach goals have been found to positively correlate with wellbeing, while avoidance goals are associated with psychological distress[^1]. If possible, redefine your goals so that you aim to do something desirable rather than avoid something undesirable. You can also try replacing an undesirable habit with a new neutral or positive habit.
3. Lower the threshold. Less is more. Make the new habit so easy that it requires as little effort from you as possible. This way, you are more likely to do it more often and it can more easily become part of your routine. The same applies to goalsetting. What is the smallest possible step you can take today towards your goal? By doing this often enough, it can have a surprisingly significant impact on your life, and gradually, you might find yourself achieving more or being willing to raise the bar slightly higher once the initial habit has become part of your everyday life.
4. Help your memory with visual cues. A new habit is very easy to forget in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. You can tag notes on the mirror, put a picture related to your goal on the fridge, add phone reminders, or have your exercise equipment readily available. Not only are you reminded about the habit, but it can also become easier to accomplish when the necessary tools are already out.
5. Anchor the new habit in an existing routine. New habits are easier to establish when you anchor them to existing routines. Think about at what point of your day or with which activity you could pair a new desired habit. Wellbeing can also be promoted by not doing something, which may at first require a compensatory activity.
6. Challenge a friend to join or keep a record of your success. Start a shared habit with a friend or make yourself accountable to someone close to you. Or, create a chart for your new habits on your nightstand and record each night whether you accomplished the task. However, remember to be kind to yourself! If a habit gets missed or forgotten in the hustle, you can always try again tomorrow.
7. Celebrate successes. Reward yourself for consistency, small successes, and milestones! Think of ways to reward yourself that do not negate the good you have achieved but rather motivate you to continue! You can also share your successes with friends and celebrate together.
8. Forget absolutes and recognize your values. Take care of your wellbeing and remember to approach new habits and goals with enough flexibility and self-compassion in the face of setbacks. If a new habit isn't sticking or fitting into your daily routine, consider replacing it with something else or modifying it to make it easier for yourself, if the goal remains important. Furthermore, take some time to reflect on your motivation behind the goal. Is the goal aligned with your values? For example, there can be many different reasons for increasing exercise and having a healthy diet! If there’s a lack of intrinsic motivation, it might be challenging to create a new habit.

Written by Arja Sahlberg, Positive Psychology Practitioner™ and Specialist at Aalto University School of Business and a member of the Oasis of Radical Wellbeing team.

_{[1] Elliot, A. J., Chirkov, V. I., Kim, Y. & Sheldon, K. M. (2001). A cross-cultural analysis of avoidance (relative to approach) personal goals. Psychological Science . 12 (6), 505-510.}