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The key to achieving almost any long-term goal is consistency – the ability to change your behavior and keep it up day after day (or at least most days). These small, repetitive actions snowball over time, leading to lasting success.
We often assume such repetition relies solely on self-discipline, blaming weak willpower when we fall off the wagon. But pure willpower is a fragile foundation that drains our energy and crumbles under stress or fatigue. And in the tug-of-war between sheer will and old habits, the latter tends to win.
In reality, many of our daily behaviors are nearly automatic – brushing our teeth, checking our phones, even making our morning coffee. These deeply ingrained habits work without willpower, freeing up mental energy for when we truly need it.
But here’s the catch: the habits we form can either make or break our goals. While good habits practically guarantee success, bad ones can undermine our best efforts. Research observes a clear gap between our behaviors and intentions – pre-existing habits can easily override our conscious goals, sabotaging progress. As a result, sticking to new behaviors can sometimes feel like an uphill battle.
That’s why understanding the science of habit formation can be a game-changer. By learning how habits form, we can harness this process to work in our favor. In this article, we’ll explore the neuroscience behind habits, so you can build better habits and break the bad ones holding you back.
Habits don’t form overnight. They require consistent repetition to rewire the brain through a process called neuroplasticity. The more you repeat a behavior, the stronger the brain pathways related to that behavior become, making the action easier and more automatic with time.
Initially, though, forming a habit may require conscious effort. This early stage recruits the prefrontal cortex – the area of the brain responsible for higher-level thinking, decision-making, and self-regulation. When you start a new habit, the prefrontal cortex helps you make decisions and muster the self-discipline needed to follow through.
As you repeat an action, the brain shifts responsibility to a different region: the basal ganglia. This part of the brain operates subconsciously to carry out routine behaviors. As connections in the basal ganglia strengthen, the behavior becomes second nature, conserving mental energy and making it easier to stick with the new habit.
So how do these new behaviors transform into habits? The answer lies in the habit loop, a pattern comprised of three components: cue, routine, and reward.
Now that you understand how habits are formed, let’s talk strategy. Here are seven science-backed tips to help you develop the habits needed to reach your goals.
While big New Year’s resolutions and crash diets seem sexy, they’re rarely sustainable. A study by Lally and colleagues suggests it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to form a daily habit, and simpler actions are more likely to stick. Break down behaviors and goals into smaller, more manageable steps. For instance, instead of committing to an hour-long workout, start with simply putting on your gym clothes and driving to the gym, or even doing an at-home workout. Once you’re comfortable with these smaller actions, you can gradually increase their intensity, complexity, and duration without compromising consistency.
A distinctive, consistent cue is also critical for building a successful habit. Since time-based cues are often forgotten without reminders or alarms, opt for a distinct event or behavior as a cue. Be concrete in defining the cue, so you’re clear on the conditions that should prompt the desired habit.
Some good examples of cues for an exercise routine include:
The more specific and regular the cue, the more likely you’ll form a consistent habit.
The habit loop isn’t complete without a reward. However, relying on external reward can be counterproductive, as it reduces intrinsic motivation over time and can unintentionally undermine your progress. If you reward yourself with indulgent treats after every workout, for example, you may not only foil your diet goals but also foster an unhealthy relationship with food. When possible, focus on internal outcomes, like a sense of accomplishment for performing the habit, or various physical and emotional benefits (i.e., better energy, mood, or digestion).
Your environmental surroundings can either help or hinder habit formation. Minor tweaks to your environment can make the desired behavior easier by reducing friction between you and the new habit. For instance, if you want to exercise in the morning, lay out your gym clothes the night before. Similarly, if you want to eat healthier, stock your kitchen with nutritious foods. These changes can double as visual reminders to keep you on track. As for your social surroundings, getting encouragement from family, friends, or a support group can help reinforce habit change, too.
Visualization can tap into neuroplasticity to strengthen the neural pathways supporting habit formation. By mentally rehearsing your desired habit, you stimulate the same brain regions involved in actually doing the activity. Spend a few minutes practicing such visualization to set you up for success in real life.
Missing one day won’t hinder habit formation, so don’t let one slip-up demotivate you. Rather, reframe setbacks as opportunities to learn. After an “off” day, reflect on what went wrong. What got in the way of your goal behavior, and how can you better prepare in the future? A growth mindset enables you to bounce back from challenges and avoid repeating the same mistake twice.
Life is unpredictable, and obstacles will inevitably arise. Making plans to overcome those obstacles plays an important role in both starting and keeping up a habit. Brainstorm potential barriers that might interfere with your habit and come up with ways to avoid, minimize, or overcome each.
Breaking bad habits can be just as crucial as building good ones. If you want to break free from destructive behaviors, follow these three simple steps:
Step 1: Become aware of the habit
The first step in changing a habit is recognizing it. Many habits are so deeply ingrained that they happen subconsciously, so you might not even realize you’re doing them.
Cultivating awareness is a powerful tool for behavior change and helps explain why self-monitoring is tied to long-term weight loss success. So take time to reflect on your habits and identify their cues. Consider asking a close friend or family member for their input – they may catch behaviors you’d otherwise overlook.
Step 2: Avoid the cue (or replace the routine)
Once you’ve identified your bad habits and their triggers, it’s time to disrupt the habit loop.
Ideally, you’d eliminate the cue entirely – say, by removing tempting snacks from the house to prevent mindless snacking. Yet, this approach is unrealistic without complete control over your environment.
Alternatively, you can swap the unwanted behavior with a better one. Replacing an existing routine requires less cognitive resources than suppressing the habit response altogether. You can stack this strategy with implementation intentions, “if-then” statements that guide your behavior in specific situations. For example, if you usually reach for chips when stressed, you might tell yourself, “If I feel stressed, then I will sip on chamomile tea” to help modify the old habit. Research finds implementation intentions to be an effective means of guiding behavior toward goals and overriding bad habits.
Step 3: Make barriers to performing the “bad” behavior
Lastly, you can make it harder to perform the bad habit by creating barriers. The more friction you create between you and the undesired behavior, the less likely you’ll perform it. For instance, if you usually scroll on social media before bedtime, consider charging your phone outside of your bedroom.
Seemingly small, everyday behaviors have a profound impact on our lives – yet we’re often not even aware of them! The nearly automatic nature of habits allows us to operate on autopilot, but it conserves mental energy at a cost. When our habits interfere with our goals, we have no choice but to change them. Now that you understand the neuroscience behind habit formation, you can harness the power of small steps and consistency to achieve success that sticks for life.
Ready to turn science into action? Building lasting habits starts with the right tools. With Carbon Diet Coach, you’ll get personalized nutrition guidance to help you stay on track and form habits that fit your lifestyle. Download the app today and take the first step to lasting change!
