For most of us, the start of the new year represents the turning of a page or a fresh opportunity to exchange old habits for new routines. This is why many of us participate in New Year’s resolutions, with a few of the most common being: eating healthier, exercising regularly, and losing weight. Of course, resolutions are much easier to make than keep, and by February or March, most of us are abandoning goals and settling back into old patterns.

Luckily, psychologists have investigated more sustainable ways to achieve goals, and a book called “Atomic Habits”(author) hones in on the power of small habits and how they can accumulate into big results over time. The take home message is that a slight change in your daily behaviours can guide your life to a very different destination and lead you to achieving the goals you have in mind. The book goes into detail about how to form consistent habits, which is broken down into four simple laws:

• The 1st law (Cue): Make it obvious.


• The 2nd law (Craving): Make it attractive.


• The 3rd law (Response): Make it easy.


• The 4th law (Reward): Make it satisfying.

Therefore, whenever you want to reinforce a specific habit, simply ask yourself:

1. How can I make it obvious?
   
   
   
   1. Rather than pairing your new habit with a particular time, you can pair it with a current habit. This is known as habit stacking and follows the structure: “After I [current habit], I will [new habit].” Examples of this would be: “After I pour my cup of coffee each morning, I will meditate for one minute,” or “After I take off my work shoes, I will immediately change into my workout clothes”.
   
   
   
   


2. How can I make it attractive?
   
   
   
   1. Habits are more attractive when we associate them with positive feelings. Reframing your habit to highlight its benefits rather than its drawbacks is a quick way to make it attractive. For example, instead of telling yourself “I need to run this morning,” say “It’s time to build up my fitness and physical health”.
   
   
   
   


3. How can I make it easy?
   
   
   
   1. To master a habit, the key is to aim for repetition, not perfection. The idea is to make it as easy as possible, so there is less friction to completing the action. The Two-Minute Rule states, “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.” This can also be interpreted as breaking the habit down into smaller fractions. For example, if trying to eat more plant-based, first start by adding one extra serving of vegetables to each meal. Then continue to build upon this once you have achieved each change for at least 2-4 weeks.
   
   
   
   


4. How can I make it satisfying? 
   
   
   
   1. We’re more likely to repeat a behaviour when the experience is satisfying. If you miss one day, don’t be hard on yourself. Be forgiving and try to get back into it as soon as possible, even if it’s next to nothing. For example, on days you are feeling sluggish, do ten squats instead of your usual workout. Doing something is huge, and much better than doing nothing. 
   
   
   
   

Author: Dr. Nadine Kexel ND, CCNM Integrative Cancer Centre resident