5 Ways To Establish New Habits

Written By:

Written By:

How To Establish New Habits? Positive Ways

Positive changes take time and commitment. So wondering how to establish new habits? Below are 5 ways to integrate lasting results and improve your daily life.

Try these tried-and-true methods from psychology to enact positive new habits.

Key points

  • Establishing new habits may involve doing more or less of something, or initiating a new behavior entirely.
  • Although there is no magic method for establishing new habits with guaranteed success, psychology can help.
  • Try positive reinforcement, implementation intentions, altering your environment, and recruiting others.
how to establish new habits

A new habit sometimes involves ceasing to do something that has come easily, doing more of something that has not come easily, or substituting one behavior for another. In any case, solid principles and methods from psychology can help ensure your success.

Read More Here: 8 Everyday Habits That Are Damaging Your Brain (And What To Do Instead)

How To Establish New Habits?

The Power of Reinforcement

When you successfully enact the new habit, itโ€™s important to take advantage of each instance as an opportunity to reinforce such behavior. The reinforcement doesnโ€™t have to be big or substantial, but should be something you enjoy or appreciate, and ideally is administered as soon as possible after the desired behavior.

That is, how can you treat yourself in some small way for having just accomplished a new behavior?

Simply taking a moment to recognize your accomplishment and mentally congratulating yourself may be an effective form of reinforcement. The effect of reinforcement is that the behavior being reinforced is more likely to occur in the future.

People you admire for their self-discipline and positive habits may simply be good at reinforcing themselves, even if just mentally.

The Power of Envisioning the Future

Many times, the benefits of positive habits are relatively far off in the future, whereas the payoffs for not exercising self-control and engaging in negative habits are relatively immediate.

One practice that has been shown to be beneficial is to picture yourself at some point in the future, having reaped the benefits of engaging in the new habit now.

For example, imagine yourself in a better job or enjoying a promotion as a result of consistently tackling dreaded tasks at work.

Or picture yourself older but healthy and trim as a result of resisting temptation to snack at work (a new habit). In what ways would your future life be better if you engaged in your new behavior now?

The Power of Implementation Intentions

Implementation intentions are little rules you create for yourself so that you have already pre-decided how you will respond in particular situations. They typically take the form of โ€œWhen X, I will do Y.โ€

For example, โ€œWhen I am assigned a task I dislike, I will start on it the same day.โ€ Or, โ€œWhen I see donuts in the break room, I will ignore them and go about my business.โ€

By pre-deciding how you will react, and immediately following your implementation intention when the corresponding situation arises, you remove the need to decide in each situation. Deciding repeatedly in the moment increases the likelihood that at some point you will make a decision that works against the habit you are trying to establish.

The Power of the Environment

Your environment influences your behavior, so be aware of it and take the necessary steps to shape your environment to facilitate the new behavior. For example, if your intended new habit is to eat healthier, removing unhealthy food from your surroundings is a good start.

You know youโ€™ll get hungry or simply want a snack, so making sure acceptable options are readily available is an important way to shape your behavior.

If your new habit is to work out at a gym after work, having clean workout clothes lying on the passenger-side front seat is a way to help ensure that youโ€™ll remember or exert the necessary self-control when you get into your vehicle to leave work.

The Power of Social Influence

Leverage your relationships with other people to help establish your new habit. First, tell other people about your goals in that regard. Simply telling other people sort of puts you โ€œon recordโ€ and more likely to follow through.

Also consider an accountability partner, or two. That is, ask someone to regularly ask you about the status of your new habit. The goal with an accountability partner isnโ€™t to shame you or lecture you when youโ€™ve fallen short but, rather, to help motivate you with encouragement and praise for success.

Just knowing that you will have to report to this partner on a regular basis will add motivation in the process. Last, is there some way that your new habit might be facilitated by recruiting others in your relevant environment to perform some task?

For example, if your new habit is to take the stairs whenever possible, ask coworkers to do the same so that whenever you are leaving with someone, the assumption will be that the stairs will trump the elevator.

All of the practices described here are effective at bolstering the likelihood that you will engage in the behavior you desire, thereby establishing new habits. By employing all five, you will be well on your way to reaping the benefits that accrue from more positive habits.

Read More Here: 9 Habits of Highly Confident People

Be gentle with yourself if establishing new habits does not come as readily as youโ€™d like. Remember that the long haul is what is important, and decide to persist until the desired habits are your new norm.


Written by Michael Wiederman, Ph.D.
Originally appeared on: Psychology Today
how to establish new habits

— Share —

Published On:

Last updated on:

— About the Author —

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Up Next

Boomerasking: The Silent Conversation Killer You Didn’t Know You Had

What Is Boomerasking? Signs You're Guilty Of This Bad Habit

We need to talk. And no, not about you, though thatโ€™s kind of the point. If youโ€™ve ever asked someone a question only to immediately shift the conversation back to yourself, you might be guilty of boomerasking.

What Is Boomerasking?

It is a conversational tactic identified by Harvard Business School’s professor Alison Wood Brooks, wherein a question that seems to show interest serves as a guise for the speaker to center the conversation about themself.

Up Next

Power Colors For Zodiac Signs: Learn To Supercharge Your Life!

Power Colors For Zodiac Signs Interesting Hues

Ever felt drawn to a certain color without knowing why? Or maybe youโ€™ve noticed how certain colors boost your mood and energy. Below are 12 power colors for zodiac signs. Find a hue that aligns with your strengths and helps supercharge your life. 

Wearing the zodiac sign power colors can help you feel more centered, confident, and in sync with your true self. 

So, do you want to learn more about the colors that can enhance your energy and success? Letโ€™s explore the power colors for zodiac signs!

Up Next

10 Subtle Signs Youโ€™re Secretly Becoming Your Best Self

Signs Youโ€™re Becoming Your Best Self

We always hear about green flags in relationships, but what about green flags in yourself? The truth is, youโ€™ve probably grown more than you realize. Itโ€™s easy to focus on what still needs work, but if youโ€™ve been showing up for yourselfโ€”whether in your mindset, habits, relationships, or careerโ€”youโ€™re already on the right track.

Becoming your best self isnโ€™t about waking up one day with everything figured out. Itโ€™s about the small shifts, the quiet wins, and the moments where you choose growth over comfort. So if youโ€™ve been wondering whether youโ€™re heading in the right direction, take this as a sign: Youโ€™re doing better than you think.

Ahead, weโ€™re diving into the green flags that prove youโ€™re stepping into your happiest, most authentic selfโ€”because real growth is happening, even if you donโ€™t see it yet.

Up Next

The Script is Yours: 7 Ways To Be The Leading Lady In Your Own Life

How To Be A Leading Lady Of Your Own Life? Best Ways

Every so often, a movie line sticks with you. In The Holiday, Iris (played by Kate Winslet) has a pivotal realization: โ€œYouโ€™re supposed to be the leading lady of your own life!โ€ This hits home for women in their 20s and 30s, a time when life can feel like a balancing act of dreams, relationships, and self-doubt. 

But what if you decided to step into the spotlight of your own story? Learn how to be the leading lady in your own life and reclaim center stage!

Up Next

How To Break The Habit Of People Pleasing?

Clear Signs Of People Pleasing And How To Stop It

Do you say โ€œyesโ€ to avoid conflict, but deep down, you feel drained? Recognize people pleasing behavior as itโ€™s time to set boundaries and reclaim your peace!

First we must care for ourselves. When we do, we can better care for others.

Key points

When we people-please, it creates a relationship that is not really honest.

We cannot meet everyone else’s needs.

When we become more OK with being ourselves, people will likely be drawn to us because we are being authentic.

Up Next

The Power of Solitude: Does It Lead To Inner Growth?

The Power Of Solitude Important Points

Learn the power of solitude as it gives you a chance to reconnect with yourself. And in these quiet moments, you can truly grow. So, let’s explore more!

Connect to your soul and quiet your busy mind.

Key points

We all need solitude and silence, and we all need social connection.

Solitude helps us put things into perspective and gain clarity.

Solitude can help us to not be reactionary and instead be responsive, open, and more flexible in our thinking.

Up Next

How Do We Practice Compassionate Communication?

Practicing Compassionate Communication Great Ways

What does it take to truly connect with others? Learn to practice compassionate communication in everyday life to ease their pain.

Five principles for compassionate communication.

Key points

Compassion can be thought of as an empathetic, conscious effort to relieve the suffering of another.

Mirror neurons allow us to experience one another in our minds.

Embrace an openness to thoughts and experiences that may challenge your usual way of doing things.