Techniques

Habit techniques

Free — no account needed to read

Each technique says what it is in normal language, why it may help, when to use it, the steps, a realistic example, the common mistake and what the evidence says. Where it draws on the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy, the codes are named.

Goals & planning

Set a behaviour goal — Name the specific action you’ll take, not only the result you want. (Supported by multiple studies)
Make an action plan — Decide when, where and how you’ll do it — before the moment arrives. (Supported by multiple studies)
If–then plan — “If [situation], then I will [action]” — the situation itself becomes the reminder. (Supported by multiple studies)
Coping plan for obstacles — Name the obstacle most likely to get in the way, and decide now what you’ll do. (Research-supported)
Problem solving — Define the barrier, list options, pick one, test it, and check. (Research-supported)
WOOP: wish, outcome, obstacle, plan — Picture the goal, then the obstacle inside you, then an if–then plan for it. (Research-supported)
Review and adjust the goal — Look back regularly and change the goal or the plan based on what happened. (Research-supported)
Step it up gradually — Start easy and raise the difficulty in small steps once the easy version is steady. (Research-supported)

Cues & prompts

Anchor it to a routine — “After I [something I already do], I will [new habit].” (Research-supported)
Same place, same time — Repeat the habit in the same situation so the situation learns to start it. (Supported by multiple studies)
Prompts that fade — Use a reminder to begin with, then deliberately rely on it less. (Research-supported)
A cue you’ll see at the moment — Put a distinctive object exactly where the action should happen. (Research-supported)
Remove the cue — Take away what starts the unwanted habit — out of sight, out of reach. (Research-supported)
Use a fresh start — Begin on a meaningful new start — a Monday, a month, a birthday — to give change a boost. (Research-supported)

Environment & friction

Make it easier — Remove the small steps between you and the habit. (Research-supported)
Make it harder — Add steps, distance or delay between you and the unwanted habit. (Research-supported)
Prepare the night before — Set out what tomorrow’s habit needs, so the start takes no decisions. (Conceptual framework)
Redesign a space — Rearrange a room, desk or shelf so it invites the habit you want. (Research-supported)
Change the default — Make the option you want the one that happens if you do nothing. (Evidence mixed)
Redesign your phone — Move, hide, sign out of or silence the apps that pull you away. (Emerging)
Steer around high-risk moments — Where it’s sensible, avoid the situations where the unwanted habit almost always happens. (Research-supported)
A portable version — A version of the habit that needs no special place or equipment. (MFJ synthesis)

Monitoring & feedback

Track the behaviour — Record each time you do it — quickly, honestly, where you’ll see it. (Supported by multiple studies)
Track what it changes — Notice what the habit is producing — sleep, energy, pages read — not only whether you did it. (Research-supported)
A weekly feedback loop — Once a week, compare what you planned with what happened, and adjust. (Research-supported)
Vigilant monitoring — In a high-risk moment, think “don’t do it” and watch carefully for the slip. (Emerging)
Awareness training — Learn the earliest signs that an unwanted habit is about to start. (Research-supported)

Reward & enjoyment

Add an immediate reward — Pair the habit with something small and good that happens right away. (Research-supported)
Temptation bundling — Allow yourself something you love only while doing the habit. (Research-supported)
Celebrate finishing — Give yourself a genuine moment of “done, good” the second you finish. (Practitioner framework)
Make the activity itself enjoyable — Choose the version of the habit you actually like doing. (Research-supported)
Reward the comeback — Make returning after a miss feel good, not guilty. (Emerging)

Practice & repetition

The minimum viable version — The smallest useful form of the habit — for bad days and busy days. (Practitioner framework)
Rehearse the first step — Practise the opening move once, now, so it’s familiar when the moment comes. (Research-supported)
Mental rehearsal — Picture yourself in the situation doing the habit — including the tricky part. (Emerging)
Watch someone do it — See how someone else actually does the habit, then borrow what fits. (Research-supported)
Deliberate practice — Work on one specific weakness at a time, with feedback, just past what’s comfortable. (Evidence mixed)

Changing an unwanted habit

Swap in an alternative — Keep the cue, change the response — something that meets the same need. (Research-supported)
A competing response — An action that makes the unwanted habit physically hard to do at that moment. (Research-supported)
Ride out the urge — Notice the urge rise, peak and fall — without acting on it. (Emerging)
The ten-minute delay — When the urge comes, wait ten minutes before deciding. (Practitioner framework)
Turn a “stop” into a “start” — Rewrite “stop doing X” as “start doing Y instead”. (Research-supported)

Mind & motivation

Collect evidence for who you’re becoming — Treat each repetition as a small piece of evidence about yourself. (Evidence mixed)
Connect it to a value — Write one sentence linking the habit to something you care about. (Research-supported)
Build confidence from small wins — Do a version you’re sure you can do, then notice that you did it. (Research-supported)
Reframe the effort — Change what you tell yourself about the hard part — friendly and specific. (Emerging)
Pros and cons, honestly — List what the habit gives you and what it costs — both sides, honestly. (Conceptual framework)
Know the consequences — Learn what the habit actually does over months — for your body, money, time or people. (Evidence mixed)
Self-forgiveness after a slip — Speak to yourself the way you’d speak to a friend who slipped. (Research-supported)
Make it your choice — Choose the habit, and the way you do it, for your own reasons. (Research-supported)

People & support

Ask for practical support — Ask one person for one specific kind of help. (Research-supported)
Share progress with someone — Tell a supportive person your plan and let them see how it goes. (Research-supported)
Do it together — Share the habit with someone — the same time, the same place, or a check-in. (Emerging)

Commitment

Make a commitment — Say or write, clearly, that you will do it. (Evidence mixed)
A commitment device — Set up something now that makes the easy wrong choice harder later. (Research-supported)
A behavioural contract — A written agreement — with yourself or someone else — about what you’ll do. (Evidence mixed)

Lapses & recovery

Return quickly after a miss — After a missed day, make the very next opportunity count — even in its smallest form. (MFJ synthesis)
Write a recovery plan — Decide in advance what you’ll do after a gap — before the gap happens. (Research-supported)
A calm lapse review — Look at a slip like a researcher: what happened just before, and what to change. (Research-supported)
Fewer habits at once — Pause, merge or retire habits until the ones that matter have room. (MFJ synthesis)