Habit technique · Practice & repetition · A few minutes
Mental rehearsal
Level: Intermediate · Free — no account needed to read
Picture yourself in the situation doing the habit — including the tricky moment and how you’ll handle it.
Why it may help
Imagining the moment in detail can make the plan more accessible when the situation arrives.
When to use it
- Before a challenging situation
- Preparing an if–then plan
- Habits that involve other people
How to apply it
- Close your eyes for a minute.
- Picture the situation and cue.
- Picture yourself doing the habit, including the obstacle.
- Picture finishing.
An example
Before a party, Leo pictured being offered a drink and answering “I’ll have sparkling water, thanks”.
The common mistake
Picturing only success, never the obstacle.
Practise it
Mentally rehearse one tricky moment for a habit.
What the evidence says
Emerging: Early or small studies look promising. Worth testing on yourself; too soon to rely on.
Mental rehearsal of successful performance is a recognised technique with emerging support for everyday habits; it works best alongside a written plan.
Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy (v1) codes: 15.2.
Sources
- Michie, Richardson, Johnston, Abraham, Francis, Hardeman and colleagues (2013). The Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy (v1) of 93 Hierarchically Clustered Techniques. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. doi:10.1007/s12160-013-9486-6
- Oettingen (2012). Future thought and behaviour change. European Review of Social Psychology. doi:10.1080/10463283.2011.643698
Problems it helps with
- “I remember, but I don’t start.” — You know it’s time. You even think about it. And then you do something else.
- “I slip when I’m stressed or tired.” — On good days it’s fine. On hard days the good habit disappears or an old one comes back.
Lessons behind it
- Plan for the obstacles — Name what will get in the way, and decide now what you’ll do then. (6 min · Intermediate)