If you’re like most people, you’ve probably tried to follow a new big habit just to find yourself faltering a few days later. Maybe you made it a goal to follow a plant-based diet only to find yourself reaching for bacon at breakfast. Or maybe you promised yourself you’d read four books a month only to scroll social media instead.
There’s a reason it’s hard to adhere to a new behavior. “Many people struggle with motivation because they set goals that are too ambitious or require drastic lifestyle changes,” said Israa Nasir, a therapist and author of “Toxic Productivity.”
This is where a certain type of approach ― known as a micro-habit ― comes into play.
“Micro-habits remove that overwhelm,” Nasir said, noting that they “improve well-being by reducing the gap between intention and action.”
“There are two parts to a micro-habit,” Nasir continued. First “it is a small, easily repeatable action that requires minimal effort but has a compounding positive impact. When you do it consistently, it creates a large impact.” Second, “micro-habits fit seamlessly into your existing routine, unlike big habit overhauls that can feel overwhelming.”
Micro-habits tend to have a compounding effect because they trigger the brain’s dopamine response, which is the brain’s reward chemical, explained Gina Cleo, the director of the Habit Change Institute in Australia.
“So that reinforces the habit loop — when we get a hit of dopamine, our brain’s like, ‘whoa, that felt really good, we should do that again,’ and so our brain actually starts to make us want to do that habit again,” Cleo said.
And while the micro-habit may not seem as rewarding as a huge goal, that’s actually not true. Our brains don’t know the difference between a big habit and a small habit; you’ll get that dopamine hit whether you wake up and follow a micro-habit like taking a sip of water before having coffee or a full-blown habit like having water and breakfast before coffee, Cleo explained.
All that to say, micro-habits can have some major rewards. And while they can exist in any part of life ― such as your relationships, personal growth, exercise or mental health ― there are certain micro-habits that tend to offer the biggest rewards. Here’s what they are:
1. Take a breath before reacting or making a decision.
Cleo said a lot of folks report being reactive when they don’t want to. And whether that means agreeing to plans when you don’t really feel up for it or snapping at someone you love, there is one micro-habit that can help you in pressure-filled moments: taking a breath.
“Taking one big, deep breath before reacting helps to regulate emotions, reduce stress and just regulate the nervous system,” Cleo said.
2. Make your bed in the morning.
Making your bed each morning is a simple micro-habit that only takes a minute or two but is one of the best behaviors to adopt, said Emma Mahony, a therapist who works with patients in Pennsylvania.
“It also signifies the day is started and … you’re setting yourself up to come back to a nicer bed later on that day,” she noted.
3. Write down one thing you’re grateful for every day.
While big goals like daily mindfulness or prayer may not be something you’ve historically stuck to, a quick gratitude practice can be the key to feeling more fulfilled and joyful.
Cleo recommends that you write down one thing you’re grateful for each morning when you wake up or each night before bed — and that’s it. This micro-habit can take just a minute or two each day.
“The gratitude practice … actually just trains your brain to focus on the positive,” Cleo explained. “It releases serotonin, which gives us that beautiful feeling of contentment and safety.”
4. Do a quick stretch every hour.
Anyone who works a desk job knows how easy it is to go hours and hours without getting up. Cleo said making a goal of doing a quick stretch once an hour is a great way to not only show your body some love, but to boost circulation and prevent stagnation throughout the day.
This could be a quick, 10-second micro-habit where you fold forward to touch your toes, do a cat cow stretch or gently do a few wrist stretches. There’s no wrong way to do your stretching, and you’ll feel good after it’s done.
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Micro-habits allow you to create a new routine without the overwhelm that can come from huge, overarching goals.
5. Get some fresh air first thing in the morning.
One of Mahony’s favorite micro-habits that she does daily is getting fresh air within the first hour that she’s up. This could mean going for a stroll to get coffee or just opening up the door and getting fresh air in your face — it doesn’t have to be a full-blown outdoor workout or a long walk.
If you can’t get outside right away, Mahony said to just make it a goal to get out at some point during the day.
“I know a lot of us work from home, so that’s important … you’re connecting with nature and fresh air,” she said. “I also think [for] me it, particularly in the morning, signifies the start of the day.”
6. Spend time unplugged from your phone.
Most American adults feel like they’re on their phones too much but will meet this problem with lofty phone-use goals that are tough to stick to.
Instead of creating goals that are too big, Cleo recommends micro-habits around unplugging that are actually manageable (and even rewarding). Cleo has no-phone zones in her home ― her dining room and her bedroom ― that force her to live unplugged when in those spaces.
But to start even smaller, you could make a micro-habit of putting your phone down while you eat or when you watch your favorite show. This enhances mindfulness, she noted.
7. Drink more water.
Drinking water has a multitude of benefits for your physical health, including lubricating your joints, assisting in the body’s waste-removal process and allowing your organs to work properly.
Drinking more water is always a good goal but can be hard to achieve — which is where a micro-habit can help.
“Trying to wake up and drink a glass of water, or making sure you have a glass of water with every meal that you have” are two good places to start, said Mahony.
“I feel like a lot of people are like, ‘I need to drink more water,’ but then they’re like, ‘oh, I don’t have a water bottle,’ or ‘oh, I can’t drink that much in a day,’” she said. “Try to drink one glass more than you did the day before, and if yesterday you didn’t drink any water at all, try to have one glass today.”
8. Read a page of a book each night before bed.
You don’t have to commit to reading an entire book or even a full chapter to reap the calming benefits of reading. One micro-habit Mahony is trying to get into is reading a page of a book before bed.
“The last thing I do before I close my eyes shouldn’t be my phone,” she said.
She suggests making a goal of reading one page of a book, or even a magazine or letter, before going to sleep.
“You could spend one minute with it, but I think allowing yourself that space before you go down, instead of having your phone consume your thoughts before bed, is also really important,” she said.
When establishing your micro-habits, be honest about where you are right now.
When deciding what micro-habits are best for you, Mahony stressed that you should be honest with yourself about where you are now. Ask yourself what you’re capable of and what micro-habits you can actually stick to.
According to Mahony, sticking to a micro-habit helps you build trust in yourself — and when you build trust in yourself, you’re more likely to go back to the micro-habit. If you continuously set lofty goals and not meet them, that can create a negative relationship with that goal.
“Please be kind to yourself, and that looks like having a genuine, honest conversation about where you’re at right now,” Mahony said. “So, if you are someone who’s staying in bed all day, be honest about what you’re capable of doing. That could be something very small … maybe that just means you open your door and you take in a deep breath and then go back in bed for the day.”
Whatever you do, don’t allow comparison to set your micro-habits for you. Your micro-habit will look different from your partner’s or parent’s or neighbor’s micro-habit, and that’s OK.
For those who don’t know where to start, Cleo suggested looking at the big habit you’re trying to create and breaking that down into 100 pieces — those little pieces are your micro-habits.
Whether you choose to focus on meditation, physical health, mental health, finance, socialization or career goals, there is no wrong way to set a micro-habit. Instead, whatever tiny steps you take toward your goal will only make your brain feel good and your goal that much closer.
The original version of this story was published on HuffPost at an earlier date.
