Habit Hacks

A habit is a choice that is deliberately made at first, and is then continued regularly over time with increasingly less conscious thought. The reason? According to MIT research findings, habits exist on a loop: cue, routine, and reward. 

First, there’s the cue: This is what triggers you to engage in the habit, like a phone alarm or sticky note. 

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Then you engage in the routine: This is the behavior or habit—it could be physical, mental, or emotional in nature. 

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Last comes the reward: This is a tangible prize (like earning TV time) or an intangible celebration (like feeling proud of yourself) that comes after the behavior. 

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This loop can be interrupted when trying to break or replace an existing habit. For now though, imagine you’re trying to build a new habit of walking for 10 minutes after dinner. Your cue might be finishing dinner, the routine is the route you take around the block, and the reward is feeling more calm and fit as you end your day. 

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When building any new habit, you can experiment with cues and rewards that will solidify this loop, thereby making the habit a consistent part of your life. 

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What’s one habit you want to build as you continue learning new tools that support your metabolic health? Share your thoughts with your Care Team today!