Habits are frequent tasks and activities we perform naturally as part of our everyday lives. Many of us, myself included, will have some bad habits we would like to do less of. We might also have problems in our lives that could be solved by building good, healthy habits.
Whether it’s about reducing procrastination, managing fatigue, or adding healthy habits into your day — forming a new habit isn’t just about motivation. It’s about building sustainable change that fits into your everyday life.
So how do we actually create new habits that stick?
Understanding Health Behaviour Change
Before you can begin to introduce new habits, it can be helpful to think about your readiness for behaviour change. Behaviour change is a process that moves through several stages:
Precontemplation “There isn’t a problem” or “I can’t influence this problem”
Contemplation “I should think about this problem and potential solutions”
Preparation “I’m getting ready to make a change.”
Action “I’m doing it”
Maintenance “I’m keeping this going and it’s part of my every day life now”
Then sometimes Relapse – which is a natural part of the cycle and not a failure!
We often think of change as a single decision, but it’s more of a cycle. From contemplation to action and eventually maintenance (sometimes with a few bumps along the way).
Are you in a place where you feel ready and able to make changes? If not, that’s okay. Recognising the stage you’re in helps to adjust your plan, whether it’s exploring motivation, adjusting expectations, or breaking a goal into smaller steps.
Forming good habits is one of the ways you can begin to reduce barriers to the life you want. Whether it’s managing fatigue, keeping on top of every day tasks, or simply trying to move more — creating sustainable habits is often the game-changer.
But change isn’t just about motivation… It’s about readiness, structure, and making it work in real life.
Using Structured Goals
Big goals can feel overwhelming or a bit vague. So it can help to use a goal structure:
SMART Goals
Specific – What exactly do you want to do?
Measurable – How will you know you’re making progress?
Achievable – Is this realistic for your current life?
Relevant – Why does this matter to you?
Time-bound – When will you start? For how long?
Example: “I will do 5 minutes of hand exercises every morning after brushing my teeth, for the next 3 weeks.”
CBC Goals (Condition–Behaviour–Criteria)
Condition – When or where will the behaviour occur?
Behaviour – What exactly will you do?
Criteria – How often, how well, how long?
Example: “After I sit down with my morning coffee (Condition), I will complete one set of hand exercises (Behaviour), every weekday (Criteria).”
These kinds of goals help habits become part of your day, rather than feeling like another thing on the to-do list.
If you want to check how realistic your goals are then you can rate your confidence in achieving it out of 10. If you give it a low rating then maybe you could adjust the goal to something smaller and more achievable.
How Long Do Habits Take to Stick?
You might have heard “21 days to build a habit” but research shows it can take anywhere from 18 to over 100 days, depending on the person, the habit, and how consistent you are.
The key is consistency over perfection. One missed day isn’t failure…it’s just human.
Tips for Integrating Habits Into Everyday Life
Anchor to an existing routine e.g. after brushing your teeth, while waiting for the kettle to boil, or before checking your phone.
Start small Aim for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. You can always build up.
Make it visible Use notes, reminders, or visual cues.
Track your progress Habit trackers, calendars, phone reminders or smart devices can help reinforce consistency. Smart speakers like the amazon echo can be used to set reminders or track your progress. I use the Echo Show because I like so see a visual display of my calendar and reminders.
Reward yourself Give yourself a small treat to associate the activity with success.
Adapt, don’t abandon If something isn’t working, change the habit, not the goal.
Want help building better habits?
Want personalised support to help you plan, adapt, and sustain changes that improve your quality of life. Feel free to get in touch for an appointment.
Your therapist can take into consideration: your routines, your environment, your motivation, and your unique needs. When you work with an occupational therapist we don’t just say “go do this” — we help you build change into your lifestyle in ways that make sense for you.