Already give up? Here are 5 tips to stop your goals. : Sciences

We often set ambitious goals, such as the gym, the introduction of healthier eating habits or the reduction of our social media. Despite our best intentions, it can often feel like a hard fight.

A review of the evidence published in 2024 shows why. While understanding the advantages of changes in behavior and belief in its value is important, they play only minor roles. The strongest determinant of our ability to change as we work every day are our habits.

As the philosopher from the 19th and 20th centuries, William James put it, we are essentially “bundle of habits”. He believed that these habits could prevent people from exploiting their full potential.

If he were nearby today, he would probably be concerned about how some people check their phones senselessly every five minutes.

In a recently published academic review, my colleagues and I on Trinity College Dublin illustrated that the habits are regulated by a sensitive balance between two different brain systems. One system promotes the automatic reactions to familiar information in the area, while the other enables the behavior to be controlled to goals.

This interaction explains why we can scroll through social media in boredom, and still keep the ability to deliberately grasp our phones in order to concentrate on work.

We have checked decades of research from laboratory studies and real environments for the study. Here we share five practical strategies to help you build up positive habits and break negatives.

1. Forget the 21-day myth

Forget the 21-day rule-es there is no magical number. This rule relates to a popular perception that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. The habitual formation is different for everyone.

In a study, it was estimated that habitual formation, like a piece of fruit for lunch, took an average of 66 days, but was very different between 18 days and 254 days.

It also depends on the specific habit itself. A study showed this using a sub -group of AI, which is referred to as machine learning. The study analyzed more than 12 million visits to the gym and 40 million cases of hospital hand washing to understand how habits form.

The investigation showed that the formation of a habit in the gym usually lasts months, while the hospital employee can develop a hand washer in just a few weeks. No matter how long it takes, the key remains in staying on it, even if you miss a day here and there.

2. Make your ally rewards

Your brain learns to repeat the worthwhile behavior. A study that examined water through people throughout the day showed that it was more of a habit for people who found it more worthwhile.

The habit loop can also be reinforced by external rewards, e.g.

Rewards are also important for breaking habits. When scrolling through social media becomes a way to relax, try to replace them with an alternative activity that conveys a similar feeling of relaxation and enjoyment.

By replacing positive behavior, you not only avoid that you feel withdrawn, but also create a competing reaction to the old habit, which makes it easier to break the cycle.

3. Stack your habits

The brain has a natural tendency to combine different actions and react to context -related information – the way that helps people understand their surroundings. A strategy called Habit Stacking uses this by combining a desired behavior with something you are already doing.

For example, the investigation of dental floss showed that people who came to dental floss immediately after brushing the teeth produced a permanent habit. The existing keyword – brushing your teeth – remembers and makes the new habit – dental floss – like a natural part of your routine.

So if you want to start meditating, combine it with your morning coffee. Drink your coffee and then meditate for five minutes. Over time, the two types of behavior are intertwined, which makes it easier to stick to their goals.

4. Pay attention to stress

When life became overwhelming, many of us fall back into old habits, including those we thought we had passed.

Acute and chronic stress can remove the balance of the controlled goal towards the automatic reaction system in the brain.

An FMRI study (functional magnetic resonance imaging) showed that a longer stress in humans leads to excessive dependence on the circuits of the brain, which push the habits and at the same time suppresses the prefrontal cortex, which regulates the deliberate decision making.

The good news? These effects are reversible. After a six -week stress -free period, the participants returned to targeted behavior and their brain activity normalized.

5. Plan for weak moments

We are happy to set new ambitious goals when we feel motivated. Changes in motivation are often initiated at the time as the beginning of a new year, a phenomenon known as the “new beginning effect”.

However, it is important to be strategic and prepare for situations if the motivation is low and we still want to work towards our goals.

A strong strategy to overcome these weak moments is to drive certain situations by saying: “If I reach for a snack when I am stressed, I will instead take a five -minute walk.” This strategy is generally referred to as “IF -Then” plans.

This approach helps to trigger a healthier reaction in these moments in which bad habits could otherwise take over.

Although it may seem difficult if you want to free yourself from a bad habit or you want to replace it with good, our research suggests that it is possible to change your behavior with strategies based on scientific evidence.

Eike Buabang, Research Fellow, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN), Trinity College Dublin

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