Day 1: How to hack the habit cycle

Starting with understanding the psychology.

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DAY 1 OF 3 Welcome to Day 1 of New Habits, New You! Over the course of this series, we'll explain how you can develop healthy habits that'll stick. Lifestyle habits are among the top influences on health. Making changes like limiting ultra-processed foods, exercising regularly, and avoiding harmful substances can significantly decrease your risk for chronic disease and improve the quality of your day-to-day life. To lead a healthy lifestyle, it can help to know the underlying psychology of habit change. The habit cycle, explained A habit is an action you do without thinking, often prompted by your emotions or something in your environment. Habits tend to follow a cycle: cue, routine, reward. For example: • Cue: starting your bedtime routine • Routine: flossing your teeth before brushing • Reward: your breath feels fresher and your teeth feel cleaner The flossing habit forms as the brain connects your bedtime routine with the rewarding feeling of fresher breath and cleaner teeth. After enough intentional practice (which we'll talk more about next week), flossing before you brush your teeth at night will become automatic. Old habits die hard Unwanted habits follow the same cycle. But breaking a habit, rather than building one, may require a slightly different approach. Some tips for breaking unwanted habits are: • identifying your triggers • swapping it out for a healthier one • starting small • leaving reminders • practicing patience • rewarding yourself • acknowledging progress Believe us on this: Stubborn, old habits are breakable, no matter how automatic they may feel ... even smoking! QUIT NICOTINE TODAY *Quit for Life and Healthline are both owned by RVO Health. Teaching an old dog new tricks (yes, it's possible!) Changing a habit can seem intimidating, especially if you want to stick to it for more than a week or 2. That's where our series comes in! Next week, we'll share actionable steps for building healthy habits and creating a new, healthier you. Keep an eye on your inbox! Catch you later, The Healthline Newsletter Team Want to keep learning?   Overcoming Barriers to Developing Healthy Habits READ ON   How to Make the Good Habits Stick READ ON   What to Do Instead of Smoking READ ON Until next time, Take care of yourself, and we'll see you again soon! View in browser Did a friend send you this email? Subscribe here. To see all newsletters, click here. Privacy   |   Unsubscribe Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Healthline does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should not be used as a substitute for medical advice from a healthcare professional. Healthline encourages you to make any treatment decisions with your healthcare professional. Healthline is owned by RVO Health. © 2025 RVO Health 1101 Red Ventures Drive Fort Mill, SC 29707