Episode 12 - Tiny Habits
Looking to add a new habit to your day, but not sure how to make it stick ? Check out the concept of Tiny Habits to see if this can help!
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
What are Tiny Habits?
How can this concept help me to create a new habit?
What are some examples of how this can be done?
Links/Things Mentioned in this Episode
Transcript
As we move closer to the holidays, are you finding yourself getting more and more stressed out? Break free from the holiday stress with my upcoming free or by donation workshop on November 18th, where I’ll give you the tools you need to feel calm and ready to take on the holiday season. You can sign up at shiftyourshitwithsara.com/workshop.
Do you find yourself wanting to create new habits or start a new practice? One of the best ways I’ve been able to do this is through the Tiny Habits framework created by Dr. BJ Fogg.
In the Tiny Habits framework, you attach a new habit to an existing habit or routine, and then reward yourself for performing the new habit. This uses your existing habit as a trigger for your new habit and wires them together in your brain.
So, what would this look like? Take something you do every day, like brushing your teeth, getting into, or out of, bed, or putting on your shoes, every time you perform that existing habit, perform the new habit right after. Then, celebrate that you completed the new action, and this will help you to create a positive emotion that encourages you with your internal motivation, wanting to keep doing the new action.
This was one of the ways that I was able to consistently write in my gratitude journal, and in fact, build up a nighttime routine that tells my body that I’m preparing for sleep. I started by using the cue of getting into bed to trigger me to get out my gratitude journal from my bedside table, and write in it before shutting out the light.
Eventually I added on other things, like my nightly skincare and daily review routines, to the habit train as well to create a nighttime routine that helps me to get my body, and mind, ready for rest.
But what if you have a big habit you’d like to become consistent with?
Well, go easy on yourself, like anything else, start small. Break it down into doable bits and add them onto a habit you already have, one-by-one. It’s definitely easier and more productive to be taking small steps toward a large goal and building on it over time than it is to be overwhelmed and not start it at all!
Keep it small, accessible, easy, and fun to do. This will make it more likely that you’ll make the change.
So, how to tiny habits work? You need a cue, a routine, and a reward, and all of these things should be small and easy to do.
Your cue habit should be something you do easily, at least once a day, and something that you do without really thinking about it. This cue habit will be used to trigger you to do the new habit, and once done, you’ll give yourself a tiny reward. This can be as simple as a “Yay, I did it!”, a quick celebratory dance party, or a visualization of patting yourself on the back. Dr. Fogg even indicates saying “Awesome!” enthusiastically after you complete the habit is enough to help make it stick.
As Dr. Fogg says, “The stronger you feel a positive emotion after your tiny habit, the faster it will become automatic in your life.” So, let’s get excited, and bring out those positive emotions and feel good neurochemicals!
Once you find yourself automatically completing the new habit, it’s time to build on it - that’s where working toward those bigger goals we talked about earlier come in! Have fun with it an see what kinds of new habits you can create!
Dr. Fogg even has a free 5-Day session you can join that starts every Monday to help you get started with a new habit if you think you might need an extra little bit of help. YOu can find it on the tinyhabits.com website.
As Dr. Fogg says, “The stronger you feel a positive emotion after your tiny habit, the faster it will become automatic in your life.” So, let’s get excited, and bring out those positive emotions and feel good neurochemicals!
Once you find yourself automatically completing the new habit, it’s time to build on it - that’s where working toward those bigger goals we talked about earlier come in! Have fun with it an see what kinds of new habits you can create!
Dr. Fogg even has a free 5-Day session you can join that starts every Monday to help you get started with a new habit if you think you might need an extra little bit of help. You can find it on the tinyhabits.com website.
Or if you want to know more about the system and how it works, check out his book, “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything”.
Today’s tiny takeaway is to try the tiny habits method. Choose something you automatically do every day. Now, choose a tiny, easy habit you’d like to add onto it. Choose your tiny reward - remember, it can even be the short celebration of “Awesome!” or “I did it!”. Now, put these together.
Every day when you do your cue habit, add on your new habit, and then celebrate! In week two, is it becoming easier to do? How about week three?
Thank you so much for joining me on today’s episode of Shift Your Shit With Sara, the weekly podcast where I help people shift into the life they love. Everything I discussed today will be linked in today’s show notes at shiftyourshitwithsara.com/12, that’s the number 12.
If you enjoyed today’s episode, please be sure to subscribe in your favourite podcast player so you don’t miss any future episodes. Thank you again for joining me, and I’ll see you again next time.
