A daily routine worked no better than a clock time for new habits
Who it’s about: Adults
- No differenceHabits
A new habit tied to a daily routine felt no more automatic than one tied to a clock time.
- Rule: Anchor it to an old habittested
- Action: Add one small nutrition habit, like a glass of waterused
Randomised trial of 192 adults in Germany, mostly students · vs the same plan tied to a clock time · they rated themselves
- No differenceGoals
People did a new eating habit tied to a routine no more often than one tied to a clock time.
- Rule: Anchor it to an old habittested
- Action: Add one small nutrition habit, like a glass of waterused
Randomised trial of 192 adults in Germany, mostly students · vs the same plan tied to a clock time · they rated themselves
The study
Who took part
192 adults aged 18 to 77, about 25 on average, mostly women and mostly students in Berlin, Germany. 135 answered often enough to be counted.
What they did
Everyone made a 5-minute online plan for a new healthy eating habit, most often drinking water or eating fruit. They then did it every day for 84 days. One group tied it to a daily routine, such as after breakfast. The other group tied it to a clock time, such as 9 am.
What happened
The two groups carried out their plan about equally often. The habit felt about equally automatic in both groups over the 84 days, including in the third month. There was no group that made no plan.
Source
Habit formation following routine-based versus time-based cue planning: A randomized controlled trial (2021)
DOI: 10.1111/bjhp.12504 (opens in a new tab)Tools in this study
Action
Add one small nutrition habit, like a glass of waterOne small chosen eating or drinking habit.
