But now that the first month of the year gives way to the second, you’ve noticed that the behavioral changes necessary to make your pledged resolution stick aren’t easy to maintain.

Like a lot of people, you may have made an enthusiastic new year’s resolution at the beginning of the month to better yourself in some way. January might just be the most wonderful time of the year to talk about behavior change. Like this show? Please leave us a review here - even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally! Why repetition is often repeated as being the catalyst for creating habits, why this tidbit of popular misinformation is so wrong, and what works as a better catalyst.Why BJ prefers the term “untangling” rather than “breaking” in reference to habits we want to discontinue.How starter steps and tiny habits work as effective ways to “trick” our change-resistant human brains into radical behavior change.The B=MAP Fogg Behavior Model that can be applied universally to understanding (and correcting) every type of behavior there is.The main reasons we fail at behavior change - even when we rationally know the long-term benefits heavily outweigh any short-term discomforts.

Is a 5-minute meditation too long? Instead try taking 3 deep breaths.įor those of us who are feeling overwhelmed by the rapid changes in our daily lives right now, this may be the right strategy to purposefully work on reducing stress one tiny step at a time.BJ Fogg ( is the founder and director of the Stanford Behavior Design Lab, and author of Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Or, make your chosen behavior even tinier. Maybe choose a tiny behavior that is more realistic. Maybe try a new pairing of anchor and tiny behavior.

If you find success in your recipe, keep going! Write a post-it note with your new Tiny Habit Recipe as you begin. Here are some examples to help you complete your Tiny Habits Recipe:Īfter I wake up and put my feet on the floor, I will say “Today is going to be a great day.”Īfter I turn on the shower, I will say a quiet prayer of gratitude.Īfter I pour my coffee, I will take three deep breaths.Īfter I finish lunch, I will walk outside.Īfter I put my kids down for a nap, I will make a cup of tea and light a candle.Īfter I get upset with a family member, I will take a walk to the mailbox alone.Īfter my head hits the pillow, I will think about one thing I’m grateful for from the day. You will choose an anchor to pair with your new tiny habit. These are called your anchors, and they will serve as your prompt to do your tiny habit. Think about behaviors that already exist in your routine (pour my coffee, turn on the shower, head hits the pillow). Select the behaviors that you believe will be most effective in helping you reduce stress.Ĭhoosing when you will do your new tiny habit is also an important part of your success. Choosing behaviors that you dread or that are too hard or unrealistic will only add to your stress level. Motivation and ability play key roles in helping you create a new habit. These behaviors should be ones that you already want to do and that you are able to do right away. Then focus on 2-3 of the behaviors on your list. The behaviors are small steps or habits that refocus your energy and calm your body (light a candle, take 3 deep breaths, say a prayer of gratitude). Write a list of 10 tiny behaviors that you think could help reduce your stress. Here’s how you design your own tiny habits recipe. When trying a new strategy, it is tempting to start with a dramatic statement: “I will never worry again!” But true, lasting change does not need to be a big declaration. Here is his recipe for creating new habits to reduce stress:Īfter I _, I will _ to reduce my stress. Fogg’s research of habit-setting has shown that successes in starting tiny habits can lead to lasting, long-term change. Finding the right strategy to meet that family’s needs makes all the difference.Ī recent book I read, Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg, offered up another helpful strategy to reduce stress - create tiny habits. Strategies we offer to families range from assisting with diapers to planning goals to practicing mindfulness. Helping families relieve stress through many different strategies is an important part of our work at First Chance for Children.

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