Have you ever tried to break a bad habit? Coffee, smoking, addiction to Instagram.

What about create a good habit? Start exercising, eat more vegetables, floss.

If you’re a human interested in health, chances are you have. And how did you go?

It’s no secret; changing habits is hard – even for the steeliest and most health-conscious of us.

More frustratingly still, you can have all the knowledge in the world about why smoking is a silly idea, or that a daily 30 minute walk can revolutionise your life… but our pre-existing habits have a power that pulls us back: towards the biscuit tin, the coffee machine, the couch – every time.

In many cases, creating new, healthier habits is not a matter of more information, but a better understanding of human psychology – and how to make good habits stick.

So today, instead of telling you what is healthy, we’re giving you five clever ideas about how to implement positive change – and outsmart those hard-wired habits that are holding you back.

Dampen decision fatigue

Heard of decision fatigue? Here’s how it works: the more decisions your brain has to make during the day, the more ‘tired’ it becomes – paving the way for poor choices and diminished self-control.

This is one reason people ‘fall off the wagon’, because they become weary of making healthy choices and eventually opt for what’s easy.

It’s understandable if you’re spending all day asking: what should I eat for breakfast? How can I avoid that cake Susan brought to the office? Do I need another glass of water? Should I go to the gym now, or after dinner?

Overwhelm. Off the wagon.

Avoiding decision fatigue and retaining mental fortitude is vital to pursuing a healthier you. So, how do you do it? Read on.

Set and forget

The set and forget method minimises decision fatigue by planning exactly what you’ll do in advance, relieving you of the small daily choices that add up to overwhelm (and eating peanut butter on toast for dinner).

You can set and forget by:

• Creating a healthy eating plan with a nutritionist (or similar professional), shopping and meal-prepping in advance (or writing meals on a calendar) and sticking to it. This cancels out the ‘what do I eat?!’ conundrum and puts your mind at ease, knowing you’re following a balanced and nutritious diet.

• Booking a week’s worth of gym classes in advance, pre-packing your workout gear and/or encouraging a friend to come along, too. Just like leaving healthy eating ‘to chance, don’t count on being inspired to exercise each day. Take the guesswork out of it and plan exactly when and how you’ll exercise, taking into consideration your schedule and times you feel most energised. Once set, it’s non-negotiable.

• Committing to a weekly run group, walking group, tennis club, or any other form of healthy, regular, social activity. This accountability is a form of ‘setting and forgetting’, where you’re locked in (in a good way) to something positive that you don’t have to think about – beyond simply showing up.

The set and forget method requires a little extra thought upfront, but frees up valuable mental real estate for the things that matter.

The unbroken chain

Listen in; this concept may sound simple, but the best things always are.

Humans are visual creatures, and enjoy being able to see progress. As well as that, we’re competitive: winning feels good.

So, the next time you want to stick with a daily habit, get out your calendar, grab a red marker and place them somewhere conspicuous.

At the end of each day, mark a big red cross in the calendar box, building a chain of wins that (for the easy-pleased human brain) you really don’t want to break.

Seeing that unbroken chain getting longer and longer on the calendar is a simple but effective visual device that can help you persist – even when times are tough.

Swap this for that

The human brain doesn’t like empty space. If you give up a habit with nothing to replace it, the mind will seek to fill that void. Usually, with the very thing you don’t want to do.  

A great trick for changing habits is swapping one thing for another, making the transition smoother and more satisfying.

For example, if you’d like to cut back on coffee, replace your daily brew with something delicious – like a chai, dandelion latte, or a ‘healthier’ alternative that still allows you to enjoy a moment of repose.

Or if soft drinks are your weakness, invest in a Soda Stream and create refreshing fizzy drinks at home using natural flavourings like fresh lemon, orange, berries or mint.

Think of ways you can swap one thing for another, and gently transition to healthier habits.

Gamify your goals

Who doesn’t love a good game? Raising the stakes and making habit change fun can push you further than you ever thought possible – especially when going head-to-head with friends.

Gamify healthy habits by:

• Seeing how many steps you can do per day using a pedometer or smart watch. Better still, challenge your mates to a showdown.

• Trying one of the many excellent and motivating apps that make healthy habits a game, such as Fitocracy, Zombies, Run!, Health Month or SuperBetter.

• Getting your family on board and agreeing on a communal goal or challenge. Create a chart to hang in your kitchen, living room or anywhere visible for keeping track of everyone’s daily progress (using stickers or stamps can be fun and motivating). Importantly, set enticing rewards for those who succeed!

By now, we hope you’re brimming with ideas and enthusiasm for creating – and sustaining! – healthy habits.

Most of the time, it’s not what you know, but how you put it into practice that matters – and we think that with enough careful planning, you can achieve just about anything.