1. Make a specific plan, rather than setting a vague goal

Deciding that you want to 'exercise more' or 'eat healthier' is a reasonable starting point, but it doesn't tell you exactly what you're going to do.

One of the most extensively studied behavioural techniques is known as an implementation intention. This involves specifying when, where and how you will carry out a particular behaviour.

For example, rather than saying:

'I'm going to exercise three times a week.'

Try:

'On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I'll go for a 20-minute walk immediately after finishing work.'

You can also use an 'if–then' plan:

'If it's raining when I finish work, I'll do a 20-minute workout at home instead.'

A large meta-analysis of implementation intentions found that this type of planning can improve goal achievement across a range of behaviours.

The idea is simple: by making the decision in advance, you reduce the need to decide what to do in the moment, when you're more likely to be tired, distracted or short of time.

Try this: Choose one health behaviour and write down exactly when and where you will do it. Think about what might prevent you from following through and create an alternative plan.

2. Link your new habit to something you already do

One reason habits become easier over time is that we begin to associate certain situations or environmental cues with particular behaviours.

For example, you might automatically make a coffee when you arrive at work or brush your teeth before going to bed.

Research into habit formation suggests that repeating a behaviour in a consistent context helps strengthen the association between the cue and the action.

You can use this principle to your advantage by attaching a new behaviour to an existing routine, sometimes called habit stacking.

For example:

• After brushing your teeth, do five minutes of stretching.

• After making your morning coffee, prepare your lunch for the day.

• After eating dinner, go for a ten-minute walk.

The key is choosing a cue that already happens reliably.

Although habit stacking itself has not been extensively tested as a standalone intervention, the underlying principle of context-dependent repetition is well supported by habit-formation research.

Try this: Identify something you do at approximately the same time every day and use it as a reminder to perform your new habit.

3. Start small and make the behaviour easy to repeat

When we decide to improve our health, it's tempting to make several ambitious changes at once: exercising every morning, preparing every meal from scratch and going to bed an hour earlier.

The problem is that an ambitious routine can be difficult to maintain when everyday demands compete for our time.

Behavioural science suggests that our opportunity and ability to perform a behaviour are important determinants of whether it happens. The COM-B model, a widely used framework for understanding behaviour change, identifies capability, opportunity and motivation as interacting influences on behaviour.

This is one reason reducing the effort required to perform a new habit can be helpful.

If your ultimate goal is to run three times a week, you might begin with one short run. If you want to improve your diet, start by adding a portion of vegetables to one meal each day rather than changing everything you eat.

Try this: Choose a version of your desired habit that feels achievable even on a busy day. Once it becomes easier to maintain, gradually increase the duration or frequency.

4. Change your environment, not just your motivation

We often think of healthy living as a series of conscious decisions. In reality, our surroundings can have a considerable influence on our behaviour.

If you have to search for your running shoes every morning, you're introducing an extra obstacle between yourself and exercising. If healthier food options are readily available, choosing them may require less effort.

This approach is sometimes described as environmental restructuring: changing your surroundings to make a desired behaviour easier or an unwanted behaviour less convenient.

Examples include keeping your exercise clothes ready the night before, placing fruit somewhere visible or keeping your phone away from your bed if you're trying to reduce late-night scrolling.

Research on choice architecture and environmental interventions suggests that changing the way options are presented or made accessible can influence behaviour, although the size and consistency of effects vary considerably between interventions.

Try this: Identify one practical obstacle that regularly prevents you from following through with your health routine. Consider whether you can remove that obstacle before it becomes a problem.

5. Track your progress, but focus on consistency rather than perfection

Tracking a behaviour can help you understand whether you're following through with your intentions.

This might mean recording your exercise sessions, ticking off the days you meet your bedtime target or keeping a simple record of how often you prepare meals at home.

Research suggests that self-monitoring can be a useful component of behaviour-change interventions, particularly when combined with feedback and goal setting.

However, it's important to distinguish between tracking the behaviour itself and tracking the outcome you're hoping to achieve.

For example, if your goal is to improve your cardiovascular fitness, your resting heart rate or running pace might take time to change. But you can immediately measure whether you're completing your planned exercise sessions.

Tracking the actions within your control can give you a clearer picture of your consistency, even before measurable health improvements appear.

You also don't necessarily need a smartwatch or a sophisticated health app. A calendar, notebook or simple checklist may be enough.

Try this: Choose one measure of consistency, such as the number of walks completed each week, and review it regularly. Use the information to identify patterns rather than judging yourself for missed days.

6. Plan for setbacks before they happen

One of the biggest challenges in maintaining a health routine is that everyday life is unpredictable.

You might have a demanding week at work, become unwell or go on holiday. Even a well-established routine can be disrupted.

Rather than expecting yourself to follow a plan perfectly, consider how you'll respond when things don't go as intended.

This is another useful application of implementation intentions. For example:

'If I miss my usual gym session, I'll reschedule it for Saturday.'

Or:

'If I don't have time to cook dinner, I'll use one of the quick meals I've prepared in advance.'

Planning for obstacles can make it easier to respond constructively rather than abandoning the routine altogether.

Importantly, research into habit formation suggests that missing an occasional opportunity to perform a behaviour does not necessarily derail the habit-formation process.

What matters is returning to the behaviour and continuing to repeat it over time.

Try this: Think of the two most likely reasons you might miss your new habit and decide in advance what you'll do in each situation.