Make Your Healthy Habits Stick: The Power of Satisfaction
Why Some Habits Don’t Stick
Even when we know a habit is good for us, like walking daily, establishing a consistent sleep routine, keeping a room tidy, or eating more vegetables, it can be hard to follow through. Part of that is because our brain naturally prefers instant rewards rather than benefits that come later. That’s why habits like snacking while watching TV form so quickly; they offer instant gratification!
Healthy habits often have delayed benefits like better health, more energy, stronger muscles, weight loss, etc. To make habits stick, a helpful tactic is to make the habit itself satisfying in the moment. When a habit feels good right now, your brain wants to do it again!
Why Satisfaction Matters
Building a habit takes repetition! Building habits is not determined by the amount of time spent practicing the behaviour, but rather, by the frequency with which the behaviour is repeated. If the habit feels boring or unpleasant, it is easy to lose interest, and it’s harder to stay consistent. Satisfaction in the moment helps your brain link the habit to a positive feeling, which reinforces the behaviour and increases the likelihood that you’ll repeat it! This also happens if we can add a reward to the end of a habit. Over time, these repeated positive experiences help the habit become automatic because our brain is wired for instant gratification!
Reflect Before You Start
Before trying to form a new habit, ask yourself:
- What part of this habit could feel enjoyable or rewarding right now?
- How could I make the habit easier or more pleasant in the moment?
- What small ways could I celebrate or note progress immediately?
- What can I do to make the end of this habit feel more rewarding?
Answering these questions helps you design habits that feel good now, not just in the long term.
Make Experiments Satisfying in the Moment
Here are practical ideas to help brainstorm ways to make your experiments satisfactory right away:
1. Pair the Habit with Something Enjoyable
- Walk while listening to your favourite podcast or music
- Drink water or herbal tea from your favourite cup
- Prep meals while watching a show or while on the phone with your best friend
2. Track Your Progress Visually
- Tracking a habit using a habit tracker, calendar or checklist immediately after it’s completed can help to reinforce the habit itself!
- Seeing your streak grow provides instant satisfaction and can reinforce the habit.
- For example, “after I eat a meal, I will log it in the Constant Health app”. Or, “after I finish each set at the gym, I will record it in my workout journal.”
3. Celebrate Small Wins
- Focus on how good you feel immediately - an energy boost, mood improvement, or sense of accomplishment. This can also look like giving yourself credit for completing the behaviour! To learn more about giving yourself credit, click here.
4. Use Social Accountability
- Share your habit or experiment with a friend, family member, or check in with your Constant Health dietitian.
- Knowing someone else is aware of your progress can motivate you to follow through.
5. Reward Yourself
- Rewards can help to reinforce the behaviour and make it more likely to happen again.
- Rewards are most effective when they align with your vision. For example, if your vision is linked with travel and adventure, reward your walk by spending 10 minutes browsing flights or researching your next destination.
- Over time, extrinsic rewards can turn into intrinsic ones, like a better mood or sense of identity, which helps to sustain a habit!
Example: Daily 10-Minute Walk
To help make this idea concrete, here’s how you could apply the “make it satisfying” principles to a daily 10-minute walk. This shows how pairing a habit with small, enjoyable steps can help make it stick.
| Step | How to Make It Satisfying |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pick a playlist, podcast, or audiobook you enjoy listening to while you walk |
| 2 | Walk in a scenic place, your favourite route, or walk with a friend |
| 3 | Track each walk on your calendar |
| 4 | Reward yourself afterward (strech, journal or short break). Remember, rewards are most effective when they align with your vision! |
| 5 | Notice how your mood or energy feels immediately, and give yourself credit for completing the walk |
By focusing on enjoyment and small wins in the moment, your 10-minute walk becomes a habit you look forward to and acts as a stepping stone to your vision, rather than a chore.
Quick Tips to Remember
- Habits stick when they feel good and are satisfying in the moment.
- Small, enjoyable steps repeated consistently lead to lasting change.
- Long-term benefits are important, but immediate satisfaction is what keeps you consistent.
Remember: the more satisfying your habit feels right now, the more likely you are to do it again tomorrow! If you are interested in exploring this topic further, next time you set an experiment with your Constant Health dietitian, brainstorm together how you can make it more satisfying!