Another teenager longs to give up junk food. You can start to make this food invisible by storing chips and cookies in a high cupboard, out of sight; Just one look at Chips-A-Hoy is a sign to eat them. To make snacking unappealing, you can consciously reflect on the drawbacks of filling up on foods created in industrial-sized vats and consider the benefits of giving up processed sweets. To make it more difficult, you could increase the “friction” between him and the food by keeping it out of the house completely, so that the only way to compromise is a trip to the supermarket. And to make the habit unsatisfactory, you can conspire with a friend to let him know if he slips up. The social cost of admitting weakness further contaminates the habit.
The Four Steps Clear proposals are based on the science of habit formation. A four-part feedback loop occurs unconsciously in the brain and forces much of our behavior: it starts with a signal, which triggers a desire, then triggers a response that provides a reward. Clear’s system for creating new habits and breaking old habits manipulates the signal-desire-response-reward cycle to generate the desired behavior change.
Atomic Habits includes more tips that teens may find helpful:
Be specific. When trying to change a behavior, start by writing an “implementation intention.” This is a brief statement that states what, when, and where you will make the adjustment: “I will make [BEHAVIOR] in [TIME] in [LOCATION].” For example, “I’ll run for ten minutes at 3:30 on the treadmill in the basement.” Vague, broad goals are easy to ignore; a precise plan that adapts to each person’s life, let alone.
Small changes compound over time. The high school freshman who decides he wants to exercise right after school doesn’t need to overhaul his existence to improve his physical fitness. By making slight adjustments to your daily habits, you can make substantial progress over time. The key to solidifying habits is to do them repeatedly, day after day; What matters is consistency in performing the behavior, even if these adjustments seem small. Small, achievable goals (for example, exercising for two minutes) can grow and lead to significant changes.
Adjust systems, not goals. When a teen gives in to a Doritos craving, they may be tempted to blame themselves and reconsider their intention to ban junk food. Instead, you could modify the system you have established to encourage better eating. Did you delete the food delivery app that makes it easy to donate? Have you found an accountability partner to report on your progress? A better system will avoid falling into bad habits.
Don’t miss two days in a row. It is human to make mistakes, especially when trying to alter unconscious behavior. The important thing is to return to normal the next day. After modifying the system, return to the new habit immediately.
Thresholds are good times to change habits. Adolescence is defined by change, giving children abundant opportunities to try to change their behavior. The beginning of the school year, the start of a new semester, or the transition to another sports season are natural times for children to start anew.
Consider the social environment.. Adopting new behaviors is more natural when peers reinforce them; Starting to run will be easier if your friends are also runners. Whether it’s creating new habits or breaking old ones, the broader environment can help or thwart the plan.
