It’s the age of both hustle culture and treat yourself culture. This may look great on Instagram, but in real life this combo is burnout-inducing. I know I’ve lived in this dichotomous space over the years and it’s left me with some dysfunctional habits. I’m ready to tackle them head on. With me?!

This afternoon I read an article on breaking bad habits. Interestingly thought, it said that the best way to break a bad habit is to take advantage of a habit you already have built… hijack that one and transform it. Genius right? You can read the whole thing here: How to Build New Habits by Taking Advantage of Old Ones

I am going to try this with two habits. In order to hijack a habit you need to identify the habit you want to break or start. Then identify the four phases of the habit: cue, craving, response and reward. After that you just give it a go!

SNACKING: The cue that sets off the urge to snack is when I feel my energy dip. My craving goes straight to something extra tasty – like brownies or chips. Here I can hijack this habit and instead of grabbing chips with my grocery order or whatever else, my response will be to drink 20 ounces of water. This will give me an energy boost just like a snack!.However, the dopamine release I’m used to from the fatty, salty, sugary snack will be absent so I need to add that in through a happy reward.

EXERCISE: This is a habit I don’t have yet, so I need to look for a habit I currently do have and hijack that one! How about driving the kids to school in the morning? So the cue will be when I get back home after dropping the kids at school. The craving here is usually to have a quiet moment with my coffee and a journal. Here I can hijack this habit and instead of going to the coffee pot, my response will be to get on the treadmill for 60 minutes. Again, the dopamine release I’m used to from the coffee and relation will be absent so I’ll need to add that in through a happy reward.

So this is a tool I plan to use in lots of areas and you might find it helpful too! Let me know if you give it a go. Also, I’d love to hear any rewards you love. I am still thinking about that part. Hugs beautiful friends!