Four Habits to Help Teens Build Better Habits

Another teenager longs to give up junk food. He can start to make this food invisible by storing the chips and cookies in a high cupboard, out of sight; just catching a glimpse of the Chips-A-Hoy is a cue to eat them.  To make the snacks unattractive, he can consciously reflect on the drawbacks to filling up on food created in industrial-sized vats, and consider the advantages of giving up processed confections. To make it difficult, he might up the “friction” between himself and the food by keeping it out of the house entirely, so that the only way to give in is to travel to the grocery store. And to make the habit unsatisfying, he can conspire with a friend to report back if he slips up. The social cost of admitting the weakness taints the habit further.

The four steps Clear proposes are grounded in the science of habit formation. A four-part feedback loop occurs unconsciously in the brain and compels much of our behavior: it starts with a cue, which prompts a craving, then triggers a response, which provides a reward. Clear’s system for creating new habits and eliminating old ones manipulates the cue-craving-response-reward cycle to generate the sought-after behavior change.

Atomic Habits includes more tips that teenagers might find helpful:

Be specific. When trying to change behavior, start by composing an “implementation intention.” This is a short statement asserting what, when, and where you will make the adjustment: “I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].” For example, “I will run for ten minutes at 3:30 on the treadmill in the basement.” Vague and sweeping goals are easy to ignore; a precise plan that’s tailored to one’s life, much less so.

Little changes compound over time. The high school freshman who decides she wants to exercise right after school does not need to overhaul her very existence to improve her fitness. By making slight adjustments to her daily habits, she can make substantial progress over time. The key to solidifying habits is to do them repeatedly, day after day; consistency in carrying out the behavior is what matters, even if these adjustments seem tiny. Small, achievable goals—say, exercising for two minutes—can grow and lead to significant change.

Adjust systems, not goals. When a teenager gives in to the craving for Doritos, he might be tempted to blame himself and rethink the intended junk-food ban. Instead, he might modify the system he has set up to prompt better eating. Did he delete the food delivery app that makes giving in easy? Has he found an accountability partner to report on his progress? A better system will prevent lapsing into bad habits.

Don’t miss two days in a row. It’s human to err, especially when trying to alter unconscious behavior. What’s important is getting back on track the next day. After tweaking the system, return to the new habit right away.

Thresholds are good times to change habits. Adolescence is defined by change, which gives kids abundant opportunities to try altering their behavior. The beginning of school year, the start of a new semester, or transition into another athletic season are natural times for kids to start fresh.

Consider the social environment. Embracing new behaviors is more natural when peers reinforce them; taking up running will be easier if friends are runners, too. Whether trying to create new habits or break old ones, the larger environment can either aid or thwart the plan.