We all know that creating healthier habits is seldom easy but usually well worth it if we can just stick with it, and make these new habits a regular part of our life. There are various books and videos on this subject (see below), but to make it simple, the following 4 steps appear to be most helpful. 

But first, you need to identify your objective. What would you like to do better at or have more of? A better memory, greater peace or calm, joy, sleep, focus, verbal fluency, energy or simply a higher quality of life? 

Note your answers to the question above and those below in a notebook, or on a document on your computer, or on another piece of paper.

Along with your objective, it can be very helpful to identify your Why’s. Why do you want this? What’s your motivation? Why is this important to you? The longer the list the better, but it’s recommended that you note down at least 6 reasons Why you want to form this new habit – a dozen or more reasons is better.  

You may want to do a cost benefit analysis, i.e. Note down at least 3 or 4 bad things you could suffer or experience if you fail to change (the cost), and 3 or 4 good things you may not receive or achieve if you do not change, along with 4 or 5 good things you will likely enjoy or experience once you have established your new healthier habit(s). (see examples below)

Now we come to the 4 core steps to change. 

Write down all those activities that distract you from doing what you need to.
See examples below.

Step # 2. Ask yourself:  What do I feel or think about that keeps me from doing what I need to do to achieve my objective?  Rather we call them excuses or rationalizations, these are thoughts and self-statements that we use to justify our not doing what we need to do to be healthier and happier, or whatever our objective is.

Write down all those thoughts or self-statements that you use to rationalize or justify your failure to do what’s needed to achieve your mentally healthy objectives.

Tip: Once you’ve noted these down, or while in the process, it may help to note down what’s wrong with that thought, or justification.

Step # 3.  Ask yourself:  What steps do I need to take or habits to create to achieve my objective? List these in detail. Ideally they will include actions recommended in several if not all of these Steps to Better Brain Health, to include, eating a healthier diet, taking appropriate supplements, pursing more physical and mental activities, habits that promote relaxation and sleep, like eating less meat and sweets at night, going to bed and arising at the same time each night and morning. List what you ought to do instead.

Is there a Key Habit? To simplify this, you may want to ask yourself: Is there a key habit you could create that would affect several other habits, to help you get on track? Examples of these include.

*  Taking time to plan out your day, either in the morning or night before
*  Exercise in the morning or early evening
*  Eating a well balanced breakfast or drinking an effective keto energy drink
*  Set a time for Prayer or Meditation
*  Planning your evening as you drive home from work
*  Family dinner at approximately the same time each evening
*  Going to bed earlier

Step # 4. Develop and use “When-Then” reminder statements.  If you have done steps 1-3 above then you are ready for reminders. This is a key to new habit creation.

When we are stuck in old habits we tend to get involved in unhealthy or distracting activities, almost unconsciously, and we forget, or don’t think about, pursuing our new resolutions. In Step 4, we set up a simple system which uses our old automatic habits and a clock to remind us to do the new healthier habits. Here’s how that works:

1. Read over those activities and thoughts (from steps 1 & 2) that lead you into the old habit or distract you from pursuing the new habits. Review these at least 3x a day to begin with.
2. Identify from step 3, the activities you need to do instead, to develop your new habits.
3. Whenever you start to do something from step 1 or think of something from your step 2 list, Then let that remind you to do an action from step 3. It will probably help to write some of these out as follows:

Whenever I feel like drinking a diet soda, Then I will drink something healthier, or take a supplement I’ve been neglecting with water.

Whenever I see a commercial on TV, Then I will get up and go for a walk, or do some squats.

Whenever I think of something that causes me anxiety, Then I will do 30 jumping jacks, or if in public slow and deepen my breathing to 6 breaths per minute, and shift my focus to at least 5 things I have to be grateful for today.

Visualize these connections. Make time, perhaps when you go to bed or soon after you arise, to visualize or imagine a few of your most important When/Then exchanges.

Examples of this process

Objective:  A better memory

My Whys:  If I don’t change I could:

Lose respect among colleagues, friends and family.
Feel embarrassed when I forget a name or easy word in conversation.
It may get worse and I could end up with dementia.
I could become a burden on my family costing them $1000’s in care costs, maybe even my home, while I endure a crappy quality of life.

I might not get:
Included in conversations as much as I’d like.
I might not get to keep driving.
I might lose out on opportunities at work or to go places and do things I like.

But if I can beat this, and improve my memory:

I will feel better about myself and my future.
I will enjoy conversations more.
I will be able to do more for my family and friends.
I will be able to pass on more of my knowledge and wisdom to family and others.

Step # 1 What am I doing that prevents me from doing what I need to do. i.e. What are my bad habits, that could be impairing my memory.

• I often sleep in, then I’m too rushed to fix a decent breakfast.
• I eat too many simple carbs, for breakfast not enough whole foods protein and fiber.
• I have some good supplements, but am often too busy to take them or forget.
• I sit most of the day and seldom exercise, hard enough to make me breath harder.
• I drink too many diet sodas and beers.
• I don’t find time to learn more about what I ought to be doing.
• I have the munchies at night and eat things like pie and ice cream that I’ve heard are not good for my brain.
• I often stay up too late watching TV.

Step # 2

•  When I wake-up I tell myself, “I really need 7 hrs of sleep or more, since I’m getting older, and since I didn’t get to bed until 1, I need to sleep in until at least 8 am. And that should give me enough time to get to work by 9:00.” Then at 8 I say, “I can do 5 more min and still make it.” But then by the time I get showed and dressed I don’t have time for a decent breakfast.
• I tell myself, I don’t have time to fix a breakfast. A muffin and orange juice, should give me some energy and nutrition – at least some vitamin C from the orange juice. And I once read vitamin C was good to help prevent dementia, right?!

[On the other hand, from a more objective perspective, that’s likely to spike my blood sugar levels, which could damage my blood vessels and brain, via a process called glycation, and then my energy levels will plummet, making it harder to focus and achieve my objective to develop a better memory.]

• Either I then don’t think to take my supplements, or I say, “I’ll just skip it today. I can take that this evening or tomorrow.”

[But the truth is that I forget to follow-up and take them. I’ve taken my morning supplements only twice in the past week, and the directions say daily.]

• I’m so intent on my work, that I seldom think about the hours I spend sitting. And when I do I tell myself. “Yes I need to be more active, but this is more important right now! Tomorrow I should have more time for exercise, or I will sign-up for the gym.”

[But that’s not working. I’m lucky to get in 30 min of exercise in a week. And that is not enough for my brain’s oxygen and nutritional needs.]

• I tell myself diet sodas are better than high sugar drinks. And that I need a beer to relax and reduce my cortisol levels.

[But I recently read that aspartame in diet sodas can cause neurological damage, and has been linked to higher risk for vascular problems and Alzheimer’s. And that if one is having memory problems almost any alcohol can make that worse.]

• I tell myself that other tasks or down time are more important. And frankly I just get caught up in other things and don’t think to study this material.

[What’s more important than my brain! For heaven’s sake and my family. I need to schedule that or do it instead of watching TV. I’m not going to miss the TV. But I will miss my brain, if it deteriorated any further.]

• I justify my nighttime snacking on simple carbs and high sugar foods, by telling myself I need these to relax, and they may help me sleep. And just a small portion won’t hurt. But sometimes my portions end up being not so small.

[Come on guy you know how bad excess sugar can be for your brain, and especially late at night it increases belly fat. I can find berries or veggie pieces or coconut covered popcorn to snack on, or maybe I could just do a bit of reading, drink something healthy, like a vitamin C with trace minerals drink, and go to bed early.]

• I tell myself, “This helps me unwind.” or “I just want to see how this thing ends.” Or on educational channels I tell myself. “This might have some useful info for me.”

[Just think how this life may end for you if you continue in these bad habits without a few healthy changes! There that’s something you can think about late at night! But then think of how good you will feel when your memory improves! Others who rely on you will respect and appreciate that more, and you will feel better physically, and feel better about yourself as well!]

Step # 3.  So what steps do I need to take or habits to create to get me to my objective?
It’s generally best, especially when starting out, to limit the number of new habits you intend to create to 2 or 3. And of course it will help if you can find a key habit, that might make it easier to do other things as well.

In reviewing the steps that need to be taken or habits that need to be developed the creator of this example decided one Key Habit should be quite helpful, and that would be to go to bed at a set time, at least 30 min earlier than usual, like 11:30. This should then allow them to get a bit more sleep, and get up a bit earlier to allow more time for breakfast, and taking supplements with food.

He reasoned that if he took more time to fix and eat more whole foods with more protein and fiber, this should provide him with more sustained mental energy over a longer period, which should prolong his ability to focus, pay attention and remember. A higher protein and complex carb diet should also reduce his desire for something sweet to eat or drink.  (See How To Reduce Simple Carb/Sugar Cravings below)

Another critical bad habit to replace would be sitting for too long, and not exercising or getting enough physical activity. So the habit(s) to create would be:

Get up and move around more often during the day, and do some type of extended
interval training/exercising for at least 15 min at least 4 days a week.

So the first habit here would consist of getting up at least every hour, perhaps between shifts in tasks, projects or activities, and going to get a drink of water, climb some stairs, do some deep breathing or simply walk around.

A related habit at home would be to get up on the commercial breaks, walk around, do some deep knee bends or squats, and share what you have learned with your partner, or just repeat that to yourself, for a good little memory exercise.

The other related habit would be getting into a routine of doing some sustained physical activity for at least 15 min sometime during the day, wherein you do some interval training or other physical activity that requires you to at least breath a bit deeper than normal. This could be brisk walking, cycling on a stationary bike, jogging on a treadmill, or doing pushups, sit-ups and other isometric or aerobic exercises.  It would be good if you could find a time when you could do this the same time every day. Perhaps that could be before work in the morning. But that could also be on a lunch period, or at the end of the day, say at 5:30.

(See Step 2 on Physical Activity under the 7 Pillars for more info on exercise.)

P.s. Research shows people are much more likely to develop and stick with a habit, like  exercise if they have a partner they can schedule to do that with.

Alternative: Find more time on a more regular basis to learn more about how to maintain a healthy brain and improve my memory. When the news is over, instead of watching more TV, I’m going to log into ABCbrain.org and study more of the topics recommended in my Personal Assessment Guide, Or I’m going to log into my Cognifit program and do some brain training.

Step # 4. Develop and use “When-Then” statements to remind you of what you need to be doing and when. Here are samples of 4 When-Then statements for the 4 new habits identified above.

Habit # 1 A Key Habit to replace bad habit “h” above:
Go to bed at 11:30.
The When-Then statement:
When the news is over or another program starts,
Then I will get up and begin preparing to go to bed at 11:30

Habit # 2 Replaces “d” above:
Get up and move around more often during the day
The When-Then statement:
When I am at work and there is a change in my tasks, projects, or
activities, Then I will get up and walk around for a few minutes.

If that doesn’t work, like maybe you don’t have many shifts in your work.
Then set up the timer on your phone to go off with pleasant sounds
every hour.

When I am watching TV or the News, and a commercial comes on
Then I will get up and move around, do some squats or push-ups or
some other set of isometric exercises, or at least practice breathing
deeper and slower.

Habit #3  When I get home from work, after I change at like 5:30
Then I will do at least 15 min of sustained physical activity. Like brisk
walking cycling on a stationary bike, jogging on a treadmill, or doing
pushups, sit-ups or some other isometric or aerobic exercises

Habit # 4  Find more time on a more regular basis to learn more
When dinner is over
Then I will let that be my cue to log into ABCbrain.org to learn more
about what I can do to improve my memory, or Cognifit for brain training.   

Then after you climb into bed visualize yourself initiating your When-Then habits.
If you have a hard time remembering to do that, then during your study time or whenever you experience a memory issue, you can use that to remind yourself to do those visualization exercises when you go to bed.

Also, as an added reminder or if you find your When-Then statements hard to remember you can write them down on 3 X 5 cards, or a sheet of paper and leave them on our pillow to remind you.

It's Not That Hard

Of course you don’t have to go through all of these steps. Some people can just see what they need to do, and do it.  But others may need to be reminded of their Why’s every day, or examine what they say to their self, in order to get more to the root of a resistant habit. But at least going through some semblance of the 4 Steps noted above should be helpful. Many others have found them to be.

Here are a few helpful When-Then’s from a non-diabetic person with high anxiety who was highly motivated, i.e. she had her “Whys” (why she wanted to change) well in mind. She was familiar with the thoughts that typically preceded the feelings, and her actions or responses, that were not helpful. So here are the When-Then’s that helped her.

When I first open the refrigerator door (with a posted reminder) in the morning.
Then I will take out an L-theanine, and CalmMag supplement, as well as 3 JuicePLus orchard, garden & vineyard caps, that I will take with a healthy breakfast.

When I feel myself becoming anxious.
Then I will tense and stretch different muscle groups (as in a yawn) or a dozen jumping jacks if not in public. I will then focus on my breathing, making it slower and deeper, with 6 breaths a minute. I will monitor that on my cell phone. Then I will put one hand on my heart and think of 6 things I have to be grateful for.

When I am calmer
Then I will take a minute to think about and note down anything that comes to mind that I can do to prevent or deal with that which I fear or feel anxious.

When the News is over, or it’s 11 p.m., if I feel at all anxious
Then I will take a 5-HTP, and my herbal sleep formula containing Lemon Balm leaf, L-theanine, and hops, along with 2 magnesium glycinate supplements, along with an ounce of grape juice.

When I wake up in the middle of the night (if I do)
Then I will take another 5-HTP and herbal sleep formula, with another oz of grape juice.

And if this still seems to hard for you. Or if you are having problems getting started, here’s a simple innovative approach that might help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvGkSEuWtaI

For additional assistance in eliminating self-defeating behaviors with the above noted approach, with more in-depth insights, activities, and examples we suggest this student handbook classic.

https://www.amazon.com/Student-handbook-eliminating-self-defeating-behavior/dp/B0006Y3XOK/

One of the populations that seem to have the hardest time making and keeping new habits or routines, are those with ADHD. Here is a great little video made for them, but which could be helpful for any of us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpNd6gPp6Fo

Likely the best book on this topic is Change Everything – by Patterson, et al.

Try A Habit Tracker

One other thing that may help you, would be to develop and use a simple Habit Tracker, like the following. These can be great reminders, and keeping score or making a game out of it, has been shown to be helpful.

Daily Habit Tracker

(You or someone you know should be able to create this with any word processor)

Note in the left hand column those things that you want to get into the habit of doing.  And then put an X or 0 in the space under the day of the week for if you did that  or took that on that day, or you can put a frequency (like 3) or duration (15 min) or  distance (1 mile) in the space.

Note below to the right or on the back any observations or ideas that come to mind while filling this out.

How To Reduce Simple Carb / Sugar Cravings

*Note:  If you or someone you care for craves sugar, trying to get over that with will power alone is usually futile. The underlying issue likely driving this train is the brain’s need for energy. The brain is an energy hog, and if it doesn’t have enough energy it knows how to get it… i.e. it creates cravings for sugar that are very hard to resist, especially for someone who’s not especially strong mentally in the first place.

It knows simple carbs can with the help of insulin be easily converted to glucose and energy… at least that used to be the case. However, if a person has been eating too much sugar for too long, they are likely now insulin resistant. (We call this condition diabetes or prediabetes.) Which means their cells are no longer as receptive to insulin needed to usher glucose into the cell. So it’s not getting converted to energy as it was in the good old days. Instead of getting converted to energy it get’s circulated in our blood where it can damage proteins, or stored as fat, which also in excess is not good for the brain.

A better plan is to:
1. Eat and snack on more protein and complex crunchy carb foods, such as nuts, range free boiled eggs, healthy fish, cheese, berries, apples, cherries, celery, bell peppers, beets, etc.. These are broken down slower at a pace our cells can handle. So they don’t become insulin resistant.  

2.  Take a 5-HTP, saffron or L-tryptophane supplement and get more sunshine and exercise. These have been shown to help boost serotonin levels which calm the brain’s need for energy and sugar or simple carbs.  And they help provide sustained energy over a longer period for thinking and remembering.

3.  At the first sign of a craving consume a couple tablespoon of MCT or coconut oil (start with a teaspoon and work up over time, as this can cause diarrhea if too much is consumed), or take a drink of exogenous ketones. Kenetik is a ketone producer whose products we have endorsed in the past. They have a new formulation out that works quite well see it by clicking here.