Building consistent habits is key to achieving long-term success in any area of life,

but sticking to them can feel like an uphill battle.

The good news, psychological research offers practical strategies to make habits stick.

Here are 10 evidence-based tips with real-world examples to help

you stay on track. Welcome back to savvy psychologist. I'm your host, Dr. Monica Johnson. Every week on

this show, I'll help you face life's challenges with evidence-based approaches, a sympathetic ear,

and zero judgment. My first tip is to start small.

Break your goal into tiny manageable actions. For example, John wants to start meditating, but struggles

to find time. Instead of aiming for 30 minutes, he starts with just one minute a day, sitting quietly after waking up.

Once this becomes a habit, he gradually increases the time. I can't stress starting small enough.

Following up on the example, one of the biggest excuses I get for not implementing mindfulness is not

finding the time. And as your resident internet psychologist, I am looking at you going, you don't

have time to pay attention to your life as it's happening? Take the minute, and you will find

over time, you will create the space.

My next tip is to use habit stacking.

This is where you attach a new habit to an existing one.

For example, let's talk about Sarah.

Sarah wants to drink more water.

She decides to drink a glass of water every morning right after

brushing her teeth. The existing habit of brushing serves as a cue for the new habit. True story,

years ago, I was trying to increase the number of times I floss in a week. How did I do it? By leaving

floss next to the computer. And prior to checking

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