Why these steps
When it happens
Habits form as people repeat the same response in the same context. So the plan starts from the moment the habit usually shows up: waiting for something, a break at work, the minute you sit down.
What it gives you
Ask what the habit gives you right then: a break, relief, company or something to do. Once you name it, you can pick a swap that gives you the same thing another way.
A swap or a speed bump
A swap is something else to do in that moment. A speed bump puts one more step between you and the habit, like leaving your phone in another room. Either one goes into the “then I will …” part of your plan.
An if-then plan
A 2006 meta-analysis of 94 independent tests found that if-then plans ("If situation Y happens, then I will do X") had a medium-to-large effect on reaching goals (d = .65). The same analysis found that if-then plans helped people get started on a goal and protected their progress from unwanted influences. Your card is one of these plans: “If [the moment], then I will [the swap].”
Counting the times you catch it
“Start tracking” adds the habit to the habit tracker with a “Caught it today” button. The tracker counts the days you caught it, and that total never goes down. There are no missed days and no streak to lose.
Habits this planner doesn't plan
Some habits need more than a swap plan. This planner doesn't make plans for eating, exercise, sleep, drinking, caffeine, smoking, vaping, drugs or gambling. Type one, and it shows a short note instead, with a link to a free sister site where one covers it. If you'd like support, the help section below is there for you.
What happens to what you type
Your plan stays in this browser and is never sent anywhere. “Start tracking” saves the habit, its moment and your swap on this device only; “what it gives you” stays on the card. To build a new habit instead, make a habit plan. For daytime phone scrolling, there is a planner with phone cues and swaps: how to stop doomscrolling.
If you need help now
These tools are for everyday habits. They are not a crisis service. If you are struggling or don't feel safe, you can contact:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): call or text 988, or chat online. Free and confidential, 24/7.
Emergency services (911)
US: call 911 if you or someone you know is in immediate harm or danger.
Samaritans
Samaritans (UK and Ireland): call 116 123, free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Emergency services (999 or A&E) · NHS 111, mental health option
UK: call 999 or go to A&E if someone's life is at risk or you can't keep yourself or someone else safe. For urgent help that isn't an emergency, call 111 and choose the mental health option (NHS).
Elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
Sources
- Wood W, Rünger D (2016). Psychology of Habit. Annual Review of Psychology 67:289–314. PMID 26361052
- Gollwitzer PM, Sheeran P (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: a meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 38:69–119. kops.uni-konstanz.de
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org
- Contact Us. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org
- Contact a Samaritan. Samaritans. samaritans.org
- Where to get urgent help for mental health. NHS. nhs.uk