how does your environment influence your habits?
How true is “clear space clear mind”?
If you’ve ever sworn you were going to be the person eating 30g of protein for breakfast and hitting 10k steps every day, only to find yourself reaching for a cereal bar and glued to your desk by Wednesday — this one’s for you.
We usually blame this on a lack of spine, assuming that habits are built through the sheer, grinding force of willpower. However, through the last few months of researching (and implementing) wellness science, I’ve realised willpower is a terrible tool for long-lasting change. Your environment is miles stronger. Most of what we call “discipline” is actually just smart design of your surroundings. It’s your interior design choices holding you back, not your brain.
(This is Part 1 of a two-part series written in collaboration with Reclaim Your Energy. Part 2 will be linked at the end when it publishes — go and subscribe to her!)
Willpower vs. Environment
Many people, including myself, want to assume habits are born from just “wanting it enough”. If I can envision it then I must be able to have it, right? But your surroundings dictate so much of your activity without you even realising it.
Around 40-43% of your daily behaviours aren’t conscious decisions. They’re habits, and they’re controlled by a part of the brain called the basal ganglia: a structure that automates repeated actions to conserve mental energy. It’s why a lot of your behaviours feel ‘natural’. It’s also why new behaviours and habits feel ‘unnatural’. It takes up so much more energy to build a good habit than to continue repeating a harmful one. It’s an efficient system with one major flaw: it responds to your environment before your conscious brain gets a say.
If you’re opening the fridge to a bunch of sugar and processed food, you’ve likely grabbed something to eat before your brain has even finished the thought “I’m trying to eat better”. It’s quick and it’s easy. Eating well has more friction.
However, a fridge full of meal prep? Whole food snacks? Not keeping fizzy drinks, alcohol or sugary food in the house? Now you’re building good habits.
(I’m usually only cooking for myself, but I still cook for two people. This means the next day I can stick my leftovers in the airfryer or the microwave and still grab a healthy meal with ease! If the dish can freeze, I cook for three and freeze the third portion. My fridge and freezer are full of healthy meals now. Anything to make healthy eating easy!)
This is why I believe we need to take the focus away from “willpower” and focus on fixing our rooms. Our environments. When your intention and environment clash, the environment will always win. Strong habits are tied so tightly to locations and triggers that you don’t even get a vote anymore. In one study I looked at this week, people who habitually spoke loudly in sports stadiums still raised their voice even when they were looking at a photo of a sports stadium. So weird! But useful to know, I guess.
This could mean having a glass of water by your bed at night to drink more water in the morning. Having your skincare laid out rather than inside the medicine cabinet. Having your work bag packed and your healthy lunch prepped (maybe even take leftovers from tonights healthy meal!). The possibilities are endless. I try to focus on one at a time until the habit is securely embedded in my routine.
Choice architecture
This brings me to the idea of “choice architecture”, which just means making the right choices the easiest ones by reshaping the world around you. Going to the gym? Bag is packed and by the door the night before. Going on your phone less? Book on your bedside table. Constant visual reminders build good habits. A review of 88 different studies found that small environmental changes had a positive effect on behaviour 68% of the time. Those who had environmental supports removed afterwards had a significant drop in success rate. Lasting habits aren’t just something you learn, they’re solidified in your environment. They also disappear or become far more difficult when you clutter or change your environment.
Clutter is more than inconvenient - it’s stressful!
Something worth mentioning: allostatic load accumulates in an environment that is cluttered and demanding. If your home is cluttered and full of unfinished tasks, you’re going to be stressed. You won’t want to exercise or cook a meal from scratch. Surroundings signal to the brain: safety or threat? A stable environment that feels calm supports habit formation.
On average, a habit takes 66 days to become automatic and stick. That’s a long time to rely on motivation. It’s time to stop trying to out-discipline our surroundings and start designing them instead.
What I believe most of habit-forming and identity shifting is influenced by is friction. Shape your environment to suit your future ideal self and you will change for the better! Remove the friction and the healthy habits will feel natural.
I’m not a doctor, dietician, or licensed nutritionist. Everything in this article is based on the scientific sources linked throughout and is intended for informational purposes only. If you’re considering changes to your diet, supplements, or lifestyle, please consult a qualified professional first. What works for one person may not work for another.
Looking for part 2?
You can find it here or search “joinrclm” to find her account!
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Loved reading this!!
Willpower is indeed not a great tool for lasting change. We are human, and if I know one thing: we never have the same willpower every day. I really love the connection you make between what we call ‘discipline’ just being a smart design of your surroundings, amazing!
‘When your intentions and environments clash, the environment will always win’ really stuck with me. I really think not so many people are aware of it. Actually, I feel like our environments are quietly deciding what we’re doing everyday. So interesting!
The environment is crucial to helping you stick to your habits. I had struggled for so long until I figured it out. Now, building habits has never been easier.