Now it is not that every cue is sufficient. Good cues are crucial. A good cue (trigger stimulus) is characterized above all by the fact that it is easily recognized and triggers the behavior as automatically as possible. Here are a few criteria from McDaniel & Einstein (1993).
- Event-based is better than time-based. Cues work best when they are tied to a specific event (“when I enter the kitchen”) and not to a time (“at 6 pm”). Time-based cues require active recall, while event-based cues trigger behavior more automatically.
- Striking and unambiguous = Salient. A cue should be salient, so it catches the eye. The clearer, unusual or more specific the situation, the sooner it is noticed and activates the planned behavior.
- Embedded in existing routines is particularly helpful. Particularly effective are cues, which are coupled to actions that are already taking place (e.g. brushing teeth, arriving at work, lunch break). Such contexts are reliably passed through and provide stable anchor points.
- Contextual relevance is important. The cue should fit exactly to the situation in which the behavior makes sense. If attention is already focused on relevant aspects of the environment, the probability of implementation increases.
I think this point goes without saying, but the simpler the behavior, the easier it will be to implement it into everyday life. Simple actions are habitualized more quickly, complex ones are rather partially habitualized. Here’s a simple trick. Ritualize the start, not the whole behavior. This is understandable, but there are also gaps here. The diary study by Wendy Wood, Jeffrey Quinn and Deborah Kashy (2002) provides an important differentiation for habit formation, namely the difference between simple and complex behaviors. They show that habits are closely linked to stable contexts and are characterized above all by a reduction of conscious, behavioral thoughts.
Central is the following: Habits = little thought + stable context, and the following: repetition + time + cue (situational) – intention. It becomes clear that even complex behaviors, such as social interactions or multi-step activities, can be automated by repetition in stable contexts, but to a lesser extent than simple, clearly defined actions. Complex behaviors sometimes depend on flexible, deliberative control, while simple actions transition faster and more completely into automated stimulus-response patterns. This results in an important practical differentiation. In complex chains of behavior, it is often not the entire behavior that is habitually made, but above all its initiation. If the first step of an action (e.g. putting on the running shoes) is reliably coupled to a stable context, this increases the probability that the entire behavior sequence will be carried out. Habit formation is therefore to be understood here less as complete automation, but as partial automation within structured chains of action.
In the context of habit formation, intrinsic motivation, i.e. acting out of self-interest and personal importance, is more stable and sustainable than extrinsic motivation based on rewards, pressure, or external expectations. According to the Self-Determination Theory of Edward Deci and Richard Ryan (2000), behaviors are most likely to be repeated and internalized when they meet the basic needs for autonomy, competence, and social involvement. Extrinsic incentives can trigger behavior in the short term, but often lose their effect as soon as external support disappears, and can even undermine intrinsic motivation when behavior is experienced as externally determined. Intrinsically motivated actions, on the other hand, are self-supporting. They are more likely to be retained, do not require external reinforcement and thus promote repeated execution, a central prerequisite for the formation of stable habits.
Related to ADHD
- Habits replace executive functions. The findings of Ouellette and Wood (1998) are particularly relevant here. They show that highly habitual behaviors are carried out largely independently of conscious intentions. This is exactly what is crucial in the context of ADHD: If behavior is automated, it no longer needs to be actively planned, remembered or decided. Habits thus relieve precisely the functions that are often restricted in ADHD, in particular initiation, action planning and attention control. From the perspective of Bargh (1994), this effect can be understood more precisely: Automated behaviors require neither conscious initiation nor continuous control and occur with low cognitive stress. However, precisely these three aspects – initiation, maintenance and control – are often impaired in ADHD. Habits therefore not only have a supportive effect, but specifically compensate for these limitations.
- Context instead of discipline. People with ADHD often fail at the initiation (“start”) or the decision (“what now?”). Lally shows that behavior is triggered by context, not by willpower alone. For you, this means that you don’t have to want stronger, but to couple better. Pair with Implementation Intentions = “If X, then Y”. This is important because it reduces decision-making processes and start-up problems and also relieves working memory.
- Event-based cues are crucial. Time works poorly for ADHD, but also for people without ADHD. Short example: “after brushing my teeth, I do xyz” or “when I unlock the door, I practice in gratitude”. Small steps are crucial because automation increases sharply at an early stage. In other words, choose small introductory actions, because these help with initiation, e.g. not “doing sports”, but “putting on shoes”. The initiation of a chain of action is thus automated.
- Consistency is more important than intensity. In other words, regularity in the same context > intensity. Better 2 minutes a day than 1 hour twice a week.
- True to the motto, “Nobody is perfect”, error-friendliness is central. A missed day is irrelevant. This is important, among other things, for preventing the shame spiral and thus possibly also preventing a full abortion.
- Emotion decides about repetition and emotion here stands for intrinsic motivation.
- One behavior per cue! Multiple behaviors per cue weaken habit. That is, not a “morning routine with 10 steps”, but 1 cue → 1 behavior.
- Environment is more crucial than will. Behavior is highly context-dependent. Here the environment could be actively designed in which things are made visible and thus the friction to initiate something can be reduced.
Habits are not created by discipline, but by repetition in the same context. For people with ADHD, this is especially important because habits take over exactly the functions that are difficult to find in the brain: start, stick to it, decide. To the point again:
- A clear trigger → “If X, then Y”
- Always the same context → same situation, same action
- Very small action → keep entry minimal
- Repeat daily → Consistency > Intensity
- Ignore mistakes → just continue
Feature Photo by Joel Fulgencio on Unsplash.