The Delicious Art of Changing Habits: How to Trick Your Brain and Actually Have Fun Doing It
Let’s get one thing straight:
Changing your habits doesn’t have to feel like walking barefoot over LEGO bricks while sad music plays in the background.
You don’t need to wake up at 5 AM and drink kale smoothies while journaling your dreams with a quill. Unless that’s your vibe—then, you do you. But for the rest of us mere mortals who just want to stop doom-scrolling, eat fewer cookies, or actually use that gym membership we pay for like a monthly guilt subscription—this post is for you.
We're diving into the gooey center of how to change habits in a way that’s entertaining, practical, and so full of personality it might just slap the snooze button out of your life.
🎯 First: The Habit Game Plan (aka The Three-Step Crack-the-Code System)
If you want to change a habit, you have to understand what it is. Habits are basically loops your brain creates so it can go on autopilot and conserve energy.
The Habit Loop:
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Cue (what triggers it)
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Routine (what you do)
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Reward (what your brain gets)
🧠 Example:
Cue: You feel bored.
Routine: You open TikTok.
Reward: Instant dopamine. (Oh look, a cat breakdancing with a lizard.)
To change the habit, you don’t remove it. You replace the routine with something that gives you a similar reward.
🍭 Example 1: The Afternoon Snack Attack
The Old Habit:
3 PM hits. Your brain dies. You grab a cookie. Then another. Then you contemplate your life choices with crumbs in your keyboard.
Why It Happens:
Your body’s low on energy. Your brain wants a quick sugar fix = reward.
New Habit Hack:
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Cue: 3 PM slump
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New Routine: Take a 5-minute walk outside or do 10 jumping jacks + drink water + chew mint gum.
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New Reward: Movement boosts dopamine, water helps energy, mint tricks your tastebuds and "resets" cravings. It’s weird. It works.
🍬 Bonus Trick: If you still want a treat, prep frozen grapes or dark chocolate squares. Portion control + satisfaction = win.
📱 Example 2: Doomscrolling Before Bed
The Old Habit:
You get in bed. You’re tired but not “brain-off” tired. You open your phone and 45 minutes later you know 17 fun facts about kangaroo boxing and you hate yourself.
New Habit Hack:
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Cue: You get in bed
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New Routine: Open a trashy-but-fun novel or listen to an audio drama podcast. Something entertaining, but not screen-based.
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New Reward: Your brain gets the story stimulation it craves, but your eyes aren’t laser-fried.
📚 Try this:
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Podcast: Old Gods of Appalachia (spooky southern gothic fiction)
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Book: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (murder-mystery-meets-mom-life comedy)
🧼 Example 3: “I Want to Be a Morning Person” (But Also, I Don’t)
The Fantasy:
You wake up at sunrise, journal your gratitude, do yoga with birds chirping, and make a green smoothie.
The Reality:
You hit snooze 3x, scroll memes, then roll out of bed like a raisin.
New Habit Hack:
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Cue: Alarm goes off
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New Routine: Put your phone across the room next to a glass of cold water and a sticky note that says “JUST 2 MINUTES.”
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New Reward: You feel like a boss for doing something hard. Dopamine = unlocked.
🚀 Level-Up Move:
Don’t force a whole morning routine. Start with one ridiculous but fun task, like dancing to one Lizzo song or brushing your teeth while doing squats. (Yes, you will look dumb. Yes, it will make your morning better.)
🧪 Weird Science Meets Real Life
Let’s sprinkle in a little brain science to make this extra juicy:
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Habits form via repetition, not motivation. Do it often. Even when it sucks. Especially when it sucks.
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Stack new habits onto old ones. It’s called habit stacking. Example: After I make coffee, I write one sentence in a journal.
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Make it stupid-easy. Want to start running? Put your shoes by the door. Want to read more? Put a book on your pillow. Want to stop biting your nails? Wear spicy nail polish (yes, it’s a thing).
🧨 BONUS: Habit Rewiring Challenges
Try one of these for 7 days:
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Digital Detox Power Hour: One hour a day where you don’t touch a screen. Replace it with anything weird (like learning origami or trying to juggle).
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The 2-Minute Rule: Every time you resist a bad habit, do something good for just two minutes.
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Temptation Bundling: Only watch your guilty-pleasure show while doing a boring task. (Laundry + Selling Sunset = genius.)
💥 Final Pep Talk (Cue Inspiring Background Music)
You are not your bad habits.
You’re just a squishy, pattern-loving brain in a stressy world. But that brain? It’s reprogrammable. With enough patience, humor, and strategic trickery, you can literally become a whole new version of yourself.
And hey—if all else fails?
At least now you know how to chew mint gum and squat while brushing your teeth.
Stay spicy,
—Your future self who already built all these habits and is thriving.
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