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Environment Design for Behavior Change

habits · easy · 1-2 hours initial setup, then minimal

What is Environment Design for Behavior Change?

Restructuring your physical environment to make good habits obvious and easy, and bad habits invisible and hard. Based on the principle that behavior is largely a product of the environment, not willpower.

Is there evidence for it?

EVIDENCEstrong

How do you do Environment Design for Behavior Change?

  1. 1.Make cues for good habits visible: put running shoes by the door, fruit on the counter, book on your pillow
  2. 2.Increase friction for bad habits: delete social media apps, keep junk food out of the house, unplug the TV
  3. 3.Use the 'one-time choices' principle: buy a smaller plate, get a water filter, sign up for auto-delivery of healthy food
  4. 4.Create dedicated spaces: a specific chair for reading, a desk only for work, a spot only for meditation
  5. 5.Audit your environment monthly: walk through your home/office and ask 'what behavior does this space promote?'

How long does it take?

1-2 hours initial setup, then minimal.

Is it hard to start?

easy.

> how Shift handles habits and addiction

Source: James Clear (Atomic Habits); Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein (Nudge); Brian Wansink (food environment research)
environment · nudge · choice-architecture · friction · default-behaviors
> find what fits you

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> everything in habits

This is one entry from the library Shift matches against. It is general information, not advice about you, and nothing on this page came from anyone's conversation.