"For months, Bec has been in a wonderful routine of making creative salads for her work lunches. The routine has been amazing, life-changing even. She's discovered so many new options, looks forward to eating, and it's made her feel capable and in control. Then, she gets a respiratory virus and loses her sense of taste. There isn't any point in making fancy salads she can't enjoy, so she decides to take cans of soup for lunch until she's better."
"Bec's experience isn't unusual. We're in the groove with a habit, something disrupts it, and then getting back into it feels hard. This happens even when the disruption was out of our control, not due to waning interest or motivation. Because this pattern is the rule more than the exception, we need to prepare for it by designing reentry points. Your reentry point should be the most non-intimidating, non-fatiguing version of the habit you want to get back on track with."
Habits can be disrupted by uncontrollable events, making resuming them feel unexpectedly difficult. A low-barrier, personalized reentry point eases the return to a habit by minimizing intimidation and fatigue. Simple, familiar actions work well as reentry points because they lower decision friction and increase the likelihood of repetition. Examples include committing to one favorite meal repeatedly or cleaning for just ten minutes with a timer. Designing reentry points anticipates interruptions and focuses on adaptability rather than rigid adherence, supporting long-term habit resilience and sustainable self-improvement.
Read at Psychology Today
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