ASSIGNMENT: GET YOUR BREAKFAST HABIT

At this point, you should know that eating the right foods at breakfast can boost your performance. If you regularly skip breakfast, how do you change that routine? Consider putting the habit loop to use.

Here’s How It Works:

Recall, a habit is a 3-step neurological process. First, there’s a cue, something that tells your brain to go into automatic mode. Then there’s a routine. And finally, a reward, which helps your brain learn to crave the behavior. It’s a basic formula you can use to create — or break — habits of your own.

Here’s How To Apply It:

Choose a cue, like setting our alarm 15-minutes early and labeling the alarm ‘Boost Energy With A Healthy Breakfast.’ BONUS: an extra 15-minutes in the morning can make all the difference to those who feel rushed to get out the door. You’ll not only have time to make something quick, but you’ll also give your appetite a chance to ‘wake-up.’

Next, pick a reward — say, something you like to eat at breakfast when you make time? Bacon! That way, the cue and the reward become intertwined. Eventually, when you hear the alarm and see the label, your brain will start craving the reward, which will make it easier to eat breakfast. The best part? In a couple of weeks, you won’t need the bacon at all. Your brain will come to see the breakfast itself, and the boost in energy, performance, and concentration it provides, as the reward. Which is the whole point, right?

Here’s A Plan:

Once you’ve figured out your habit loop, you need a plan to deliver the reward. For instance, use every Sunday to pre-cook an entire week’s worth of bacon to save you the hassle in the morning when time is scarce. Planning will ensure consistency with delivering your reward each time you see the cue while building your routine as it evolves into a habit.

Backtrack: What if you are someone who doesn’t like traditional breakfast foods? No rule says you have to eat ‘breakfast food’ in the morning. The previous night’s leftovers will suffice.

Manage the routine with a nutrient-packed protein shake with fruit and a hard-boiled egg alongside your reward (bacon). These are great on-the-go options during a commute when you feel rushed. Similar to bacon, use every Sunday to pre-cook and peel an entire week’s worth of hard-boiled eggs to further save you time. Similarly, you don’t need to eat your entire meal at once on morings your don’t train. Sip on your shake throughout the morning, or have your egg(s) first and your fruit an hour or so later.

Assignment Download

Your assignment is to download the Getting Your Breakfast Habit Worksheet and enter your cue, your reward and your planned routine. You can use the examples above or come up with your own. Once you complete the worksheet, save and upload.

Get Your Breakfast Habit Worksheet 46.86 KB 103 downloads

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