Exactly How to Lock in a New Habit, According to Science

Tap into the brain’s fantastic plastic power

There are lots of tricks that may help healthy habits stick, but the brain has to undergo physical change for this to really take place. “The brain’s unbelievably subtle and sophisticated ability to change physical shape when exposed to new environments, activities, thoughts, and emotions is what underlies its capacity to create and sustain new habits,” explains Delia McCabe, MA, PhD, the Queensland, Australia-based author of Feed Your Brain: 7 Steps to a Lighter, Brighter You. This phenomenon is known as “neuroplasticity,” and it’s being studied as a way to stave off lasting brain damage after stroke and to help reverse some symptoms of autism. You may be doing some of the work already if you practice these 8 healthy habits that keep your brain sharp.

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