Why Good Habits Disappear When Traveling

 Disappearance or change of triggers

Habits do not exist in our lives by themselves. They are always associated with a specific trigger (context). For example, you are used to doing short morning exercises while coffee is heating up on the stove. You went on a business trip and forgot about exercises, because your trigger that reminds you of them (coffee on the stove) disappeared.

What to do about it?

You should tie your most important habits to so-called supertriggers (a term proposed by B.J. Fogg, founder of the Stanford Behavior Design Lab). These are triggers that will be present in any circumstances. For example, whether you are on vacation or traveling, you most likely brush your teeth in the morning. This is a good supertrigger to which you can tie, for example, the habit of doing morning exercises.

The impact of an unfamiliar physical environment

At home, you can organize your physical environment so that it helps you stick to good habits. For example, following your ideas about healthy eating, you go to the “right” stores, where you buy mostly healthy products. And you don’t keep any terribly unhealthy junk food at home. And then you arrive at a hotel where there is a buffet with a huge selection of food. Now access to fried sausages, chips and soda is very easy, and you go wild. Or you gather your will into a fist and hold on (for about the first three days, and then you still give in).

What to do about it?

First, soberly assess the risks. Is it so critical that you will not follow healthy habits during your trip? If it is not critical, then I suggest not to bother. The only thing you will need to track is the return to a healthy lifestyle upon your return.

If it is critical for you to maintain healthy habits while traveling, then it is worth thinking in advance how you will fight the buffet (or other temptations of a temporary place of stay). You need to decide how you will eat before your hungry eyes see all the food variety.

Impact of a new social environment

For example, your long-term goal is to maintain a daily routine (go to bed and wake up at the same time) to be more productive and get more done. In everyday life, you remember this and do not break your routine. But when you go on a business trip, where the program includes late dinners, socializing and hanging out with colleagues, your routine is at risk.

What to do about it?

Look for and offer alternative communication options that suit you better. For example, you can arrange in advance to meet during breakfast or lunch with the people most important to you.