Habit loop examples.
Twelve everyday patterns.
A habit loop is the same three-step run repeating: a cue, a routine, a reward. Once you can name the loop, you can change the move that follows.
The cue–routine–reward cycle
Charles Duhigg named the three parts of a habit loop: cue (what starts it), routine (what you do), and reward (what you get from it). The routine is automatic because the reward reliably follows the cue. You don't have to fight the loop — you have to see it early enough to place a different move at the routine step.
This app writes loops as When / I. The When is the cue. The I is the routine. The reward is usually the same short relief — attention off, tension down, decision avoided. Change the I and the loop stops being a loop.
How to read the examples
- When — the exact moment the loop starts.
- Routine — the automatic move that follows.
- Reward — the quiet payoff that keeps the loop alive.
- Next move — one small, concrete replacement you can try the next time the cue appears.
Phone & attention
When I get into bed, I pick up my phone and scroll.
- Reward
- A soft escape from the day.
- Next move
- I put the phone on the desk before I lie down.
When I open a new browser tab, I type the same social site.
- Reward
- A quick hit of novelty.
- Next move
- I type the site I actually came to open.
When a notification lights up, I check it right away.
- Reward
- The relief of not missing something.
- Next move
- I finish the current sentence, then check.
Food & body
When I feel tired in the afternoon, I eat something sweet.
- Reward
- A short energy spike.
- Next move
- I drink a glass of water first, then decide.
When I sit down to watch a show, I open a bag of chips.
- Reward
- Comfort that matches the couch.
- Next move
- I put one portion in a bowl and close the bag.
When I walk past the coffee machine, I make a third cup.
- Reward
- A pause from the screen.
- Next move
- I stand up and stretch for one minute instead.
Work & tasks
When a task becomes unclear, I switch to something easier.
- Reward
- Movement without discomfort.
- Next move
- I write the next concrete step in one line.
When I open my email, I reply to the small ones first.
- Reward
- The feeling of progress.
- Next move
- I open the hardest email and read it once.
When I finish a meeting, I check messages for ten minutes.
- Reward
- A soft landing after focus.
- Next move
- I write one sentence about the next action.
People & relationships
When Peter asks me for another favor, I say yes immediately.
- Reward
- The relief of not disappointing him.
- Next move
- I say: I'll get back to you in an hour.
When my partner comes home tense, I go quiet and wait.
- Reward
- No conflict, for now.
- Next move
- I ask one question about their day.
When someone criticizes my work, I defend before I understand.
- Reward
- Protection from feeling small.
- Next move
- I repeat back what I heard, then answer.
Write your own loop
Pick one loop you recognized above — or one you already know. Describe the moment, then the move that follows. The engine turns that into a set of concrete next moves you can try.