The most common reason people stop taking supplements is not the effects or the price, but forgetting. The package stands in the cupboard, the intentions are good, and after two weeks there is more left in it than there should be. This text is about how habits are built: how to link a new action to your existing daily rhythm.
Why regularity is difficult
An action you do once a day has no natural reminder. Hunger reminds you about a meal and tiredness about sleep, but nothing tells you that you missed a portion of a product.
The second difficulty is that there is no immediate feedback: actions that have an instant result are easier to remember.
The third comes from days being different: the rhythm of a weekend or a trip is different from a working day, and a habit built on only one pattern falls apart when the pattern changes.
A note about popular numbers. The claim that it takes twenty-one days to build a habit is often repeated without clear evidence. In a study with 96 participants, the time needed to reach the plateau of automatic behaviour ranged from 18 to 254 days, with a median of 66 days (Lally et al., 2010).
Link the habit to something you already do
How linking habits works
Instead of creating a new action from zero, it is easier to attach it to something you already do every day without effort. This action then works as a signal.
The pattern is simple: after I do X, I will do Y. The key is that X happens every day at about the same time.
The place also matters: if the trigger action happens in the kitchen and the product stands in the bedroom, the signal does not work.
Examples of links
| Daily action | Suggested link | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Morning coffee or tea | Portion while making the drink | Check whether the instructions allow mixing with a drink |
| Breakfast | Portion just before or after the meal | Some instructions give a link to meals |
| Brushing teeth in the morning | Product close by, but outside the bathroom | The bathroom is a bad place for storage |
| Feeding the dog or cat | A daily action at a fixed time | Good if your mealtimes are irregular |
| Putting your keys down when you come home | Evening portion at a fixed point | Needs a place out of the reach of children |
| Taking out your regular medicines | Product stored next to them | A doctor or pharmacist decides about combining with medicines |
Choose one link and stick to it for a longer time. A routine comes from repetition.
Being visible matters
An object you can see reminds you of itself. A product at the back of a cupboard needs you to remember it, but one you can see works as a reminder.
There is a condition here: being visible must not conflict with the storage recommendations. If the label says to keep the product in a cool place, away from light or in the fridge after opening, these instructions come first.
More: Storing supplements – temperature, light, moisture and the fridge after opening
The second condition is about children: the package must stay in a place they cannot reach, so the kitchen worktop or the living room table are not options.
The solution meets both conditions: keep the product in a place that matches the label, and put a replacement signal where you can see it, for example a note.
Reminders that work for longer than a week
A phone alarm works at the start, but over time people turn off a sound they hear again and again without thinking.
A few solutions that often last longer:
- A notification in an app you use anyway. For example, in a calendar you look at every day.
- Changing the text of the reminder. People notice new text, but text that repeats becomes background.
- A physical signal instead of a sound. A package turned around or a note on the fridge.
- Support from someone you live with. A shared time is sometimes more effective than an alarm.
- A link instead of an alarm. In the long run, a link to a daily action works better.
What to do if you miss a day
The answer is clear: do not make up for a missed portion by taking a double one. You must not go over the recommended daily portion, no matter how many days you missed.
The right thing to do is to go back to your normal pattern the next day. In the habit study quoted above, missing a single opportunity did not have a significant effect on the whole process (Lally et al., 2010).
If you keep missing portions, the problem is not a lack of discipline, but a link that does not suit you.
If in doubt, the instructions on the specific package decide, and you can ask a doctor or pharmacist your questions.
More: How to use liquid supplements without losing their properties
How to track regularity without becoming obsessed
A simple method does not need an app: a calendar and a mark on each day when you took the portion.
The package can also help. If the producer gives the number of portions, you can check your progress: for example, you take THESYBIN food supplement once a day in a portion of 6.5 ml, and a 195 ml package is enough for 30 portions.
More: Liquid supplement, capsule or powder – how the forms differ
Keep a sense of proportion: the goal is regularity, not a perfect record.
If tracking starts to cause stress or guilt, it is better to stop.
When to think again about taking a supplement
Not every supplement is needed by every person, and building a routine around a product without a reason is effort in the wrong place.
A few situations in which it is worth stopping to think:
- You do not know why you are taking a product. This is a good moment to talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
- You take many products at the same time. The same component may be in several of them.
- You take medicines regularly. A doctor or pharmacist decides about possible interactions and whether taking supplements makes sense.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or a child. These situations need individual advice.
- You have worrying symptoms. Symptoms that do not go away are a reason to contact a doctor, not to change your supplement.
Food supplements do not replace a varied diet or medical treatment. This text is for education and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist.
Summary
Regularity rarely fails because of motivation. More often, there is no signal to remind you of the action. The simplest way is to link it to something you already do every day at about the same time.
Being visible helps, but within the limits of the storage recommendations and the need to keep the package out of the reach of children. Phone reminders are good at the start. In the long run, a link works better.
If you miss a portion, one rule applies: do not double it, just go back to your normal pattern, because you should not go over the recommended daily portion. It is also worth checking whether you need a product and discussing this with a doctor or pharmacist.
FAQ
Is it better to take the portion in the morning or in the evening?
If the producer does not give a time or a link to meals, choose what is convenient. The best time is the one you can really remember every day, also at weekends and when you travel.
What should I do when I travel and lose my routine?
Choose a link that also works away from home, for example brushing your teeth in the morning. Also check that you can keep the right storage conditions while travelling.
Can I make up for two missed days?
No. You should not go over the recommended daily portion, so you do not make up for missed portions. The next day, take the usual portion as the instructions say.
Sources
This article is based on general knowledge about building daily habits and on typical instructions from producers of food supplements. For the information that must appear on the package, the text refers to the laws listed below.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers.
- Directive 2002/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 June 2002 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to food supplements.
- Lally P., van Jaarsveld C.H.M., Potts H.W.W., Wardle J., How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world, European Journal of Social Psychology, 2010, vol. 40, no. 6, pp. 998-1009.