Your movement breaks might feel settled now. But habits are closely tied to the routines around them, so when your routine changes, they can quietly slip away. Planning for those changes helps your breaks keep going.

Why change shakes habits

Habits are triggered by familiar moments and places. Research on habits shows that big changes, like a new job, moving house or a new working pattern, can loosen old habits. The good news is that the same research suggests these moments are also a good chance to set up new habits on purpose.

Changes to watch for

Many people find their breaks slip when:

• They start a new job or role.
• Their office days and home days change.
• They move desk, office or house.
• Holidays, school breaks or busy seasons change their usual week.

Rebuild around new moments

When your routine changes, the old moments you paired breaks with may disappear. You could:

• Look for new moments that happen every day in your new routine.
• Bring back a reminder, like Pomodoro stretches, for the first few weeks.
• Set up your new space with movement in mind, like putting the bin or printer a few steps away.

Holidays and time off

On holidays, you may move more naturally, or less. Either way, when you come back to work, the first few days are a good time to restart your breaks deliberately, before old sitting patterns settle back in.

Small breaks, steady benefits

Keeping your breaks going through changes means you keep the comfort and energy benefits, rather than having to build them from scratch.

Something to try this week

Think about the next change coming up in your routine, like a holiday or a new project. Decide now which moment in that new routine you’ll pair a movement break with.

What to take away

• Changes in routine can loosen even well-established habits.
• New jobs, new spaces and holidays are common times for breaks to slip.
• Rebuild breaks around moments in your new routine.
• Restart breaks deliberately when you return from time off.

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