You might already have one moment in your day that reminds you to move. The next step is finding a few more. Not every moment works equally well, though, and choosing the right ones makes movement breaks feel far more automatic.

Why the moment matters

Habits form when you repeat something in the same situation, again and again. Over time, the situation itself starts to prompt the action, without you having to think about it. So the moment you pair a movement break with needs to be one that happens reliably, every working day.

What makes a good moment

The best moments to pair with a break tend to be:

• Reliable. They happen every day, not just some days.
• Natural pauses. They come at the end of something, like a call or a task, not in the middle.
• Specific. “After my 10am meeting” works better than “sometime in the morning”.
• Spread out. A few moments across the day give you breaks in the morning, middle and afternoon.

Moments to look for

Many people find these work well:

• Ending a call or meeting.
• Sending an email you’ve been working on.
• Coming back from the toilet or making a drink.
• Finishing lunch.
• Switching from one task to another.

Fitting it to your day

If you’re in back-to-back calls, pair a seated break with the start of each one, like rolling your shoulders while you wait for others to join. If you work from home, the kettle, the front door or a pet needing attention can all become your moments.

Starting small

You don’t need to pair a break with every moment at once. Adding one new moment at a time, and letting it settle before adding another, makes it more likely to stick.

Something to try this week

Look for three moments that happen every working day. Pick one you haven’t used yet and pair a movement break with it, seated or standing.

What to take away

• Habits form when the same action follows the same moment, again and again.
• The best moments are reliable, specific natural pauses.
• Spread your moments across the day.
• Add one new moment at a time.

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