There comes a point with most habits when the reminders start to feel like they are running a step behind you. You sit down, settle in, and find you are already sitting tall before the alert on your phone has a chance to go off. If that sounds familiar, it could be a good time to see how the habit does on its own.

Why reminders only take you so far

Reminders are really useful early on, when sitting tall still takes some thought. Research on habit apps found that reminders help people remember a new behaviour, but people can also end up leaning on the reminder rather than the habit itself. The part that tends to last comes from cues already built into your day, like sitting down at your desk, opening your laptop or joining a call.

There is no fixed date when you are “ready” to let reminders go. One well-known study found that a new daily habit took about two months on average to feel automatic, with a wide range from a few weeks to most of a year. So it is more about noticing when sitting tall feels easier than counting days.

Dropping one prompt at a time

Taking every reminder away at once makes it hard to tell what is actually working. Removing one at a time gives you a clearer picture. Options include:

• Switching off one phone alert.
• Moving a sticky note out of sight.
• Turning off a repeating calendar nudge.

You could start with the one you rely on least and leave the rest in place for now.

Noticing whether the habit holds

Over the week, check in with yourself at a moment that already happens, such as coming back from a break or starting a new task. If you find yourself sitting tall more often than not, the everyday cue has taken over. If you notice more slumping, that reminder is still doing a useful job. You can switch it back on and try a different one next week. Either way, you have learned something about how your habit works.

It also helps to remember that sitting tall is not about holding one position all day. Research suggests there is no single right way to sit, and changing position is part of being comfortable. The aim is for sitting tall to be the position you come back to easily, without a nudge.

Your daily VIDA video stays in place alongside this, and it works as a natural cue in its own right. Your weekly check-in will show you how things are going over time.

What to take away

• Drop one reminder this week, starting with the one you rely on least.
• Use a moment that already happens in your day as your natural cue.
• Notice whether you still sit tall without the prompt.
• Switch a reminder back on if you need it, and try again another week.

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