Retrain Your Brain: Recipe Cards for Change

Recipe cards for change are designed to help people list the specific ingredients or action steps to make a desired change. Just as a recipe lists the ingredients needed to bake a cake, a change recipe lists the ingredients or steps needed to reach a personal goal. Write your recipe on an index card and post it in a visible place as a daily reminder for your brain.

Example — Recipe: Lose Weight. Ingredients: Eat more fruits and vegetables · Drink more water · Walk 30 minutes a day · Reduce sugar · Weigh in weekly.

Example — Recipe: Reduce Worry. Ingredients: Schedule worry time · Practice deep breathing · Consider the odds · Talk to a friend · Stay in the present.