Embracing Behavioral Change – The Subtle Art of Nudging Towards Healthier Habits in 2024

My Fellow (and Future) Nobodies and Health Warriors,

 

As we enter the new year, it’s not just a time for setting goals; It’s also for embracing innovative approaches to achieve them. Globally, about one in three people set goals at the start of 2024, each with the best intentions of accomplishing them. Around 48% of all New Year’s resolutions involve greater levels of physical activity and exercise, which makes sense in the grand scheme of things. A Swiss study found that nearly 70% of New Year’s goals involve positive health-related changes in some way, shape, or form. 

And yet, only about 8%–9% of those who set New Year’s resolutions achieve them. Why is that? 

This month, we will delve into a fascinating area that seamlessly blends two of our favorite research topics within the studio right now: Behavioral Psychology and the future of Health & Wellness.

 

The Power of Nudges in Health and Wellness

The concept of nudges is rooted in the idea that small, strategic changes in our perceptions and environment can significantly influence our actions. Simple changes in a page’s wording, text, or messaging location can profoundly affect the behaviors taken afterwards. And even though we all think we’re immune to such petty changes, time and time again, the results show otherwise.  

Nudges are deeply rooted in behavioral neuroscience, from the brilliant minds of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky to the clever work done by BJ Fogg at Stanford University. They’ve also become popularized by books such as Atomic Habits by James Clear and are now in the spotlight as a potential path of changing any unwanted behavior for the better. 

These behavior-based nudges are everywhere – from the fitness tracker that gently reminds us to move more to the health app that suggests healthier food alternatives at different times throughout the day. They’re present in mainstream marketing and advertisements shared on social media platforms. It’s ubiquitous in today’s society. 

Nudges can even impact the behaviors of others via the stories we use and the context of information we share with our colleagues. And when used properly, they can represent a powerful tool in our journey towards better health and general wellness. 

For instance, research has shown that simply reorganizing a cafeteria layout can lead to healthier eating choices without the need for strict diets or changes in willpower. 

This is behavioral psychology at its most practical and impactful impasse. And it’s just the start! 

 

Nobody Studios is Nudging Our Way Towards Success

Inside the Nobody Studios Idea Lab, we’re currently working on real-world experiments to explore our understanding of how subtle nudges and insights utilizing behavioral psychology can lead to significant shifts in our health behaviors. 

We’re trying to leverage the science behind habit formation and change to guide users toward healthier lifestyles in a way that feels natural and effortless. While core to our DNA, it’s genuinely rooted in our efforts to help people help themselves and take true ownership of their health. 

We also see it as an opportunity to support people during tumultuous periods when their health feels out of control. 

Most importantly, we’re focusing on creating future companies and Newcos that can positively impact the global state of healthcare with the strategic use of beneficial nudges and AI. 

 

The Path Ahead is Prevention

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” – Benjamin Franklin.

We’ve always known that prevention is the key to healthy aging and maximizing quality of life. And yet, it’s always easier said than done. COVID-19 ushered in a new era of medicine, as we’ve seen a massive shift in how consumers spend money on their health and overall wellness. 

The latest estimates by the Global Wellness Institute suggest that the wellness industry will have a CAGR of 8.6% over the next five years. And while there is a lot of excitement about the financial opportunities that lie ahead, we won’t get there unless we have a relentless focus on our customers and patients who will be using our products.

 

 

Nudging You To a Proper Night’s Rest

As I’ve mentioned in previous newsletters, we’re about to begin a pilot study with Sleep Glide, a portfolio company at Nobody Studios. 

Sleep Glide is the first proprietary predictive software capable of accurately guiding the user to time their sleep onset for optimal sleep quality. And, of course, we will be testing behavioral nudges to determine their efficacy and ability to help people change their long-term sleep habits. 

It’s based on the research of Dr. Gina Poe, Ph.D., a sleep neuroscientist at UCLA who has spent the last 20+ years researching sleep and dreams (Check out her previous interview on the popular Andrew Huberman Podcast). 

Combined with her brilliance and our innovative Frugressive company creation process at Nobody Studios, our predictive algorithm can use real-time feedback metrics to give users individualized insights into their health. As we learn more about each individual’s behaviors, we plan to utilize AI to generate insights and behavioral nudges to help them maximize their overall sleep quality and quantity.

We imagine a sleep app that tracks your sleep patterns and specifically suggests minor bedtime routine adjustments for better sleep quality. What if that wearable device could track your daily activity and motivate you with personalized goals and rewards to change other behaviors throughout the day to maximize your sleep? 

 

 

Health Tech + Behavioral Changes = The Future of Health & Wellness

As you can see, we’re excited about integrating these psychological principles into our health tech innovations. Our wearable tech and software development teams are working tirelessly to create devices and apps that track health metrics and provide personalized nudges toward healthier habits. 

Our relentless focus on personalization and prioritizing the individual is at the center of why we’re building in this space, which is why we’re excited to be combining research-based information with real-world behavioral changes and applications. 

We imagine a world where your personalized AI knows you better than you do and will help you develop the habits and behaviors you want, not just those you’ve been left with. 

Since we’re heavily investing in creating experiments and products that can help facilitate this process, we’re eager to highlight some of the main concepts we’re exploring in this space as we move forward. Stay tuned! 

Through innovative design, strategy, and user engagement, we’re optimistic that our Newcos will be light years ahead of the rest of the industry. 

 

 

The Future of Health & Wellness is Behavioral

Looking ahead, integrating behavioral psychology in health tech represents a significant leap forward. It’s not just about living longer but living better – with health habits that are beneficial, sustainable, and enjoyable.

Join us in this exciting journey of discovery and transformation. Together, we can redefine what it means to live a healthy life, one nudge at a time.

Health is not just about the choices we make; it’s about the environments we create to make those choices easier, more intuitive, and more impactful.

 

Health is Wealth!

 

P.S. We are eager to hear your thoughts on the future of aging and longevity. Please share your ideas, and let’s innovate together!

P.P.S. Follow us on LinkedIn and our website for the latest studio updates. Your next health breakthrough might be a click away!

 

Health is Personal. Health is Wealth. Health is YOU.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Erik Reis

Co-Founder, Director of Health & Wellness, Nobody Studios

As a clinician, entrepreneur, and international speaker, he’s spent the last decade working with complex neuro-orthopedic and metabolic disorders, focusing on ways to scale individualized healthcare to maximize medical outcomes. He believes the best companies have yet to be created in the health and wellness space and is focused on bringing patient-centered start-ups to the forefront of medicine at Nobody Studios.