Written by Jessica Hobbis. Reviewed by Jenny Wordsworth. (January 2026).

Doing January differently

Welcome to January from all of us at OVUM. Whatever 2025 brought you and what 2026 is set to bring, we are here to support you. 

January can be an incredibly overwhelming time with competing ‘advice’ from what seems like endless voices. Pressures to become a “new you in the New Year” increasingly surround us and make us feel that you are not doing ‘enough’ if you are not reinventing your whole personality and revamping your entire life. 

However, research has shown that highly pressured changes, focusing on using strong motivation are actually less effective or sustainable in the long term. This points us towards rethinking how we go about making desired changes in our lives. 

OVUM therefore wants to approach this New Year differently and utilise the actual science behind behaviour change. This is where ‘Start Small With OVUM’ stemmed from and is why we have dedicated the month of January to thinking about how we can make meaningful, sustainable changes to benefit our long term health but also our happiness. Routine shouldn’t feel overwhelming and like a chore, but an empowering way to do the things that make you feel your very best. Alongside a variety of support we will be sharing this month on our socials, we have launched our downloadable Habit Builder, a tool to help you try out new habits in a structured and mindful way. You don’t have to start this in January, complete a habit a day, or even complete all of the habits in there, this is simply a guide to provide actionable ways to support your health and fertility, as evidenced by the latest science. 

The science of habit building  

There’s been a fair bit of research into behaviour and the science of habit building, which is really relevant when it comes to trying to build a new habit. Traditionally the purely motivational ‘cold turkey’ approach was seen to be the best method for making changes to lifestyle, however this is not what current research points towards. 

Habits are thought to function by shifting behaviours that we have to ‘think’ about doing in our conscious mind, into the behaviours that we don’t have to ‘think’ about in our subconscious mind. This means that when motivation wavers, we are still likely to continue these habits, as we are not even thinking about doing them, they are just part of what we always do. 

So what we want to do when creating a habit, is to move it into the subconscious mind. This is not always easy and there are some tricks to doing this! One method is tying a habit with an existing routine you always do, such as while you brush your teeth or while you wait for the kettle to boil. This ‘anchoring’ of new habits onto old ones reduces the need for decision-making, making it easier for the habit to become part of your routine. Another key determinant of whether a habit will stick is whether you can do it or believe you can. Creating habits that feel achievable has been shown to be easier to maintain, as people feel a sense of control and confidence in their ability to keep the habit up. In contrast, creating habits that feel stressful are likely to keep them in our conscious mind, and therefore require sustained willpower to keep up.

Reflection: Why noticing matters 

A really interesting layer to habit building is the role of self-reflection and noting any changes in how you feel. This may feel inconsequential, but research has highlighted that it can have a tangible effect on how effective behaviour change can be. 

Studies have shown that reflection helps you actively link actions to outcomes, which not only connects this in your brain but also helps you identify any blockers or challenges you may have faced when trying to implement long-term change. Noticing these changes and how they make you feel also helps build your confidence in your ability to continue these habits, which we already know plays a role in cementing them.. 

A simple reflection exercise takes only a few minutes. Just pause and ask yourself how a specific habit made you feel, what made it easy, what felt more difficult, and whether this varied according to factors such as the time of day, environment, or your mood. Have a think about whether there is anything you could adjust to make this easier for yourself. For example, it may be that you find it difficult to remember to drink enough water before midday, but you find it easier after this. Therefore, reflection may lead you to adjust, and going forward, place a glass of water next to your bed at night when you remember, and then it is in plain sight in the morning! 

Linking habits to fertility: The 90-day window 

Behaviour change research has increasingly demonstrated that lifestyle changes are more likely to be sustainable when they are small, manageable and reinforced with self-reflective practices. This aligns with reproductive health and practice, which benefit from gradual, long-term change, rather than a short ‘fix’. 

Why is this the case? Well, eggs take 90-120 days to mature, and sperm take roughly 90 days to be created. During this time, lifestyle and environment can be crucial in determining the health of these egg and sperm cells, ultimately affecting the likelihood of conception and potential pregnancy outcomes. Eggs and sperm are sensitive to oxidative stress, hormones and inflammation, all of which lifestyle can impact. This means that everyday influences such as your diet, sleep, exercise, and stress all can have an impact on the quality of eggs and sperm cells, as while they are developing, their internal environment influences them. The takeaway from this? Habits can have a meaningful impact on your reproductive health when implemented as small, sustainable, long-term changes. The key here is consistency, and no one can be perfect. But 90 days offer 90 opportunities to positively impact your egg or sperm health!

Introducing the Habit Builder

This research and evidence behind the science of habit building, as well as how lifestyle can impact both egg and sperm health, is exactly why we felt the need to create an actionable resource to help our community.. The OVUM Habit Builder is an opportunity to get started on understanding what habits feel right for you and fit in your life, while also positively impacting your reproductive health. And as reproductive health is inextricably linked to your general health, any positive steps you make for this will also positively impact your overall health and wellbeing - so it is a win-win! 

This guide is not meant to feel overwhelming (that would defeat the whole point of it); instead, it is a practical, actionable start to setting a positive intention for supporting yourself. We really hope that you enjoy using it, and you can download it here. 

Key Takeaways 

• The science behind habit building has shown that smaller, more achievable habits that are integrated into our lives are much more sustainable than habits which seem to require a great amount of motivation.

• Long-term lifestyle changes are also highly appropriate for supporting egg and sperm health, particularly during the roughly 90-day window when they develop. 

• Based on what we know about behavioural change and the impact of lifestyle on reproductive health, OVUM has launched our Habit Builder in order to help you make actionable steps to support yourself via your health, wellness and mindset.