The Peak–End Rule as a practical principle for behavior change. The peak–end rule explains how an overall impression is formed: it is determined by the most intense moment (the peak) and by how the experience ends.
Why? Our brains do not have the capacity to remember everything. From an evolutionary perspective, it made sense to retain only those memories that most strongly supported survival. Remembering the most painful and the most pleasurable moments helped us avoid danger or seek out beneficial experiences in the future.
How the rule works.The most important moment in lifestyle change is not when you are training in the gym, but when you decide whether or not you will do your next workout. In that moment, you subconsciously weigh many factors: how important your goals are, how well they align with your identity and values, how pleasant or unpleasant your previous experience was, and how pleasant or unpleasant you expect the next one to be.
If your memories of a previous workout, fasting period, romantic meeting, or any other experience are positive, you are likely to have a positive anticipated affect (how you feel before the next experience) and a positive remembered affect (how you recall the last one).
Activities that include enjoyable peaks and satisfying endings improve remembered affect. This increases enthusiasm for the next session and raises the frequency of engagement. In this way, positive memories create a self-reinforcing feedback loop that strengthens adherence to healthy behaviors.
The peak–end rule in practice.This rule has a practical behavior-design principle. Always include a clear positive peak within an activity and avoid negative peaks. Always finish on a strong note. It is better to extend a workout by adding a pleasant cool-down or an enjoyable exercise than to stop it abruptly. A positive ending should build toward comfort rather than decline into exhaustion.
End on a high note. The end of an experience often carries more weight than other moments, aside from the emotional peak. Small changes at the end can significantly enhance overall perception. Ending on a high note ensures a positive lasting memory.
Training and exercise.Finish workouts with a smooth, pleasant cool-down (or with an energetic finish if that suits you). End with a favorite exercise, a favorite song, a successful repetition, or a technically satisfying movement. Finish a run in a beautiful place. Never end a workout at maximum suffering—end it with control. The final minutes matter most.
A workout that ends with comfortable cool-down or moderate cardio is perceived as a more positive experience and increases the likelihood of returning. Avoid sharp peaks of discomfort and weak, unpleasant endings. Researchers have found that ending exercise at a lower intensity makes people feel more positive about the experience and more likely to look forward to future sessions.
Nutrition.Flag every peak. Even a brief surge of joy can define the entire eating experience. Notice a peak—no matter how small—and consciously tag it when it happens so it does not go unnoticed. Identify the most delicious bite or the most aesthetically pleasing moment.
The peak in nutrition is a pleasurable sensory element such as taste, texture, aroma, or a favorite sauce within the plan. The end is satiety without overeating, lightness, and the absence of guilt. Even a healthy meal should include a pleasure peak and a calm finish.
The power of dessert is significant: final sensations, especially aftertaste, strongly influence memory of the meal and future food preferences. This is a clear manifestation of the peak–end effect in nutrition, where a strong final taste has a disproportionate impact. Leave the most enjoyable part for last. A healthy dessert can include fruit, berries, nuts, or chocolate. Up to 50% of the remembered experience of a meal may be attributed to the dessert or the final dish.
Stress and pain.In stress and discomfort, the peak is a moment of mastery or clarity—problem solved, insight gained, task completed. The end should involve deliberate down-regulation: breathing, closure, and a physical signal that the effort is finished. Stress episodes that remain unclosed are encoded as more negative and contribute to chronic stress. Even when total pain is the same, episodes with a less painful ending are evaluated as less unpleasant.
This principle is widely used in everyday life: after donating blood you are offered chocolate, after a restaurant meal you may receive a complimentary limoncello, a skilled salesperson adds a small gift at the end of a purchase, and people are willing to stand in line for 30 minutes for a 30-second thrill—because the peak and the ending dominate memory.
The Peak and End Rule, Affect-Related Cognitions, Enjoyment, and Exercise Frequency: A Randomized Controlled Trial Ancillary Study. Psychology of Sport and Exercise 2025 When More Pain Is Preferred to Less: Adding a Better End. Psychological Science. 1993 pp. 401-405Can You Have Your Vigorous Exercise and Enjoy It Too? Ramping Intensity Down Increases Postexercise, Remembered, and Forecasted Pleasure2016 Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology 38(2):149-159