If they become a subconscious habit that you do without thinking about it, they’re likely to not work. Usually when I’ve done them that way, I’ve just shrugged off the results with a thought like “Oh, that’s weird,” and not actually become lucid. (I mostly agree with what this post has to say about reality checks. I think they’re overrated. 
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BlueGecko, if I were having this problem, I would tell myself something like, “If I have the thought that if I RC, the dream will collapse, it means I’m dreaming, and I will remember to realize I’m dreaming.” It would also help to imagine that happening.
Good luck with this. 