Life Coaching Tip: Habit stacking is a simple, yet impactful technique where you use an established habit as a cue to remind you to perform a new one. It’s brilliant because it helps the new habit flow easily and naturally since it’s linked to something you’re already doing!
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How’s it going with The Strategy of Convenience/Inconvenience that I shared last week? Have you come up with a plan to make your new habits more accessible and effortless? If so, I’d love to hear how it’s working for you—please send me a message and share your experience!
This week, I’m excited to dive into another one of my absolute favorite habit-building strategies: The Strategy of Habit Stacking.
If you haven’t heard of it before, habit stacking is a powerful technique where you take an existing habit you already do regularly and “stack” a new habit onto it. Essentially, you use your established habit as a cue or trigger to remind you to perform the new one. The beauty of this method is that it makes the new habit feel natural and seamless, because it’s linked to something you’re already doing.
Here’s an example: since brushing your teeth is already part of your daily routine, you could stack a new habit, like doing five minutes of stretching, right after you brush your teeth. The act of brushing your teeth becomes the reminder to do your new stretching routine.
Key Tips for Habit Stacking:
- Start small: Choose a simple, specific new habit that fits easily into your routine.
- Keep it manageable: Make sure the new habit is small enough to feel achievable.
- Be consistent: The more you stack, the more these new behaviors become second nature.
The magic of Habit Stacking lies in its simplicity. By attaching a new habit to something you already do, you make the process of integrating new habits feel effortless. It’s like creating little pockets of time in your day to grow and evolve!
Here are some easy and effective examples of habit stacking:
Morning Routine:
- Existing habit: Drinking your morning coffee.
- New habit: While sipping your coffee, write one page in your gratitude journal.
After Lunch:
- Existing habit: Eating lunch.
- New habit: After eating, take a 10-minute walk to help digestion and clear your mind.
Before Bed:
- Existing habit: Getting into your pajamas and preparing for bed.
- New habit: Before you turn off the lights, write down your 3 wins of the day.
After Washing Your Hands:
- Existing habit: Washing your hands.
- New habit: Once done, take a moment to stretch your arms or back for some tension release.
Getting in the Car:
- Existing habit: Starting your car.
- New habit: While waiting for your car to warm up, recite a few affirmations.
After Checking Your Email:
- Existing habit: Checking email in the morning.
- New habit: After checking, spend five minutes planning your top 3 priorities for the day.
While Waiting for the Microwave:
- Existing habit: Waiting for food to heat up.
- New habit: Use that time to drink a glass of water—8 oz to be exact!
Remember: The goal is to make the new habit feel as effortless and natural as possible. By linking it with something you already do, you’ll create a built-in reminder that will help you stick with it.
Habits are powerful because they reduce the mental effort required to make decisions, giving you more energy for the important stuff—like following the true callings of your heart!
Next week, I’ll be back with another one of my favorite habit strategies, The Strategy of Pairing—so stay tuned!
Let’s get stacking and building the lifestyle of your dreams!
xo Tracy