You know a sedentary lifestyle is unhealthy and want to change that, but where’s the time? You’ve heard at least one colleague rave about the benefits of meditation. But you think, well, where’s the time? And of course, in my blog, I speak about the 7 Morning Habits of Super Successful People, which include meditation, exercise, journaling, and so on. But your brain compulsively plays the same song, like a stuck record, “where’s the time?” Gratitude, meditation, waking up early, etc., are the things that will make you happy and contribute to personal growth. Think of the fit body, the calm mind, and better decision-making abilities that come with these habits. But if you feel incorporating new practices is a gigantic task, and you are too busy to be happy, try habit stacking!
Related Read: Is your Happiness in the Waiting Room? (Don’t wait for things/people to be happy)
What are Habits?
Habits are defined as the things we do repeatedly, regularly, automatically, unconsciously. This can include both good and bad habits. As soon as you wake up, brushing your teeth and reading the morning paper with your coffee/tea could be your morning habits. Biting your nails or smoking when anxious could be your bad habits.
The good part is that habits are learned or acquired behaviors that become automatic over time. So, whether you want to plug in new and healthy habits or unplug and get rid of some bad ones, you can piggyback on your existing habits.
What is Habit Stacking?
Habits are akin to muscles; the more you use them, the stronger they become. And habit stacking is a method of creating new daily patterns by stacking a habit on top of an existing one. Many people use this method to form new, healthier habits. For example, someone who wants to start drinking more water could stack this habit with the practice of brushing their teeth in the morning.
Someone who wants to adopt a healthy lifestyle can start by carrying homemade food instead of binging in the cafeterias and ordering fast food. Habit by habit link and combine good habits to create powerful routines.
In order to successfully build new habits and make them sustainable, it’s essential to understand what each habit does for us. Tune into your motivation and understand ‘Why’ you want to add in a new habit. For, if the reason is weak, you most likely will not be consistent. But beware of stacking multiple new practices, for then, you are sure to derail. Stack one habit at a time.
Business leader or entrepreneur, your habits build your personal brand. Life happens; unscheduled, unplanned events can throw your routines off the track. Persist, start over and rebuild.
The science behind habit stacking:
The issue with habits is that we either forget or procrastinate. Through habit stacking, the old habit serves as a trigger for the new one, thereby removing obstacles and making the new habit easy to install.
Research proves we can indeed rewire our brains to unlearn bad habits and add in good habits (self-directed neuroplasticity). Experience-dependent neuroplasticity is passive (our existing practices formed over the years). Self-directed neuroplasticity is an active and mindful process (consciously add feel-good habits or delete the ones we know are obstacles to our goals).
How to Habit Stack Effectively?
1) New habits: List out the new practices you want to build or some old ones you wish to delete (Start flossing teeth).
2) Existing habit: List out existing practices as a base to stack the new ones (Brushing teeth).
3) Start small: Link or connect the two and get started. Remember to add or swap one habit at a time (Right after brushing teeth, floss).
4) Strengthen your habit stacking loop: Consistency is the key to locking in the new habit.
5) Take it next level: Create habit loops by stacking several habits into a habit chain, such that they become an effortless routine.
So for all the logical thinkers out there, habit stacking is science-backed and proven to train/re-train your brain.
Leverage the power of Habit Stacking for Creating Sustainable Routines in Life
Simply allowing a new habit to piggyback on the existing ones can create powerful, sustainable routines in life. You can use this technique in your personal and professional lives. Create and sustain new habits easily by breaking them into smaller chunks until they become second nature.
If you prefer to have a structure, process, and framework for everything, you now have one to add habits that make you happy. And happiness creates a ripple effect that encompasses all facets of your life, leading to overall wellbeing.
The next time you want to revamp your routine, put aside the anxiety of sticking to a plan and embrace habit stacking. Simplify your life and build practices that will set you up for a healthy lifestyle and success at work.