What is habit stacking?
How it works
Habit stacking is a great way to use the power of your old habits to create new ones.
You might have heard of habit stacking. Or you may think you’ve heard of it because it…sounds kind of jargon-y and familiar?
Habit stacking is when you link a new habit with an old habit that you already do.
By linking a new habit with an old one, you’re “stacking” the new habit on top of your brain’s programming for the old habit. This reinforces the new habit with your brain’s pre-existing programming.
Why it works
When you start with a habit that you already do regularly, you’ve got a built-in trigger to create the new habit.
Create an association between the two and soon you’ll start adopting the new habit as well.
And it’s all built on an old habit that you already had!
What old habits?
It doesn’t matter. Everyone has habits that they do regularly.
It just has to be a behavior you do regularly and automatically.
When you wake up, you reach for the phone.
You take the dog for a walk.
You make coffee.
You get in the car and plug in your phone.
You get to your office and turn on your computer.
You get home and check the mail.
You take your shoes off when you walk in the door.
You get the picture.
The point is that a habit doesn’t have to be a major behavior. It’s just something that you always do in a specific situation.
When you do something habitually, your brain has already formed this habit on a deep neurological level.
By habit stacking, you’re taking advantage of the deep programming that already exists in order to create a new habit.
For example
You might not think turning the coffee pot on when you wake up is a big deal.
You’re just flipping a switch. You want the coffee anyway. It’s not that hard to make yourself do it.
Exactly.
You make the coffee without any thought because it’s automatic. Your brain runs that behavior on autopilot. You don’t have to think about it. At all.
Maybe sometimes you do pay attention to making the coffee. But if it’s like most automatic habits, chances are you’re thinking about last night, or your plans for the day, or holding an imaginary conversation in your head.
Because it’s automatic. It’s a habit.
A habit is a behavior your brain automatically runs with a particular trigger.
If this trigger happens, then the brain runs a response behavior.
If --> then
When you wake up --> you reach for your phone.
After you get out of bed --> you turn on the coffee pot.
Every habit that you have, from the complex to the mundane, represents the brain’s programming.
Take advantage of the programming that’s already in place to create new habits. Stack a new desired habit on an old habit.
You want to develop organizational habits…
When you reach for your phone, open up a note and plan the most important tasks for your day.
Change the reflexive part of the habit (social media, aimless browsing) into something intentional and productive.
You want to meditate or begin the day with visualization or gratitude…
When you’re making the coffee, use that time to do a brief meditation and visualize the goals that you have for the day.
How to stack habits
Take advantage of the if --> then nature of habits by adding a new desired habit to an old habit that already exists.
If --> then BECOMES:
When your brain runs the old habit --> follow immediately with the new habit.
Behaviors tend to be connected. It’s how our brains work. Take advantage of this and stack together lots of small habits to create a chain of positive habits.
3 things to consider
There are three things to consider when habit stacking:
1 - look for new habits that fit the old habits
2 - break the new habit into small steps that are easy to do
3 - Be as specific as possible
Look for new habits to fit the old habits
With habit stacking it's important to stack habits that go together. This just makes sense, but it’s worth saying.
If you want to start working out more and practicing meditation, then you may not be able to fit these habits on top of any established habit.
You don’t want to build up the habit of changing into your workout clothes when you get to work…or meditating when you’re in the car.
Find new habits that fit the old habit so that the one can flow into the other. Perhaps you can change directly into your workout clothes after waking up or practice meditation while waiting for the coffee to brew.
The easier one habit flows into the other, the more you’ll take advantage of the brain’s programming in creating the new habit.
Break the new habit into easy steps
Working out is tough. And it’s hard to create a habit of exercise.
Start small. One pushup after you wake up. If you feel like more, that’s great. But don’t build up from there until you’ve made it a habit to do one pushup (then five, then ten, etc.).
You can start with different increments, but pick one that is small enough for you that it's easy for you to do as a habit.
Another example could be you feel like your musical taste is stale and you want to listen to different music during the ride to work.
You want to get into classical or hip-hop. Whatever. You want to change it up.
If your drive is 45 minutes long, it can be hard to force yourself to listen to classical music the whole way. Especially when you’re not used to it. Plus it’s hard to give up “me” time.
But you still want to start a new habit.
So start small. Listen to classical music for the first five minutes of your commute. Then switch to what you normally like, until those five minutes become a habit and you can increase it.
Be specific
Your brain needs specific cues to program new behavior. When in doubt, be as visual as possible.
Don’t just say, “When I get home, then I will work out.”
At first glance, this sounds specific. But the process for “getting home” can mean a million different things. And “working out” is too vague.
Be more specific by imagining exactly what that looks like.
When I walk in the door and take off my shoes, I’ll change into my workout clothes and start with 10 pushups.”
Good: "while the coffee is brewing, I will meditate for one minute and plan my day.”
Better: “after I turn on the coffee pot, I will sit by the window and meditate for one minute. Then I will write down the 3 most important things to achieve for the day."
None of these things may fit what you want, but the key is to be specific.
When habit stacking, pick new habits that will go with old habits, break the new habit down into small pieces, and be as specific as possible.
Habit stacking is just one way to create positive, lasting habits in your life.
The best way is through a personal, individualized program that I put together specifically for you, based on my extensive experience as a habit modification expert. When you’re ready for an explosive change in your life, I will create a strategy for improving your habits in every area of your life. Professional. Financial. Personal.
Work with Anthony and hit the rocket fuel 🚀button on your success!
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