Habit Stacking

I wrote an Insta post about how creating a Frictionless Environment for a new habit coupled with Habit Stacking is the killing combo to add small steps in creating a healthier lifestyle. A lot of people messaged me back wanting to know more about this, so here I am.

Removing Friction

First and foremost, full disclosure, I HATE friction in daily life. Long queues, getting 3 verification codes to access a website, cutting vegetables when I am hungry, looking for my workout clothes as I prepare to go for a walk in the midst of a cold day…they all give you excuses and time to:

-think why you are doing this?

-become lazy!

-convince yourself that it is ok if you do not follow through

Removing those extra steps to get going will make all the difference. I gave the example of how I now hang the weighted vest I use for my walks next to the dog leash. I don’t have to think about where the vest is, why I want to wear it, what would happen if I don’t wear it, etc. I just put the collar to the dog to go for a walk, and vest goes on. I designed the environment so that it is easier to do it than not to.

I have gone through all the habits that I consider important for my Wellness routine (you can use this for any routine!) and I tried to reduce the friction to execute them. Some examples: my sleeping mask is always hanging in my nightstand, the acupuncture mat is stowed nicely behind my bed, I fill my kettle with water the night before so I wake up and turn it on to start with my water, ACV, lemon concoctions, my supplements (and the kids!) are next to the kettle, I always pick out workout clothes to wear first think in the morning the night before, etc. there are so many more…

How can you make a new habit you want to incorporate a no-brainer?

Habit Stacking

In addition to the friction shenanigans, when I want to add more healthy habits (who isn’t?!) I know that it is easier if do not have to go out of my way to do it, and instead I pair it with a habit I have been doing for a while. I use the existing habit as a cue to launch the next, for example:

-After I brush my teeth in the morning, I will do 20 plié squats

-After I wake up, I will do my 10 minutes breath-work routine

-After dinner is done, I will do the dishes and vacuum

These are behaviors that have been strengthened over time, so by coupling my new habit to a cycle that is already built into my brain, it is more likely that I’ll stick to the new behavior.

So, here is the challenge:

-What is a new habit you want to incorporate to your life?

-How can you make it a no-brainer? (hang the vest next to the leash, I need to go over the vest to get to the leash)

-How can you stack it to an existing habit? (wear the vest when I walk the dog…we have been walking everyday for years!)

Try it and you will see how with a deliberate strategy healthier habits become easier to incorporate. Always remember…slowly and constant is better than fast and short lived!