Habit-stacking, a technique that’s gotten a lot of attention in recent years, can create a structured and effective routine when motivation alone isn’t enough.
Many people have ambitious goals to improve their health: work out, meditate, eat healthier, get to bed earlier. But so often, those good intentions to improve your well-being can fall short fail to materialize — despite your best efforts.
“When people aren’t achieving their wellness or health goals, it’s not because they lack commitment or they’re not disciplined. It’s because they’re relying too heavily on motivation alone to create new habits, and not enough on a structured, realistic implementation plan. “That’s where this idea of habit-stacking is so interesting.”
Habit-stacking means linking a new habit you’re trying to form to an existing habit, or “stacking” the new habit on top of the old one. “You take a habit that’s already ingrained in daily life, like brushing your teeth or making coffee — something that’s very routine — and then you use that as a trigger for a new, very small action,” For example: After I get out of my morning shower, I will do a 10-minute guided meditation.
One key component of habit-stacking is the specificity of the action itself. You want to break down a large, abstract goal (such as “get in shape” or “exercise”) into something concrete, tangible and achievable (like “do 20 push-ups” or “jog around the block”). Another is the specificity of when and where you are going to do the action. So instead of just planning on exercising “in the morning,” for example, you choose the exact moment in your day, like “after I finish one cup of coffee.”
Habit-stacking sounds deceptively simple, but it can be surprisingly impactful. “It’s a very practical way to turn an intention into something people can actually do.” For all of the widespread use of habit-stacking, there’s scarce research on it.
That said, “it’s very intuitive that it would work. It matches our theory of habit and what should work, based on past research”. One of the hardest parts of forming a new habit is remembering to do it, so having a reminder — which scientists call a cue or anchor — can come in handy. If you’re trying to start a habit of taking a new medication, for instance, your cue could be an alarm on your phone or keeping your pill bottle on the counter. With habit-stacking, you’re using an existing habit as the cue for the new habit.
Research tells us that the most important ingredient in creating a new habit is consistent repetition. “If you’re doing something over and over again, eventually, it starts to feel second nature”. The brain tends to automate behaviors we repeat often, creating a neural pathway for that action so it becomes habitual. This is why you reflexively wash your hands after using the bathroom, for instance.
A common mistake people make is trying to make sweeping and drastic changes instead of focusing on baby steps. Incremental changes in action can become habitual more quickly, build a sense of self-efficacy and ultimately be more sustainable. By making a new habit bite-sized and attainable (like “drink a glass of water after I wake up” instead of “hydrate more”), you’re setting yourself up for success. “You want to build up your confidence.” Here’s a step-by-step approach to adopting a new habit:
1. Choose a small, realistic new habit - Identify the new behavior you want to incorporate into your day. Be clear and specific, and start small with something modest. Think: One minute of deep breathing, 20 squats, or writing down three things you’re grateful for. Not “go to the gym for an hour” or “practice gratitude.” The clearer and more attainable the habit is, the more likely you are to follow through and stick with it.
2. Identify the anchor habit - Next, figure out where to plug that new habit in during your day. “Make a list of current habits. What do you do every day without fail, without even thinking about it?”
3. Create a formula - Now, put the two together: After [the anchor habit], I will do [the new habit]. For example: After I turn off my alarm in the morning, I will turn on a five-minute guided meditation. After I set the coffee maker to brew, I will drink a full glass of water. After I brush my teeth at night, I will put my phone on airplane mode.
As for how long it takes to cement a new habit in place? It varies. Despite the commonly repeated idea that it takes 28 days for a new habit to stick, “absolutely no universal law exists on how long it takes us to form habits.” Keep in mind that it’s best to focus on one new habit at a time to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Once it feels “boring and automatic,” you can stack another small new habit on top.