a guide to habit stacking
what is habit stacking?
habit stacking is an important life hack to help you form new habits more efficiently. to put it simply, you are taking an already existing habit and adding (or stacking) another behavior on top, pairing it with a current habit. habit stacking comes with a very simple formula: after/before [current habit], i will [new habit]. eventually you can turn a habit stack into a long chain of behaviors that come almost naturally to you and require little to no effort. this can also be a basic structure for creating routines in your daily life.
habit stacking examples
after i make my coffee in the morning, i will meditate for a few minutes
after i change out of my work clothes, i will immediately change into my workout clothes
after i sit down to dinner, i will say one thing i’m grateful for that day
my morning routine habit stack
after i get out of bed to turn off my alarm, i immediately brush my teeth
after i brush my teeth, i make coffee
after i make coffee, i plan out my day and write a to do list
my night routine habit stack
after i make tea, i read for about 30 minutes
after i read, i take a shower
after i take a shower, i do my skincare
time and location
this strategy will only be successful if the time and location of your habit are suitable for that habit to happen. don’t ask yourself to do something every day at a time when you’re likely to be occupied by something else. you should also consider if the current habit you are stacking your new habit on is aligned with the new habit you are trying to create. they should have the same frequency and allow a natural flow to the next behavior.
finding the right trigger
to find the right trigger for your new habit stack, brainstorm what habits already exist in your life. create a list of the habits you do each day without fail (for example: brush your teeth, make a cup of coffee). then, create another list of things that happen to you each day without fail (for example: the sun rises, you get a text message). the key here is to look for specificity. provide yourself with specific instruction on when, where, and how to do this new habit.
sources:
jamesclear.com









