Looking back on decisions to make positive change in our life can sometimes be demoralising. The older we get, the harder it can be to form new habits. But, according to some experts, one small hack might make all the difference. It’s called habit stacking.
The idea is to make new behaviours stick by associating them strongly with something we already do as part of our routine, preferably something small, almost automatic, or that we enjoy. Now recommended by behavioural psychologists, it’s an approach to change first minted by S.J. Scott, a best-selling American author and psychologist, in his 2014 book Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less.
Get more done in less time and make the habit stick
Scott argues that habit-stacking saves time and reduces the cognitive load that comes with having too much to think about already, let alone adding the worry of trying to do something positive and new. Effectively you are “leveraging” the things you do already. “Linking habits together is a way of getting more done in less time, resulting in a positive change in your life. As you perform the stacked actions every day, they become part of your daily routine,” he says.
For example, if you want to drink more water each day, reducing potential dehydration, fatigue and headaches, you could start by drinking a glass of water after you’ve cleaned your teeth; after all, brushing teeth is something that most people build into their routine without an issue. Drinking a glass of water when you’ve finished cleaning your teeth would take little extra time and help you achieve your goal, setting you up for the rest of the day.
If you are an aspiring artist or writer, you could put down your phone during your morning coffee or daily commute and do five minutes’ journalling or sketching instead. If a tidier inbox or better family communication is your goal, why not sip your coffee and unsubscribe from a retail newsletter or send a nice message to a loved one instead. And so on.
How long before a resolution becomes a habit?
A 2012 study indicates it takes about 10 weeks for a new activity to become a habit, while another published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said it can take months. Though there may not be much scientific agreement then on how long it takes a new habit to become embedded, a number of licensed psychologists and doctors now endorse the habit stacking method.
The fitness community, Peloton, has blogged about it too, citing Janice Castro, PhD, who specialises in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): “We’re starting with something that is already a ritual, that doesn’t take a lot of conscious effort, and we’re trying to add something to it,” she says.
Just, maybe, don’t stack an evening martini onto your favourite TV show.
