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Train your brain by taking advantage of everyday habits that go unnoticed

Habit stacking might be the easiest trick to start a healthier routine

Train your brain by taking advantage of everyday habits that go unnoticed

In an ideal world, we would rise and shine early in the morning to leave room for a meditation or fitness routine, consume a wholesome breakfast, proceed to work and wind the day up on time to develop an uninterrupted sleep cycle—all of this without forgetting to consume the holy grail of eight glasses of water, of course. However, when you are running late in the real world and your Uber driver has cancelled on you for the eighth time, you might find yourself feeling decidedly less charitable towards such healthy habits. Habit stacking, then, might be the simple trick—prescribed by behavioural experts—for developing a new habit and actually sticking to it. 

What is habit stacking?

The principle logic behind habit stacking lies in building newer behavioural patterns by leveraging existing ones. Keep forgetting to apply SPF before heading out in the morning? Instead of trying to develop this new habit from scratch or trying to set a reminder for it, simply stack this on top of a mini habit, such as by deciding to apply sunscreen immediately after picking up your keys. 

The phrase 'habit stacking' has its origins in author S J Scott’s book, Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less

The phrase 'habit stacking' has its origins in author S J Scott’s book, Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less

Note down 10 habits that you currently practise and then hark back to the nagging items on your to-do list that you have really been meaning to do. Image: Unsplash

Note down 10 habits that you currently practise and then hark back to the nagging items on your to-do list that you have really been meaning to do. Image: Unsplash

Riea Enok, psychotherapist at The Mood Space, shares, “Habit stacking is based on the idea that we learn by association and grouping information and experiences together. This can help us learn new habits by linking a habit we intend on forming to an already existing habit. Our brains have networks of neurons that support our daily habits and behaviours. The more we do something, the stronger the connection between these neurons becomes. Similarly, if we don’t practise something regularly, the connections for this behaviour become weak or disappear entirely.”

The simple formula to master habit stacking

The phrase 'habit stacking' has its origins in author S J Scott’s book, Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less, which propounds that “small wins build momentum because they're easy to remember and complete." It has since earned the approval of several behavioural scientists and experts, including James Clear, author of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, who prescribes an easy formula:

After I [insert existing habit], I will [insert new habit]. 

“HABIT STACKING IS BASED ON THE IDEA THAT WE LEARN BY ASSOCIATION AND GROUPING INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCES TOGETHER. THIS CAN HELP US LEARN NEW HABITS BY LINKING A HABIT WE INTEND ON FORMING TO AN ALREADY EXISTING HABIT”

Riea Enok

When stacked upon an already existing habit, this formula can be used in endless ways to train yourself into developing a healthier lifestyle. To try it out for size, simply note down 10 habits that you currently practise and then hark back to the nagging items on your to-do list that you have really been meaning to do. When placed within the framework of this formula, the goal becomes easy: After I check my emails in the morning, I will have a glass of water. After I brush my teeth at night, I will apply my night serum. 

“If you want to see tangible results, ensure that you are developing specific and short-term rather than vague goals, rewarding yourself for making progress with your habits, planning in advance for obstacles and focusing on one habit at a time rather than overloading yourself with a string of behavioural changes,” says Riea Enok Image: Unsplash

“If you want to see tangible results, ensure that you are developing specific and short-term rather than vague goals, rewarding yourself for making progress with your habits, planning in advance for obstacles and focusing on one habit at a time rather than overloading yourself with a string of behavioural changes,” says Riea Enok Image: Unsplash

According to Enok, stacking new habits upon existing behavioural patterns can serve as a win-win because, “Our minds are wired to put in the least amount of cognitive effort possible. We prefer to conserve our limited cognitive capacity and thus, follow old routines and habits rather than putting in the effort of exploring and trying new options.” To ensure that the new habit persists, she advises employing some broader criteria. “If you want to see tangible results, ensure that you are developing specific and short-term rather than vague goals, rewarding yourself for making progress with your habits, planning in advance for obstacles and focusing on one habit at a time rather than overloading yourself with a string of behavioural changes,” she signs off. 

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