Habit Stacking

Contributed by Dani Barbosa
Health & Fitness Professional

Did you set any health and fitness goals this year? Most of us did, but life gets crazy and our once hopeful goals get put on the back burner for another year.

Often times, when we set our goals, we tend to keep that sexy finished product in mind rather than the hard work it takes to get there. I want to lose weight. I want to meditate. I want to eat better. These goals all sound great and are set with the best intention, but we tend to overlook the process we actually need to develop to reach our well-intended goal. Habit stacking is a simple method you can use to refine your process to help you reach your goal. You can practice habit stacking by pairing a habit you would like to build with a habit that you are already well settled into.

Habit stacking = After I (Current habit), I will (New habit).

Here’s a few examples:

Exercise

Current Habit: After work, I change from work clothes into my house clothes and watch tv.

New Habit: After work, I will change out of my work clothes into my workout clothes and go for a walk.

Meditation

Current Habit: I scroll through social media while I brew coffee every morning.

New Habit: I will meditate for 60 seconds as I wait for my coffee to brew every morning.

Nutrition

Current Habit: I go out to eat on Fridays with my friends and always overeat.

New Habit: When I go out to eat on Fridays, I will ask for half my plate to be put in a to go box before I am served.

Use this strategy to help build habits that are in line with your goals. This can be used for anything, not just health and fitness. The strategy is simple, but change is hard, so pick a habit that can be done easily and is convenient to your current habits. Pick one habit to build at a time and go from there. Focus on the refining your process and the results will follow. Stay happy! Stay healthy!