When you pursue better health goals, it can sometimes feel as though everything has to be done right this instant. Incorporate a new eating plan, run three miles daily, and avoid caffeine and sugar—all at once! However, research indicates that you’ll enjoy more long-term success by gradually stacking habits into existing routines. This evidence-based behavioral change strategy makes it easier to commit to the goals you want.
Understanding How We Create a Habit
First, let’s examine how people establish habits. Science confirms what you already know: habit formation isn’t easy. Oh sure, you want to do all of the above, but some studies suggest that “available findings lead us to the view that habits are multifaceted, not simple stimulus-response behaviors, and that abnormal habits are possibly multifaceted as well.”
Maybe you’ve heard that it takes 21 days to form a habit. James Clear, bestselling author of Atomic Habits, shares research that refutes that. Citing work from Phillippa Lally, a health psychology researcher at University College London, Clear argues that it actually takes “more than two months before a new behavior becomes automatic—66 days to be exact, on average. How long it takes a new habit to form can vary widely depending on the behavior, the person, and the circumstances. In Lally’s study, it took anywhere from 18 days to 254 days for people to form a new habit.”
It’s easy to feel both relieved and frustrated by this news, but keep in mind there are many variables. Scientific American notes that the type of habit makes a difference in how quickly you stick with it. For example, a study examined how long people embraced regular handwashing (in just a couple of weeks) compared to consistent exercise (often many months).
“Handwashing, the study noted, is less complex than exercising and offers more opportunities to practice,” SA states. “The researchers also suggested that habit formation depends on the effort that a person puts into practicing an activity and on the presence of environmental cues that would remind them to carry out the behavior.”
How Habit Stacking Might Help You
The concept behind habit stacking is simple: form a new habit by associating it with, during, or following an existing, routine behavior or something that happens every day. The American Center for Cancer Research indicates you can make certain habits more ritualistic because “neurons in the brain are information messengers that support behavior patterns. Some researchers posit that the more you do something, the stronger and more efficient the neuron connections become.” However, as we get older, a reduced number of these neurons makes behavioral changes more difficult. Using a method like habit stacking provides a positive form of conditioning by shaping new behavior through incentives. This makes it easier to adapt to change, reduce frustration, and increase success.
According to Advent Health, there are three methods you can try:
- Chain. Link a new behavior to a regular habit. For example, if you want to take new supplements, plan to have them after a meal. Since you’re going to eat anyway, this approach automatically provides an opportunity to remember your supplements.
- Pairing. Use an existing habit as the springboard to another. For instance, if you enjoy listening to podcasts and want to exercise five days a week, rely on a “temptation bundle” to add to your motivation: listen to a 20-minute podcast while you exercise.
- Sequence. Add something new to an existing routine. For example, if you want to journal every day, and you already have a routine of waking up, letting the dog out, and enjoying a cup of coffee before getting ready for work, you could allow 10–15 minutes to journal either before or during your morning coffee.
Commit to the process of habit stacking with something small but consistent, like always drinking a full glass of water at every support group meeting, for eight weeks. Record how you feel at the end of each week. Once the experiment is complete, you can determine if this is the direction and method you want.
Learn More About Habit Stacking
In addition to Clear’s book mentioned above, here are some others you might enjoy:
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. First published in 1987, it’s still considered the gold standard of the concept.
- Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by B.J. Fogg. This Stanford University researcher presents 20 years of study that indicate the power of positive emotions and celebrating little victories.
- Elastic Habits: How to Create Smarter Habits That Adapt to Your Day by Stephen Guise. His approach is to help you embrace better habits by reducing the dread of monotony.
- The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions by Dr. Michael Norton. This Harvard University professor also has a TEDxTalk, “How to Buy Happiness”.
- Habit Stacking: 127 Ways to Improve Your Health, Wealth, and Happiness by S.J. Scott. These ideas help reduce the stress of trying to change too much at once. He has another book, Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less.
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