What is habit stacking?

Pairing an old habit with a new habit!

According to habits guru James Clear, when it comes to building new habits, you can use the connectedness of behavior to your advantage. One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top. This is called habit stacking!

Examples include:

* Before I pour my cup of coffee each morning, I will drink one full glass of water.

* After I take off my work shoes, I will immediately change into my workout clothes.

* After I sit down to dinner, I will say one thing I’m grateful for that happened today.

* After I brush my teeth, I will pre-log my foods for tomorrow and schedule my workout.

Overall, habit stacking allows you to create a set of simple rules that guide your future behavior. It’s like you always have a game plan for which action should come next.

Once you get comfortable with this approach, you can develop general habit stacks to guide you whenever the situation is appropriate:

* When I see a set of stairs, I will take them instead of using the elevator.

* Healthy eating. When I serve myself a meal, I will always put veggies on my plate first.

* When consuming alcohol, I will drink one glass of water and wait at least 20 minutes before considering another drink.