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New habits are difficult to implement. Whether it’s something simple like drinking more water or a larger goal like exercising a specific number of times per week, there might be a way to make it easier.
Habit stacking helps tie a new habit to an existing habit so you’re more inclined to stick with your goal.
The concept was developed by SJ Scott, author of Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes Or Less, and it is based on how our brains work. The neural connections in our mind are stronger with the habits we already have and practice. It makes sense, right? Habit stacking leverages those existing connections by adding a new habit.
For example, if you want to drink more water, you would add it to an existing habit. If you take vitamins or medicines in the morning, it is a concrete habit that is already established. To build habits, once you take your pills, go ahead and fill a cup with water and drink it. Over time, these habits will start to link together and you will be closer to your goal.
“In the midst of a busy lifestyle, habit accumulation can also be helpful because new habits often feel less like an ‘add-on’ when tied to something you already do anyway,” said Melissa Ming Foynes, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist. “This approach can feel more integrated and therefore less overwhelming.”
If you’ve been struggling to adopt new habits, it may be worth trying to stack.
[Via Real Simple]
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