Habit-stacking is a habit formation technique that’s gotten a lot of attention in recent years. Created by “Tiny Habits” author BJ Fogg and further popularized by “Atomic Habits” author James Clear, “it’s a technique that a lot of behavioral therapists use,” said Beena Persaud, a psychologist at Cleveland Clinic. “I use it with clients all the time.”
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We spoke to experts about how habit-stacking works, what the science says, and how to use it to start making real progress toward your health and wellness goals.
Habit-stacking means linking a new habit you’re trying to form to an existing habit, or “stacking” the new habit on top of the old one. “You take a habit that’s already part of your daily life, like brushing your teeth or making coffee – something that’s very routine – and then you use that as an anchor for a new, very small action,” Glazier explained. For example: After I get out of my morning shower, I will do a 10-minute guided meditation.
One key component of habit-stacking is the specificity of the action itself, Persaud said. You want to boil down a large, abstract goal (such as “get in shape” or “exercise”) into something tangible and achievable (like “do 20 push-ups” or “jog around the block”).
Another is the specificity of when and where you are going to do the action. So instead of just planning on exercising “in the morning,” for example, you choose the exact moment in your day, like “after I finish one cup of coffee.”
Habit-stacking sounds simple, but it can be surprisingly effective. “It’s a very practical way to turn an intention into something people can actually do,” said Glazier, who’s used habit-stacking to help her patients (and herself) meet goals such as hydrating more or meditating.
For all of the widespread use of habit-stacking, there’s hardly any research on it, said Katy Milkman, professor and co-director of the Behavior Change for Good Initiative at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and author of “How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.”
One small study of 50 people found that those who flossed their teeth after brushing (rather than before) tended to form stronger habits and floss more frequently. But there are currently no large, well-designed studies showing habit-stacking is effective.
That said, “it’s very intuitive that it would work,” Milkman said. “It matches our theory of habit and what should work, based on past research.” Habit-stacking borrows ideas from several other well-studied techniques, Persaud explained.
One of the hardest parts of forming a new habit is remembering to do it, so having a reminder – which scientists call a cue or anchor – can come in handy. “The research in behavioral therapy shows that we’re more likely to stick to habits when they are cue-driven,” Persaud said. If you’re trying to start a habit of taking a new medication, for instance, your cue could be an alarm on your phone or keeping your pill bottle on the counter. With habit-stacking, you’re using an existing habit as the cue for the new habit.
Research tells us that the most important ingredient in creating a new habit is consistent repetition, Milkman said. “If you’re doing something over and over again, eventually, it starts to feel automatic,” she explained. The brain tends to automate behaviors we repeat often, creating a neural pathway for that action so it becomes habitual. (This is why you reflexively wash your hands after using the bathroom, for instance.)
The theory is that habit-stacking may help you wire in a new habit more efficiently, Milkman said, because the daily cues support frequent repetition.
A common mistake people make is trying to make sweeping changes instead of focusing on baby steps, Persaud said. Behavior change research suggests that small, incremental changes in action can become habitual more quickly, build a sense of self-efficacy and ultimately be more sustainable. By making a new habit bite-sized and attainable (like “drink a glass of water after I wake up” instead of “hydrate more”), you’re setting yourself up for success. “You want to build up your confidence,” Persaud said.
How to build a habit stack
If you want to use habit-stacking to help you reach a health or wellness goal, here’s a step-by-step approach from the experts:
1. Choose a small, realistic new habit
Identify the new behavior you want to weave into your day. Be clear and specific, and start small, Persaud said. Think: One minute of deep breathing, 20 squats, or writing down three things you’re grateful for. Not “go to the gym for an hour” or “practice gratitude.” The clearer and more attainable the habit is, the more likely you are to follow through.
2. Identify the anchor habit
Next, figure out where to plug that new habit in during your day. “Make a list of current habits,” Glazier said. “What do you do every day, rain or shine, without even thinking about it?” (Don’t include behaviors that can vary from day-to-day, because then your new behavior won’t have a reliable cue, Persaud explained.) Then, choose the anchor habit that it makes sense to pair the new behavior with. For example, it makes more sense to stack “putting on sunscreen” after “washing my face” than “finishing my breakfast.”
Now, put the two together: After [the anchor habit], I will do [the new habit]. For example:
“After I turn off my alarm in the morning, I will turn on a five-minute guided meditation.”“After I set the coffee maker to brew, I will drink a full glass of water.”“After I sit down at my work computer, I will do one minute of mindful breathing.”“After I get out of the shower in the morning, I will stretch for five minutes.”“After I put my dinner plate in the dishwasher, I will take a walk around the block.”“After I brush my teeth at night, I will put my phone on airplane mode.”“After I finish my nighttime skin care routine, I will read in bed for 20 minutes.”
As for how long it takes to cement a new habit in place? It varies. Despite the oft-repeated idea that it takes 28 days for a new habit to stick, “absolutely no universal law exists on how long it takes us to form habits,” Milkman said. (It depends on factors such as the complexity of the action and how frequently you repeat it, she said.) But with consistency, your new habit will eventually become natural.
Keep in mind that it’s best to focus on one new habit at a time to avoid becoming overwhelmed, Persaud said. Once it feels “boring and automatic,” you can stack another small new habit on top, Glazier said. “Add a small upgrade but don’t do a giant leap.”
Eventually, your habit stack can become a routine that feels natural and helps move you toward your goals, one step at a time.