The truth is, most of us struggle to form new habits because we underestimate how much energy they require. Every new behavior adds decisions, mental effort, and willpower to our already busy days. We start out enthusiastically, but our motivation quickly fades when life gets busy, stressful, or unpredictable. That’s why so many resolutions fall by the wayside within a few weeks: the system relies too much on our mood or energy at the moment, rather than being anchored in our actual daily routines.
One of the smartest ways to overcome this is through “habit stacking”: pairing a new habit with one you already do automatically. When the two habits are relevant and related, the new one “sticks” to the old one, making it much easier to maintain.
Popularized by James Clear in his book Atomic Habits, habit stacking feels less like change and more like an adjustment or a tweak.
What is Habit Stacking?
Habit stacking means attaching a new habit to one you already do consistently. By linking it to something automatic, the new habit gets “anchored” into your daily routine.
The catch? For it to work, the new habit has to be relevant and closely connected to the existing one. If the two don’t make sense together, the stack feels forced and usually falls apart.
Why It Works
- Reduces decision fatigue: the existing habit becomes the reminder.
- Keeps it small and sustainable: tiny actions are easier to stick with.
- Fits your real life: the habit belongs naturally in the same moment or context.
Want to see this in action? Watch my short Wellness Snack video where I share how to make habit stacking work in real life — in just two minutes.
Real-Life Examples of Habit Stacking
Here are some simple, relevant ways to make your stacks effective:
- After I finish my walk/run, I’ll do 2 of my physio stretches.
- After I brush my teeth in the morning, I’ll floss.
- After I pour my evening tea, I’ll jot down one thing I’m grateful for.
- After I log into my computer, I’ll take 3 deep breaths before opening my inbox.
Notice how each new habit is a natural extension of the original one: movement flows into stretching, tooth brushing into flossing, tea into reflection, logging in into grounding. That’s what makes the stack sustainable.
How to Try It
- Identify a habit you’d like to build.
- Connect it to a habit you already do automatically that fits naturally with it.
- Keep it tiny at first. Even laughably small works.
- Repeat it at the same time, in the same place.
Over time, the effort related to the new habit becomes smaller and smaller.
Building habits that last isn’t about pushing harder — it’s about making them fit naturally into the routines you already have.
So what about you? Which new habit do you want to build, and what existing habit will you stack it onto? I’d love to hear your stack!
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