Have you ever tried to start a new habit, only to forget about it after a few days? Truth is, building new habits can be hard unless you use a simple trick to help you change up your daily routine.
Habit stacking helps you build new habits by linking them to ones you already have, making it easier to introduce a new behavior into your routine. Instead of trying to create a new habit from scratch, you “stack” it onto an existing habit.
Whether you’re a student, a busy professional, or looking for ways to create more ease in your daily routine, habit stacking can help you manage your time, plan better, and stay consistent.
In this article, we’ll explore how habit stacking works, why it’s so effective, and how you can start using it today.
What is Habit Stacking?
Habit stacking is a type of goal-directed behavior. When you creatively plan ways to accomplish your routines and habits, you’re also taking the necessary steps to achieve bigger goals. Habit stacking helps you stay on track by linking new habits to your existing ones. Instead of relying solely on motivation, this method makes habit formation more automatic, helping you achieve your desired habit. It can take anywhere from 18 to 200 days to build a habit through habit stacking, depending on the complexity of the habit and individual consistency.
ADHD has previously been referred to as a life management disorder, meaning that it’s incredibly difficult to develop, implement, and attain goal-setting strategies for daily living activities. Individuals with ADHD and other forms of neurodivergence benefit from being taught explicit skills and strategies for reaching their goals, along with many other types of executive functions such as organization and planning.
The Science of Habit Formation
Cue-Based Behavior
When we repeat actions, like brushing your teeth every morning, our brains connect certain actions to a specific cue in our environment (e.g., toothbrush) and actions (e.g., squeezing out some toothpaste) that help us reach our goal (e.g., having clean, fresh teeth). Over time, these actions become automatic because our brain has learned the actions needed to reach a goal (p. 294). Habits form after enough repetition, making these actions feel automatic. People are often aware of their habits, but unaware of the cueing that initiates the habit (p. 303).
For example, brushing my teeth every morning is an established habit. I may not even think about it, but seeing my toothbrush on the counter cues me to start the process. However, I am often oblivious to the fact that seeing my toothbrush or toothpaste on the countertop is what makes me initiate the process of brushing my teeth.
Neuroplasticity & Synaptic Pruning
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to new experiences, knowledge, and changes in the environment. When you practice habit stacking, you’re strengthening the brain’s connections between actions, as the brain builds and reinforces these pathways through repetition. The more you repeat the habit, the stronger those connections in your brain become.
Synaptic pruning is how the brain gets rid of connections it doesn’t use. When you learn something new, your brain creates connections between nerve cells (neurons). If you use those connections a lot, they get stronger. If you don’t use them, your brain removes them to save energy. This process clears out weaker, unused connections, making it easier for your brain to focus on the habits you do often. This is why habits get easier the more you practice them.
Identifying Current Habits
Identifying current habits is a crucial step in habit stacking. To start habit stacking, you need to understand your daily routine and the habits you already have. Take some time to observe your daily life and make a list of your current habits, including small habits like brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. This will help you identify areas where you can stack new habits. For example, if you always drink a cup of coffee in the morning, you can use this as a cue to start a new habit, such as doing a few push-ups or stretching exercises. By understanding your existing habits, you can create a foundation for building new habits and making positive changes in your life.
Setting Up Habit Stacking
Setting up habit stacking involves creating a plan to add new habits to your existing routine. This can be done using the habit stacking formula: “After [current habit], I will [new habit].” For example, “After I brush my teeth, I will floss” or “After I eat lunch, I will take a short walk.” Start by identifying a current habit that you do consistently, and then choose a new habit that you want to add. Make sure the new habit is small and achievable, and that it can be done in a short amount of time, such as five minutes or less. By stacking new habits onto existing ones, you can create a chain of positive behaviors that can help you achieve your goals.
Habit Stacking and Executive Functioning
Habit stacking can strengthen executive functioning skills by helping the brain manage tasks more efficiently through routines and structured cues.
Planning
Planning is used along with organization and prioritization to gather information to identify and manage future-oriented tasks. By creating a new habit-stacking routine, you’re practicing planning skills. With habit stacking, you can train your brain to plan and manage tasks more efficiently. This also helps you stay on track. By creating a new habit-stacking routine, you’re also practicing implementation intention, which involves making a concrete plan to integrate new behaviors into your daily routine.
Task Initiation
Task initiation is the ability to independently get started on a task. Learners who struggle with this skill often need many reminders to finish tasks that may seem straightforward to others but can be complex for them, especially for neurodivergent individuals. Habit stacking helps to create a natural trigger in the environment that encourages you to start a task without overthinking it, making it easier to integrate new behaviors into your routine. However, some neurodivergent individuals may still need additional supports beyond environmental cues to initiate tasks effectively.
Time Management
Time management is the ability to understand time and use it effectively. When you pair habits together, you improve time management by making daily tasks more automatic and efficient. Habit stacking helps you stay more organized and use your time wisely. You can get more done in less time. Habit stacking makes daily routines smoother and reduces the mental load of completing tasks, making everyday life feel more manageable. Setting a time limit for each task can enhance motivation and commitment, making the process of habit stacking feel more manageable and less daunting.
Productivity
Habit stacking is an effective strategy that can help learners create smoother daily routines by improving ease and efficiency, rather than just focusing on productivity. Linking new habits to old habits helps create a system that helps you get more done with less effort. When you get more done in less time, it helps you stay on track with other goals you have during the day.
Flexible Thinking
Individuals who struggle with inflexible thinking tend to get ‘stuck’ by attempting to solve problems with the same ineffective solution, making it challenging to establish new routines. Habit stacking is a creative way to solve a common problem. By implementing this strategy, you’re also practicing handling challenges in unique ways and being open to new ideas. However, flexibility can be particularly challenging for some neurodivergent individuals, and it’s important to approach change at one’s own pace.
Overcoming Obstacles
Overcoming obstacles is a crucial part of habit stacking. When you’re trying to build new habits, it’s common to encounter setbacks and challenges. To overcome these obstacles, it’s essential to be consistent and persistent. Don’t get discouraged if you miss a day or two – simply get back on track and keep moving forward. It’s also important to identify potential obstacles and plan ahead. For example, if you know you’ll be traveling and won’t have access to your usual workout routine, plan ahead and find alternative ways to stay active, such as doing bodyweight exercises in your hotel room. By being prepared and flexible, you can overcome obstacles and stay on track with your habit stacking goals.
Maintaining Motivation
Maintaining motivation is key to successful habit stacking. To stay motivated, it’s essential to celebrate your successes and reward yourself for achieving your goals. This can be as simple as treating yourself to a favorite meal or activity after reaching a milestone. It’s also important to focus on the benefits of your new habits, such as increased energy or improved mood. By reminding yourself why you started habit stacking in the first place, you can stay motivated and inspired to continue. Additionally, try to find ways to make your new habits enjoyable, such as listening to music or podcasts while you exercise. By making habit stacking a positive and enjoyable experience, you can maintain your motivation and achieve long-term success.
Ways to Incorporate Habit Stacking into Daily Life
Personally, ever since I first incorporated habit stacking into my life, I’ve found that simple (but easy to forget…) tasks like taking multivitamins and flossing are far more likely to get done. By keeping my vitamins and floss in a visible spot, like my work bag or next to my coffee maker, I know I’ll naturally remember to complete these tasks as part of my morning routine. Here are some other ideas for implementing habit stacking into your home, work, or school routine. Here are some habit stacking examples for implementing this technique into your home, work, or school routine.
Home
You can easily implement habit stacking at home while completing chores, helping you build positive habits. For example, you could wipe down the kitchen countertops when you wash the dishes. You could also get into the habit of putting an item back in its home each time you walk between rooms in the house.
School
A couple of common difficulties for learners are staying organized and planning ahead to study for tests. You can establish regular habits for each by habit stacking. For example, you could establish new habits around your lunch and dinner schedule. After eating lunch, take a minute to review your planner or to-do list for upcoming assignments. After finishing dinner, spend five minutes reviewing notes or flashcards for an upcoming test. These habits will help you feel more prepared for any upcoming school obligations, while also helping you develop a new skill.
Work
Habit stacking could be implemented during any of your work routines. For example, you might pair checking your email each morning with reviewing your to-do list for the day, ensuring you start with clear priorities. For example, perhaps you check your email each time you get to work in the morning. This is also a great time to clean out your inbox, by deleting any that could be spam. When you pack up for the day, this is also a great time to develop a habit of cleaning up your office or workspace. You could begin by disinfecting your workspace and shredding any papers that you no longer need. By establishing these beginning and end-of-the-day routines, you are also strengthening executive functioning skills such as organization and planning, setting yourself up for a smoother and more structured next day.
You could also use your lunch break to establish new habits, such as taking a short walk or practicing mindfulness.
Additional Resources
For neurodivergent individuals looking for more personalized support in building habits and developing executive functioning skills, Life Skills Advocate Executive Function Coaching provides a flexible and structured approach. Coaching sessions are designed to meet your unique needs while establishing consistent strategies for success. Whether you need to create a study plan, organize materials, or build time management strategies, EF coaching ensures you have the guidance you need to build long-lasting habits. This approach is essential for self improvement and maintaining new habits.
TL;DR – (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
Habit stacking is a simple strategy for building better habits by linking them to existing ones. Instead of relying on motivation, you attach a new habit to something you already do, making it easier to remember and repeat.
This method is especially useful for people with ADHD or executive functioning challenges, as it helps improve planning, task initiation, time management, and flexibility. By strengthening brain connections through repetition, habit stacking takes advantage of neuroplasticity, while synaptic pruning clears out weaker connections, making habits feel automatic over time. You can habit stack in any setting, using any of your existing habits. Habit stacking is helpful regardless of whether you are at home, school, or work, and can make you feel more productive and organized.
Further Reading
- BrainFacts.org (2020) – How are Synapses Like Trees? An Introduction to Synaptic Pruning
- Mendelsohn (2020) – Creatures of Habit: The Neuroscience of Habit and Purposeful Behavior
- Psychology Today (2019) – Attention Deficit/“Goal-Getting” Disorder
- Wood & Runger (2016) – Psychology of Habit
- Life Skills Advocate (2021) – Executive Functioning Skills 101: Flexibility
- Life Skills Advocate (2020) – Executive Functioning Skills 101: The Basics of Planning
- Life Skills Advocate (2020) – Executive Functioning Skills 101: The Basics of Task Initiation
- Life Skills Advocate (2020) – Executive Functioning Skills 101: The Basics of Time Management