Mrs.DEVI VENUGOPAL

EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST – 28
INDONESIA

We are going to learn about habit stacking, a term coined by BJ Fogg as a part of Tiny Habits Program. You can introduce a new habit without even having the motivation for it. They conducted an experiment, where they wanted to increase the purchase of water in the hospital, they simply increased the water in the vending machines and counters for water, this significantly increased the purchase rate fo water and reduced the purchase rate of soda.

What  is  Habit  Stacking?

The best way to introduce a new habit is to identify a current habit you already doeach day and then stack your new behavior on top.

Habit stacking formula is

“After (CURRENT HABIT), I will (NEW HABIT).”

For example,

  • Meditation – After waking up, I will do 1 minute meditation.
  • Yoga – After shower, I will do 20 min Yoga.
  • Journal writing – after tucking in bed, I will write 3 things I am grateful for.
  • Reading – After making up my bed in the morning, I will keep my book for reading on top of the pillow.

The key is to tie your desired behavior into something you already do. This allows to use the natural momentum from old behavior to new, this is called Diderot Effect. Diderot was a well-known for his role as a cofounder and writer of Encylopedie, one of the most compressive encyclopedias of the time. He was a great financial trouble, When Catherine the Great, the Empress of Russia, heard of his struggles, she offered to buy his personal library for 1000 pounds, which was more than 150000 pounds today! Diderot’s new wealth helped him to pay for his daughter’s wedding and upgrade his possessions. The tendency for one purchase to lead to another one is not uncommon; hence it was named as Diderot Effect. We can see this pattern everywhere, you buy a costly shoe, they you want a dress to match the shoe and goes on and on. We are going to use this as positive approach to introduce a new habit.

For example,

  • After eating my dinner, I am going to wash my plate.
  • Exercise – When I see a set of stairs, I will take them instead of elevators.
  • Finances – When I want to buy something above Rs 1000, I will wait for 24 hrs before purchase.
  • Avoid Binge watching – After a episode finishes, I will play with my pet for 10 minutes.
  • Healthy Eating – When I serve myself meal, I will always serve vegetables or salad first.
  • Minimalism – When I buy a new item, I will sell an old one or donate an old one
  • Mood – When the phone rings, I will take one deep breath and smile before answering.

The secret to creating a successful habit stack is selecting the right cue to kick things off. When and where you want to insert a habit into your daily schedule can make a big difference. If you’re mornings are chaotic, then inserting meditation will not work. Consider when you most likely to succeed. Don’t ask yourself to do a habit when you’re likely to be occupied with something else.

Your cue should have the same frequency as your desired habit. If you want to do a habit every day, but you stack it on top of a habit that only happens of Wednesdays, that’s not a good choice.

Best way to find the right trigger for your habit stack is by brainstorming a list of your current habits. You can use your Habit score cards from the last article as a starting point.

Habit stacking works best when the cue is highly specific and immediately actionable, many people select cues that vague, I have made this mistake myself. When I had break, I will do 10 min yoga, that sounded reasonable at first. But soon, what if I have had my lunch, or with colleagues. After a few inconsistent days, I changed the habit to morning breaks only 3 days a week.

Habits like “read more” or “eat better” are worthy causes, but these goals do not provide instruction on how and when to act. Be specific and clear: After I close my door, I will brush my teeth. After I brush my teeth, will write my journal. The 1st Law of Behavior change is to make it obvious.  