Habit stacking, the practice of pairing a new habit with an established one, can make it easier and faster to build new habits

Habit Stacking Is the Expert-Approved Method to Making Your New Year's Resolutions Stick Here's what experts think of the habit hack, and how to make it work for you

• Habit stacking is the practice of pairing a new habit with an existing one to make it easier to stick to.
• Habit stacking is trending on TikTok, but it’s been a proven psychological technique for years.
• To make the most of habit stacking, experts recommend starting small and pairing the new behavior with a well-established habit you enjoy.

Creating new habits takes time and dedication, making it easy to fall short when trying to form new patterns. But people on TikTok are buzzing about a hack to create new habits, claiming it can help them stick.

It’s called habit stacking, and it involves pairing a habit you want to form with something you already do. “When I learned about habit stacking, I was reborn,” Shelby Sacco said in one TikTok post. Fellow content creator Brigette Muller shared in another video that she can “get so much done” with this tactic.

While it’s getting plenty of attention, habit stacking isn’t exactly a new concept. But what does habit stacking involve, and might it actually help you keep your New Year's resolutions this year? Psychologists explain.

What Is Habit Stacking?

Habit stacking is a psychological technique that involves pairing a new habit with an existing one to make it easier to remember and maintain, Amir A. Afkhami, MD, PhD, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at George Washington University, told Health.

“The idea is to ‘stack’ the new behavior on top of a well-established habit, using the current habit as a cue,” he said. For example, if you want to start stretching more and you always have a morning cup of coffee, you might want to start stretching for five minutes immediately after you take your last sip.

Habit stacking can also involve “pairing a less desirable action with a more enjoyable action,” Hillary Ammon, PsyD, a clinical psychologist and the founder of the Center for Anxiety and Women’s Emotional Wellness, told Health. This can include listening to a podcast while folding laundry or saving your favorite TV show to watch while you exercise.

By pairing an established habit with something you want to add, the new habit “integrates into an already established routine,” raising the odds your new habit will stick, said Aaron Breedlove, PhD, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Again, habit stacking isn’t a 2024 phenomenon. S.J. Scott coined the term “Habit stacking” in his 2014 book, “Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less,” but the concept dates back even further. 

“Habit stacking has roots in behavioral psychology, starting with [Harvard psychologist] B.F. Skinner,” Breedlove told Health. Skinner’s work showed that positive reinforcement increases the chances a behavior will become established and that punishment or lack of reinforcement decreases it, Breedlove said.

Does the Strategy Work?

Experts agree that habit stacking can be an effective way to form new habits. “I use the skill of habit stacking often in therapy, particularly when working with clients with ADHD,” Ammon said.

“The method works because it taps into the power of existing routines, making it easier to remember and execute a new behavior without needing extra motivation or willpower,” Afkhami said. “When you link a new habit to an already ingrained one, such as doing 10 pushups after brushing your teeth, the new habit feels like a natural extension, reducing the resistance to starting something new.”

Habit stacking taps into a few different areas of science, Breedlove said. “You have something called ‘context-dependent memory,’ which is just that our mind links context to different behaviors,” he said. “Neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to form and reorganize connections—also plays a role.”

Habit stacking “takes advantage of the brain’s neural pathways, which are strengthened with repetition,” Afkhami said. “When a new habit is linked to an existing one, the brain utilizes the same neural pathways involved in the original habit, making the new behavior easier to adopt,” he added.

Over time, the repeated pairing strengthens the connection between the two habits in the basal ganglia, the brain region responsible for forming and automating habits, causing more consistency for both, Afkhami said.

Ammon calls habit stacking a “kickstart” in the brain for creating new routines. “The brain will be much more receptive to modifying an existing routine versus creating a brand new one, in terms of memorization,” she said.

Still, a lot depends on how you implement habit stacking, Afkhami stressed. If the existing habit isn’t well established or you’re inconsistent with it, the new behavior you’re trying to stack it with may also not become habitual. For example, if you’re hoping to stretch daily and pair it with a workout, you’re not likely to be successful if your exercise routine is spotty.

“Additionally, overloading yourself with too many stacked habits can lead to burnout or confusion, making it harder to maintain momentum,” Afkhami said.

The Common Mistake People Make When Starting a New Habit

How to Start Habit Stacking

To start habit stacking, find a habit ingrained in your routine, like washing your face or having a cup of tea, Afkhami said. “Then, choose a small, specific new habit you want to develop, like doing a few pushups or meditating,” he said. “Pair the new habit directly after the existing one, using the established habit as a trigger.”

If you can pair in something you enjoy, that makes it even more likely that you’ll actually do the habit, Ammon said. “Consider what time of day may be best to incorporate new routines and if they could be attached to existing routines,” she said.

Overall, it’s best to keep the new habit simple and consistent. “Over time, the repetition will help it become automatic, as the brain links the two behaviors together,” Afkhami said.

Research shows there is no magic amount of time it takes for a habit to stick. But certain factors may influence how long it takes for the new behavior to take root.  

“Habit stacking will work more quickly if the anchor habit is a strong daily habit and the stacking habit is relatively simple,” Breedlove said. “Repetition is key. For instance, taking medications when you brush your teeth should be connected pretty quickly.”

But more complex and unrelated habits will take more time to solidify, he said. “Something like pairing mediating after checking your email is not very compatible and are difficult to perform together,” Breedlove pointed out.

Afkhami said that a new habit usually takes at least a few weeks to become sustained. “It’s important to be patient,” he said, “as habits can take time to become ingrained and feel effortless.”

Edited by Health with a background in health, science, and investigative reporting. Previously, she wrote full time about parenting issues for the app Parent Lab. Before that, she worked as a reporter for National Geographic covering wildlife crime and exploitation." tabindex="0" data-inline-tooltip="true"> Jani Hall Jani Hall Jani Hall is a news editor for Health with a background in health, science, and investigative reporting. Previously, she wrote full time about parenting issues for the app Parent Lab. Before that, she worked as a reporter for National Geographic covering wildlife crime and exploitation. learn more

This story originally appeared on: Health News - Author:Korin Miller