A new month and a new quarter are here to create a set of goals and instill some new habits and routines! April is the perfect time to reinvent, reinvigorate, and recharge! We’ve got longer days, warmer weather, and we can put away those heavy winter sweaters. This month is all about the concept of habit stacking and how you can incorporate this power strategy into your springtime days.

What is Habit Stacking?

Habit stacking is a powerful productivity technique that leverages your existing routines to build new, beneficial habits. Rather than relying solely on willpower or motivation, this method uses the neuroscience of habit formation to create lasting change. The concept is simple yet effective: attach a new habit to one that’s already firmly established in your daily routine.

The Science Behind It:

Our brains are wired to follow patterns. When we consistently pair a new behavior with an existing “trigger,” we create a neural pathway in the brain that makes the new habit feel more automatic over time. By identifying the fixed routines in our day– such as brushing our teeth, fixing our bed, or arriving at work—we then build new behaviors on top of these established routines and habits.

Habit Stacking Examples:

I asked my friend, Julie Sommer, an occupational therapist who owns JS Therapies in the beautiful Virgin Islands, how she does her habit stacking, and here is what she shared:

After her husband brings her coffee in bed each morning (isn’t she lucky!?), that is a trigger for her morning habit stacking routine of personal development activities including reading (the book is already on her nightstand for easy access), a quick look at a business app, and Duolingo Spanish lessons.

Julie also stacks non-preferred activities with things she has to do anyway. For example, while she’s heating something up in the microwave she uses that time to wipe the kitchen counters, wash dishes, and do general kitchen tidying.

Here are some more examples of habit stacking that I successfully use:

• After my second cup of morning coffee, I fill up a 40-oz. insulated cup with ice water to drink before 11am
• While I do my morning routine of hair and make-up, I listen to a personal development or productivity podcast
• During a workday lunch break I start by taking a walk outside for 10 minutes and then read a business book while I eat
• At the end of the night, I open my Full Focus Planner, write down my top 3 tasks for the next day, review the tasks I completed on the current day, write down 1 thing I’m grateful for and/or 1 big win for the day, and then read a book.
• Each Sunday I schedule a grocery delivery, and as I put the groceries away, I plan the meal for the week and write them on a family dry erase board in our kitchen
• As I make my son’s after-school “snack” (which is technically dinner #1 for a growing teenage boy), I unload the dishwasher, tidy the kitchen, and go through the day’s mail
• Every Saturday morning I put a load of laundry in the washing machine, and then read for an hour until the cycle is done, and then move it to the dryer. While the dryer is running I work on business-related related items until I hear the buzzer, which is my trigger to stop working, fold clothes, and then move on to the next weekend task.

For well over a decade, my husband has been doing pushups and planks while the water heats up before his evening shower. When our son was a toddler, he would enjoy balancing on daddy’s back during the pushups and planks—a fun way to engage your child in your habit stacking!

Still Want More Suggestions? Here are quick ways to boost productivity:

• After logging into your work computer, spend 2 minutes setting your task goals for the day before checking emails.
  • Take control of your day before getting pulled into someone else’s priorities.
• Before/After lunch, take a 5-minute walk outside before returning to tasks.
  • Reset mentally midday, get some physical activity, and avoid the afternoon slump.
• After joining your last meeting of the day, write in a gratitude journal.
  • Build positivity and reflection into your workday. What one great thing happened at work today?
• When shutting down your computer, do a quick 3-minute meditation.
  • Create a transition ritual between work and personal time. Use a free app as your guide.
• Before opening social media in the evening, complete one small household task.
  • Better yet- ask yourself what your single goal is for scrolling and then set a timer.

How to Create Your Own Habit Stack

If you’re feeling a little stuck on where to start your own habit stack, here’s some advice from our
friend Julie:

• Choose something small to start with and add it to an existing habit that you love and consistently do
• Make it easy to implement. For example, have any materials you’ll need in spots that are easy to access and hard to overlook, such as a book on a nightstand.
• Write it down and tell people you’re doing it. Have an accountability buddy who is also trying to start a new habit stack.

I love what Julie shared above, and I’m going to stack my own advice on top of that (get it?):

1. Make a list of things you do automatically every day.
2. Select one thing that’s small and achievable (taking just 1-2 minutes).
3. Determine which existing habit makes the most logical trigger so you can place it accordingly within your day.
4. Use the format: “After I [current habit], I will [new habit].”
5. Focus on consistency rather than intensity.
6. Use a simple habit tracker to maintain motivation and see your actual progress.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Adding too many new habits at once. Keep it simple and just add one thing at a time so you’re more likely to remain consistent. Once it’s automatic then you can add another small habit.
• Choosing habits that are too time-consuming. If it takes too long to complete, you might be less likely to remain consistent. Choose your habits wisely.
• Selecting triggers that aren’t consistent. Use existing daily routines– not something you do only a few times a week or less frequently.
• Being vague about your action. Be specific about both the trigger and new action you will take.
• For example, instead of saying, “After I eat I’ll read” say something like, “After I eat dinner, I’ll relax with a magazine for 10 minutes.”

Final Thoughts

Habit stacking is another way to make small incremental changes that compound over time. I’ve been talking a lot about this concept over the past few months in my blog, so be sure to check out last month’s 1% Improvement Method, February’s Personal Operating System, and January’s Micro-Habits.

Habit stacking- when done consistently- can elevate your mood and your productivity. “I love the feeling of accomplishment and efficiency/effectiveness when I do these kinds of things, and the sense of ease that comes with building healthy habits. I know that my morning routine, even if it’s just 15 minutes, has a powerful positive impact on me both personally and professionally,” says Julie.

Cheers to you this month on your habit stacking journey, and be sure to follow me on social media and share how this impacted you.

A special thanks to Julie for allowing us to get a glimpse into her day along with sharing her helpful tips! And if you’re a pediatric therapist looking for a job in the warm Caribbean, check out Julie’s company: www.jstherapies.com