{"id":27087,"date":"2021-03-06T09:51:22","date_gmt":"2021-03-06T13:51:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=27087"},"modified":"2021-03-08T23:03:34","modified_gmt":"2021-03-09T03:03:34","slug":"habit-stacking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/habit-stacking\/","title":{"rendered":"Habit Stacking: Harness the Power of Routine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is habit stacking<\/a>? How can integrating new habits into your existing routine help you stick to them more easily?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In behavior change psychology, habit stacking (also known as habit chaining) is a form of implementation intention. It involves stacking a new habit with one or more existing habits to facilitate its reinforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn about habit stacking and how it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is Habit Stacking<\/strong>?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Habit stacking exploits the phenomenon of accumulating behaviors, known as the Diderot Effect, to help create new habits. This effect describes the tendency for one major purchase to lead to another and another. Behaviors follow a similar tendency because no behavior exists in a vacuum. One action triggers<\/a> another and so on. Understanding this fact helps you use current habits to build new ones.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Diderot Effect<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Diderot Effect was named after French philosopher Denis Diderot who lived in poverty. One day, Diderot came into a large sum of money after selling his immense library of books. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After using the money for some essentials, like paying for his daughter\u2019s wedding, Diderot bought a silk robe. The robe stood out among his shabby home, so he started purchasing other fine items to match, which led to more fine purchases until his money was gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than planning a new time and location for a new habit, habit stacking links a new behavior to a current one. The reward of the current habit becomes the cue for the new behavior. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n