The Importance of Habit Stacking

Hello everyone!

Happy Wednesday and happy November!

It’s my first post to you for the start of a new month. As we embark on November, I have high hopes of cozy days, slowing down, and still trying to get outdoors and soak up sunshine as much as possible. I am gearing up for a busy few weeks, so I’m really going to be leaning into giving myself pockets of grace and patience wherever I can. 

I had a fun weekend of some fun Halloween festivities and a night out with my mom. It was a great reminder to make plans and have some fun along the way. 

Here’s a look at how I spent the weekend.

I enjoyed some beautiful time outside with some gorgeous fall leaves!

Decorated pumpkins for Halloween and watched Practical Magic- a classic!

Made a pumpkin roll for something sweet to enjoy with the movie.

My pup caved and let me put a costume on him for Halloween

And I enjoyed a night out to see a Billy Joel tribute performer with my mom! So fun!

Now, that I have you all caught up on the weekend, let’s get to today’s post!

One of my best or worst traits (depending on how you look at it) is that I love a routine. I like structure, plans, rhythms, and rituals. I also love habit stacking. I am fascinated with people’s days and why they do the things they do. I have read numerous books about time management, habit stacking, and organization. One of my favorite’s is James Clear’s Atomic Habits. It’s all about how small changes can lead to big results. 

Through the years, I have been building on daily habits that I wanted to incorporate into my life. I use the Habit tracker from Simplified when I want to start a new habit, but now they have become such a part of my life that I don’t think twice about doing them every day.

You can start as small as you want with what habits you want to bring into your life, it can be as simple as making your bed or moving your body every day, or as big as trying a new recipe, doing a long workout. What matters is that you are starting a habit and sticking to them.

Here are some of the habits I have started and stuck with over the past few months.

Meditation- I started meditating last year, in fact, I am close to hitting 365 days. I use Insight Timer which has thousands of meditations, sounds, and practices.  I found my mind racing daily and decided to try meditation to calm my mind and body. I started doing it at night, but now I do it in the morning too. I never miss a day and found it has made a huge difference in my stress and calming my mind. It’s a small change that I made and has paid off in big ways.

I hit a big milestone this week. One year of meditation. It shows how small habits make big differences.

Daily Walks- At the start of the year, I decided to try and walk a mile a day in addition to working out. I wanted to find ways to add more movement in my day without going overboard. I love going for walks to clear my mind, get fresh air, and get my steps in. Whether it’s at the gym after a lift or a walk outdoors with my pup after work, daily walks have made a big difference in my life. I use them as a time to talk on the phone, visit with a friend, or get some exercise with my dog. Some days, it’s harder to make time for them, but other days, I take a walk before I head into work. I love the peace and solitude they provide and how it leaves me feeling after. 

Stretching- This is another habit I started this summer and have continued with. Every day, I take a few minutes to stretch out my body. Before I would only stretch at the gym, now, I make it a point right after I get out of bed to stretch. It has done wonders for my body after some running injuries. I also spend a lot of my day sitting so moving my body and stretching first thing in the morning is a great way to get my body moving out of the gate.

Sunscreen- I started this habit at the beginning of the summer and it was a small change that I’m hoping will pay off in the long run. I have fair skin and want to do my part to protect my skin whether it’s sunny or not. I apply sunscreen as I’m washing my face every morning, it’s one extra step that’s easy and could save me in the future. I use supergoop as both my sunscreen and primer.

Self care- If there’s a new self-care habit that I want to make a priority or get back into, I add it to my habit tracker. For example, if I haven’t been getting great sleep, I will add “get better sleep” to my tracker to hold myself accountable. If my reading has gone to the wayside, I will write down “read more” so I see it every day. These self-care initiatives vary from month to month or season to season, but writing it down and seeing it every day holds me accountable.

Early bedtimes and good books! A win-win!

Those are just a few examples of different habits I have made a part of my life. They are small additions to my daily life that I have seen pay off in dividends.

What are some habits you have incorporated into your life or that you want to bring in? I would love to know! Let’s all hold each other accountable!