Habit Stacking

Each of us has habits. For me, it is morning coffee, my daily exercise routine, and opening the blinds to let in the sun. We have routines, often from childhood, that form habits. The term “habit stacking” was first introduced by Steve Scott in his book, “Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less.” He talks about linking behaviours that stack one upon the other to produce a result.

As I thought about this, I thought about how we are all creatures of habit. What if our habits aren’t healthy and don’t lead to better a better life? Maybe you can think of your habits and whether they increase the quality of your life or decrease it. Steve Scott speaks about how habits relate to our life goals and how small things that are done every day can support our goals. If your goal is good health, then habits like brushing your teeth, eating well, exercising, and giving up smoking would be important. What happens with habits, is that once they are in place, you don’t have to think about them. Putting on your shoes is a habit. You don’t have to think about it, you just do it. Eating for most of us is a habit. Where I work, people don’t even think about it, they gather every day at 11:45 to get food from the cafeteria.

Many of us can think about our bad habit stack. Take a minute to think about yours. Are there unhealthy habits that you have acquired that have become automatic? Do you want to change that? And are there expected behaviours, like bedtime, breakfast, chores, group meetings, time with your counsellor, etc., that are new to you as you enter a treatment program? Some entrenched behaviours, like smoking a joint every morning, aren’t permitted and aren’t healthy. These must be addressed as we work to change our habit stack.

For this month, I’m planning to think consciously about my habit stack and if there are behaviours that I have that need adjustment. I’m going to think about the 3 or 4 most important habits that I have that will create a better life if I continue them or stop doing them. I want my habit stack to only include things that will lead me to a successful life. If you are in a program here at Simon House, as you do the important work of addiction recovery, I invite you to do the same.

Dr. John R.

— President & CEO, Simon House