Easy Ways to Incorporate New Daily Habits

If you have been trying to add some new habits to your daily routine but can’t seem to make it work, there are a few tricks you can try. This allows you to slowly change your routine and develop a healthy lifestyle without feeling overwhelmed by it.

Stack the New Habit on Top of an Existing One

Habit stacking is a simple way to start adding new habits but not overwhelming yourself with entire new routines. By stacking one habit on top of another, you are using your current habits and just adding to them a little.

The only way this works is if the habits go together well. Just like your hygiene practices tend to happen at the same time. You probably brush your teeth during the same session as washing your face and applying sunscreen. Think of other habits in your day that can be stacked together.

Try it Out for at Least 21 Days

It takes about 21 days to start building a new habit. As you add new habits to your routine, try it out for at least 21 days before adding a new one or changing the existing ones. Write down day one and day 21 on your calendar as an easy way to track how many days you have made that brand new habit. It is also helpful to schedule it to know you are doing it at a specific time each day.

Track Your Habits

While you will eventually be able to complete daily habits without thinking about them, it helps track them in the beginning. You can do this in any journal or notebook, where you have a list of habits to do each day and cross off each one you got completed. There are also some great habit trackers you can purchase already printed or print them yourself.

Be Honest if It Isn’t Benefiting You

Don’t worry if, after several weeks, the new habit isn’t working out for you. That is why you are keeping track! If it has been a few weeks and you aren’t seeing much change, swap out that habit for another one you have been considering. This is a part of personal development, where you don’t have to commit to habits that are no longer serving you fully. Your routine grows just as much as you do.