The Power of Habit Stacking for Wellness
In last week's blog, I talked about choosing and implementing realistic New Year's goals. This week, I am going to talk about what you can do to improve your chances of making those habits stick. It is a secret weapon known as habit stacking that I personally use myself and recommend to my clients.
As a Clinical Nutritionist, I have seen countless clients struggle with implementing new healthy behaviours. This is completely normal human behaviour. They are motivated, they understand why they should eat more vegetables or drink more water, but somehow these good intentions do not always translate into consistent action. This is where habit stacking comes in. A simple yet powerful technique that can transform your nutrition and lifestyle habits without relying on your memory or willpower alone.
What is Habit Stacking?
Habit stacking is a concept popularised by S.J. Scott in his 2014 book "Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less". He developed it as a practical method for building multiple small habits by linking them together in a sequence. This was further promoted by James Clear in his book "Atomic Habits".
The idea is beautifully simple. You attach a new habit you want to build to an existing habit you already do automatically. According to James Clear, the formula looks like this:
After/Before [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].
Your existing habits act as triggers for new ones, creating a chain of positive behaviours that flow naturally from one to the next.
Why It Works
Our brains love efficiency. Once a behaviour becomes automatic, it requires minimal mental energy. By piggybacking new habits onto established ones, you are essentially hijacking your brain's existing neural pathways rather than trying to forge entirely new ones. You are working with your brain, not against it.
Practical Examples for Nutrition
Let me share some habit stacks that I have found to work particularly well in my clinical practice:
After I turn on the kettle for my morning coffee, I will drink a glass of water and/or fill my water bottle for the day. This simple stack ensures you start the day hydrated and have water readily available. The kettle is your cue, and by the time your coffee is ready, your water bottle is too.
Before I sit down for dinner, I will place a bowl of salad on the table. This stack increases your vegetable intake without requiring you to completely overhaul your meals. The salad is there, and you can naturally serve yourself some before moving on to the rest of your meal.
After I finish eating breakfast, I will take my supplement. Many of my clients forget their supplements (and let's face it, I've been guilty of this too!) because there is no clear trigger. Linking it to the end of a meal creates a reliable reminder. You might even like to put your supplement on your breakfast plate or bowl the night before, so it is ready to go in the morning.
When I pack my bag for work, I will add a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts. This prevents reaching for the 3pm office cookie jar by ensuring healthy snacks are already with you.
While I am getting dinner ready, I will have a cup of miso soup or bone broth. This helps to support your gut health. This is one habit stack that I personally regularly implement!
Practical Examples for Movement
As a Clinical Nutritionist, many people think that my focus is just on food and nutrition. True, but we also recommend lifestyle habits, including movement, to support our clients wellbeing, so I can't ignore the importance of movement for overall health. Habit stacking works beautifully for incorporating more physical activity into your day:
While I brush my teeth, I will do squats or calf raises. This is one of my personal favourites and something I do each day. You are standing there for two minutes twice a day anyway (at least you should be to keep your teeth healthy and your dentist happy!). So why not activate your leg muscles? This gives you four minutes of lower body work per day without needing to find extra time. As an added bonus, if you are doing this shortly after your breakfast meal, that movement will help your leg muscles soak up glucose (sugar) from your bloodstream to be used for energy rather than stored in fat cells for use later.
After I hang up from a phone call or finish sending a block of emails, I will stand up and do 10 shoulder rolls. Perfect for counteracting the effects of desk work and breaking up prolonged sitting.
After I finish my dinner meal and cleared the table, I will put on my shoes and go for a 10 minute walk. This will support your digestive system to function optimally, as well as help get the energy from food where it needs to go.
Before I get into the shower, I will do 10 push-ups (wall, bench, or floor, whatever suits your level). The shower becomes your reward, and you have fit in some upper body strengthening without needing gym clothes or equipment. As you progress with this, you can add on more reps.
While I wait for the kettle to boil, I will do standing leg swings or hip circles. Those couple of minutes add up, and gentle mobility work can significantly improve how your body feels throughout the day.
Creating Your Own Habit Stacks
Start by identifying your rock-solid habits. These are the things you do every single day without thinking about them. These might include brushing your teeth, making your bed, starting your car, or checking your phone. These are your anchors.
Next, choose one small nutritional or movement behaviour you want to adopt. The key word here is small. Do not try to overhaul your entire diet or exercise routine in one go. Want to eat more vegetables? Start with adding one piece. Want to move more? Begin with 30 seconds of movement stacked onto something you already do. Remember: something is better than nothing, and over time, these habits will stack up.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
The most common mistake I see is trying to stack too many habits at once or choosing habits that are too ambitious. If your new habit takes more than two minutes, you are probably starting too big. "After I brush my teeth, I will meal prep for the week" is unlikely to stick. "After I brush my teeth, I will place a glass of water on my bedside table or on the kitchen bench for the morning" probably will.
Another trap is choosing anchors that are not truly automatic yet. If you are trying to establish a morning meditation practice, do not use it as an anchor for a nutrition habit until it is completely automatic for you.
The Ripple Effect: Small Changes, Big Results
What I find most exciting about habit stacking is the ripple effect it creates. Once you successfully stack in one nutrition or movement habit, you build confidence and momentum. That small win makes the next habit easier to implement. Over time, these stacked habits compound, creating significant changes in your overall health without ever feeling overwhelming.
Getting Started Today
Choose one anchor habit and one small nutrition or movement behaviour right now. Write it down using the formula, and commit to it for the next week. Just one week. Do not worry about anything else. Once that week is up, check in with yourself. Does the behaviour feel automatic? If not, continue with that one behaviour for the following week. When it does feel automatic, you can add another stack if you would like.
Remember, sustainable health changes are not built on dramatic overhauls or strict meal plans that require constant decision-making. They are built on small, consistent actions that become so automatic you do not even think about them anymore. That is the true power of habit stacking. It turns intention into action, one small habit at a time.
Are you looking for someone to support you with your 2026 health and wellness goals?
Consider booking in a 1:1 Clinical Nutrition appointment where together we can develop a personalised nutrition plan that supports your unique health goals. This incorporates dietary and lifestyle recommendations, and practitioner-only supplements where indicated.
Katie practices at: Uprise Health, 136 Lennox Street, Richmond, 3121, Victoria.
Appointments: Face-to-face and Telehealth available (Australia wide)
Contact: admin@katiehopcraft.com.au
If you have any questions or need personalised guidance, feel free to reach out.
The information provided in this blog is for your personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. It should not be considered as medical or professional advice. We recommend you consult with a GP or other healthcare professional before taking or omitting to take any action based on this blog. While the author uses best endeavours to provide accurate and true content, the author makes no guarantees or promises and assumes no liability regarding the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the information presented. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this blog are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this blog is done at your own risk.