Habit stacking - does anyone want to join me?

[Workyticket]

I've been reading about habit stacking - I need a life shake up and think this might help.

I think a habit a week might be more realistic for me than adding another every day though!

I think 1, 2 and 3 for me will be

Washing my face every night and applying night cream (i buy it but always forget. I tend to shower in the mornings and am lazy at bedtime)

8000+ steps a day. I really struggle to fit in 10k. Need to find a reliable way if measuring. I've bought a couple of cheap watch counters but I mustn't swing my arms enough to register!

Open the bedroom window daily

Does anyone want to join me?

I've been thinking about this so my plan is to put vitamins in my bedside drawer and take them first thing with a glass of water. That will be my starter habit!

I’m joining you to drink more water. My skincare routine is well established and I take a daily multivitamin so I really need to get a grip on the hydration! Also recommitting to a squats while brushing teeth habit which I’ve been a bit lax with recently.

Fwiw, I really don't like the The Organised Mum Method as it assumes the harmful idea that housework is only a mum's job. The best way of beating housework stress is to split the jobs fairly.

To be fair Gemma Bray has explained repeatedly that the name is about her. She was a single Mum when she developed the method. She is a massive advocate for getting all the family involved and has so much advice about sharing the load. The app is fantastic as everyone can be added and see what needs doing.

I've been thinking some more about this and wondering if some kind of 'Half an hour habit' thing each evening might work for me? So, in that half an hour I would: drink a pint of water, take a vitamin, do nail oil, remove make up and moisturise face etc. Is there anything else that might easily fit in?

I can really recommend having water by your bed. I always wake up thirsty and having it there this morning ready was great. I had a good amount before I even got out of bed and did my morning yoga practice.

I like the half hour an evening of self care. It could be done in front of the telly.
I will do nails or maybe a foot massage with creams. I also aim to sit on the floor more, lounging on a sofa is so bad for my back. So for that half hour I will sit on the floor and not the sofa.

What a great thread. For me I intend to restart my morning weight routine, just little dumbells. I have a set of exercises I do while the kettle boils and my tea cools- just enough to keep the bingo wings at bay, but I've let it slip this last couple of months.

I like the half an hour habit idea @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie, you could add a few squats and/or sit-ups/push-ups too

Oh there are so many habits I need to add and alter in my routine, I just get overwhelmed with it all and never get anything done.

Last year I started a few habits that really set me up well but unfortunately I got ill and it all went out the window, so I’m going to reinstate them:

1. Drinking 250-500ml water first thing. I fill my bottle at night and pick it up as I come downstairs and put the kettle on (the cue). I never seem to have a problem drinking most of it before my tea is ready and cooled nicely. It also make me feel so much more awake and makes me want to drink more water throughout the day too.

2. Walk for 30 minutes as soon as I’m back from the school run. We have to drive but it starts early, so I’ve got 30 minutes to spare before work. So literally as soon as I get home I’ll either head out or to the treadmill if it’s crappy outside before doing anything else.

3. Stop work half an hour early to get some cleaning done and prep dinner before pick up. I find I need some time to de-screen before heading out and this really helped. It also adds in an extra half hour of movement during the day.

4. Set my silent Fitbit alarm 30 minutes before bedtime to get to the bathroom and do a proper nightly hygiene routine - water floss, a really good clean with floss and interdental brushes, mouthwash, full face cleanse, actives and night cream.

I do this already (I use the Fabulous App) but keen to think of new habits to add as I've not added any for a while.

I need to take better care of my nails as they split - its not about the appearance so much as the fact they split to the quick and it hurts. I was moving heavy things from the loft to get suitcases out and my thumb nails snagged and were v sore. Poor me. They've always been like this though but I never learn about keeping up a nail care routine!

Buy and take probiotics - i have issues with some FODMAP food, particularly garlic, and need to sort my gut out as restrictions and reactions are making me feel a little sad and I'm a difficult guest.

I will also start a tidying up habit - is 10 minutes a day worth while?

@ParishSpinster Yes, the 10-min tidy up is definitely worth it. I always think “pah, this’ll take too long, I’ll leave it to the morning” but I’m amazed at how much you can get done in 10 minutes when you want to get to bed! Of course, 10 minutes in the morning actually only lasts 2 seconds, so it really is worth doing it before bed!

I’ve got to get my gut health sorted this year too. I’ve got some allergy/intolerance but need to pinpoint exactly what’s causing it.

Oh fab, @MaggieCassidy. I talk myself out of things if it seems to short to too long a task. My own saboteur.

I'm hoping to get back into yoga every morning. Just 10 minutes as no time for more. Those of you thinking of doing Adrienne's 30 days of yoga, be warned the lengths vary a lot and some are as long as 40 minutes. If you're a beginner my top tip is to do Adrienne's 'foundations of yoga' series first to learn all the postures. I failed at 30 days for several years running before going back to basics. Five Parks Yoga is also a great channel and has loads of wrist free sequences if you have dodgy wrists like me.

Face washed and moisturised last night despite a late one. I forgot to open the window today though 🙈

Bad Habit Central here

Instead of wishing I could wave a magic wand and be totally brilliant in every way but never managing it and slipping further into terrible ways - diet, sleep, exercise, brain usage etc etc I could do stacking!

This could be revolutionary 👍

I've done two days with zero sugar. I'm so happy and would love to be a person who is able to say 'I don't eat sugar' or 'I haven't eaten sugar since 2021'

I'm already v pleased with myself for going from north having any time in my day/week/year for reading but since signing up for Audible have built in mini moments (driving/dog walking) of really enjoying some great books over the last few months.

Stacking. I like it. Will continue to build on this concept. Thank you.

New stacks to cover will be start to move my body 10-15 mins a day with eventually 30-60 mins.

Also bed by 10pm with lunches made for the next day and up at 6am.

Slowly slowly though. One at a time.

I bloody love Audible. I've nowhere to keep books, never get round to returning library books so stopped borrowing years ago.

I listen on The Metro, when I'm cooking, in the bath, when dh and ds are watching yet another bloody football match on telly. Life changing and I've listened to way more genres than I used to read.

Ds and I got into it in lockdown - Harry Potter on Alexa was our chill / screen break time when home schooling and both of us teaching online was crushing us.

My friend @Workyticket was all sneery about Audible and not READING an ACTUAL book and she couldn't BEAR to have someone read to her and not savour every word or go back and reread a sentence etc.

Whatever. You do you sweetheart.
I do three hours of driving per day, dog walking and my eyes slam shut as soon as my head hits the pillow, have more kids and a bigger house.

Audible has rocked my world.
Currently loving 'Hamnet' such a brilliantly beautifully written book bringing Tudor domestic history to life.

@MilitantFaucet

I like the half an hour habit idea *@RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie*, you could add a few squats and/or sit-ups/push-ups too

Thanks. I've done some squats today for the first time in my life!

I like installing habits by the moon. During a waxing moon add something to your life e.g drink more water and then on the waning moon take something away e.g. Give up chocolate. By the end of the month you have two habits you then reflect on and choose the next to for the following cycle.

Please can I join?

@NoSquirrels I like the examples you've given and hopefully linking with existing habits will make it easier for me!

Mine are:

1. Yoga session 5 times a week (I did this from the start of lockdown one and absolutely loved it but after the first vaccine wiped me out I fell out of the swing of it).
2. Daily vitamins and supplements when I make a coffee each morning.
3. Take regular screen breaks while working from home (last year I fell into the trap of coming in from nursery drop off, logging on and not leaving my desk other than to nip to the toilet or grab something unhealthy to eat at my desk).

I've been a little dubious about audible and audio books but only because I'm not sure if they have been abridged or not. I want to hear the whole book - does audible abridge?

I really like listening to a podcast on my daily walk, listening to a book would be awesome!

Placemarking

Well done @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie!

I love audible, it makes my commute far more bearable, I often listen at bedtime too.

@ParishSpinster Audible do both abridged and unabridged. The full description of each book will always say which it is.

@Icenii

I like installing habits by the moon. During a waxing moon add something to your life e.g drink more water and then on the waning moon take something away e.g. Give up chocolate. By the end of the month you have two habits you then reflect on and choose the next to for the following cycle.

Oh, I love this idea.

I'm reading Atomic habits at the moment.