THE WICKED WELLNESS METHOD STEP 3: START LAYERING

As we continue with the Set-Up, we get more detailed regarding our daily behaviors. A favorite tool can be found in James Clear’s Atomic Habits. James says the first step to changing bad behaviors is to be on the lookout for them and I couldn’t agree more. Now that you’re aware, after taking the Wicked Wellness Quiz, which areas of your health and wellness need improvement, it’s time to look at your specific behaviors and turn your old habits into new routines. Here’s a simple exercise to become more aware of the daily habits you’ve been running. Make a list of your daily habits.

1. Ask yourself, “Is this a good habit, a bad habit, or a neutral habit?” 2. If it is a good habit, write “+” next to it. If it is a bad habit, write “–”. If it is a neutral habit, write “=”. For example:

Brush teeth + Late night snacking –

1 2

Download Your Behavior Scorecard Printable

Now that you’re clear on your daily behaviors (and which ones you want to keep) we will continue with your Wicked Wellness Set-Up by identifying where you can bring in new routines and rituals.

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THE WICKED WELLNESS METHOD STEP 3: START LAYERING

You probably know by now that you have some very strong habits you take for granted each day. For example, your brain is probably very efficient at remembering to brew your morning cup of coffee, or check your phone first thing, or thousands of other daily unconscious behaviors. You can take advantage of these strong connections to build new routines that advance you toward your desired outcome. So how does this work?

For building new routines, you can use the connectedness of behavior to your advantage. One of the best ways to build new routines is to identify a habit you already do each day and then layer your new routine on top.

The reason this practice of layering works so well is that your habits are already built into your brain. Your patterns and behaviors have strengthened over the years. By linking your new healthy routines to a cycle already built into your brain, you make it more likely that you’ll stick to the new behavior. Let’s show you

how this works.

CREATE A ROUTINE CHAIN (AKA LAYERING)

As you can probably guess, routines are easier to build when they fit into the flow of your life. The next step in your Set-Up is to decide when and where you’re going to insert a new routine. Identify a current routine you already do each day and then attach your new behavior on top or in the middle of it. The simple way to apply this strategy to your system is to fill out this sentence:

“After [CURRENT ROUTINE], I will [NEW ROUTINE].”

Once you have mastered this basic structure, you can create a larger system of healthy routines and rituals by linking these smaller behaviors together. This allows you to take advantage of the natural momentum that comes from one behavior leading into the next. Voila!

Download My Routines Printable

BREAKING THE BEHAVIOR CHAIN

When you’re ready to insert a new routine into your daily life, trace the chain of events leading up to and following it. By tracing the chain of events, you can identify points in the chain where you can make a change. This behavior chain below shows a sequence of events for a person who wants to add exercise into their daily routine but who winds up snacking and watching TV instead. By examining the chain carefully, you can identify ways to break it at every step. After you review this example, go through the same process for a typical chain of events involving your target behavior in the blank Behavior Chain that follows.