by Kathy Shanks
Journaling my way Each issue Kathy will share the many ways we can use journaling for our daily self care practice. Kathy Shanks is the author and creator of the Uplevel your Life Journal.
Habit Stacking for REAL Habit Change! It’s December! Firstly, I can’t believe that 2020 is almost over. It’s certainly been a memorable year! This is the time of the year where we tend to throw our habits out the window… we eat a little more, we drink a little more, and we exercise a little less. Then comes January. And we think ‘this year it’ll be different.’ This year I’m going to get fit, get healthy, make loads of money and find my soul mate. But… you’re still the same person. You haven’t done anything to make any changes. Does saying ‘I’m going to be better’ make anything actually happen? You may have a ‘dream’ version of YOU… but how do you get the ‘actual’ you to become this changed version?? I like to do something called Habit Stacking. I first heard this term when I was reading James Clear’s book Atomic Habits
All contributor contact details are on pages 37-39
(Great read! I highly recommend it!). “When it comes to building new habits, you can use the connectedness of behaviour to your advantage. One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behaviour on top. This is called habit stacking.” For example, when most of us prepare for the day, we have some habits already stacked. I always brush my hair, brush my teeth and put deodorant on at the same time. Instead of trying to make one new habit and remember it – you could pair it with a habit you already have. For example, ›› In your first glass of water for the day, add a squeeze of lemon juice to it. ›› When you get home from work, change into my workout gear. ›› As you moisturise your face, think of 3 things that you’re grateful for. The reason this works so well is that your current habit is
already embedded in your routine. If you add a new habit to an existing habit, you’ll have more success. I use my Uplevel Your Life Journal to create new habits, remind me of habits I’ve been forgetting and improving (uplevelling) my existing habits. Each week I set a habit for mind, body, soul, relationships and life purpose, and I remind myself daily. As a perfect example of habit stacking, recentIy was forgetting to write in my journal as it wasn’t fitting into my morning the way it used to. So I created a new space in my house where I could have some ‘me’ time, and after I dropped my daughter at school, I would use this space to write in my journal. Beware though – when your routine changes it’s easy to forget… I need to create a new habit during the school holidays. Happy journaling,
Kathy
Rebirth Edition 5 | December 2020
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