Many people believe that making a healthy choice for your lifestyle revolves around determination and willpower to push through. It’s true though, however, having said that, it is the primary reason why many people also don’t go through with the plan at all from the beginning. Gretchen Rubin, in her book Better than Before, suggests that the key to being successful is finding and sticking to good habits that make an individual healthier. She notes that one way of forming a good habit is by using an unorthodox method: habit pairing. Habit pairing is the practice of linking things you “like doing,” and things you “have to do.” Simply put, this is the practice of creating a new habit by merging it with the one you already have. Learn more about this topic on write my essay online.
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How does habit pairing work?
Everyone has a routine of some sort in their lives, right? From waking up, freshening up, and planning out your day, making coffee/ tea, checking your socials, listening to TED talks and podcasts, etc. all these things make people feel good, and that’s why they keep doing them on repeat.
However, there are some other activities that we may not have much interest in, but all the same, we have to do them. Sometimes, we end up not doing them for a couple of reasons, including being busy, running out of time, or forgetting them. Examples of these tasks include drinking enough water daily, going for a stroll, preparing a healthy meal and snacks for the day, among many others.
There is a simple trick that can help you creating a new habit by using habit pairing. Here, you condition yourself using this method: “I’ll only do (stuff you like doing) when I’ve done (stuff you want to commence doing).” This way, when you are about to do something you like, you will have to check first that you’ve done the thing you want to learn as your new habit. Using this rule, you should go ahead and note down all the activities you would like to start doing and assign them to activities you like doing.
Consider the following examples to create your habit pairs.
I’ll only take my morning coffee after having a big glass full of water.
I’ll only read the daily newspaper after finishing my morning exercises (working out for 10 minutes or going for a road run.)
I’ll only listen to my favorite TED talk or podcast while preparing my Daily salad or cutting vegetable sticks.
I’ll only watch HBO while doing my daily yoga routine.
I’ll only check up my socials after crossing out an item off the to-do list.
I’ll only tune into my favorite podcast when I am cleaning the house.
I’ll only catch up on my favorite shows and TV episodes while washing, folding, or ironing the laundry.
Since you have a rough idea of how habit pairing works, why don’t you try it out now? Remember, all you have to do is brainstorm all the activities you love doing, and them pair them with new activities you would want to form a habit of doing.
Conclusion.
For creating a new habit by pairing old patterns with new activities. Doing so makes it easier to form a new habit without going through the hustle of determination or having the willpower to push through. Start small and be consistent. All the best.
