AINYF SHORTS
What Is Habit Stacking and Can It Help You Achieve a Sober Life?
If “Many human behaviors follow this cycle,” according to “Atomic Habits,” why not apply it to sobriety?
What the heck is “habit stacking?” That’s what I wanted to know. You, too?
All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. — James Clear, Atomic Habits.
Whenever I read a new chapter of Atomic Habits by James Clear, I learn an important tip or action I want to try.
Habit stacking is a practice we engage in all the time without realizing it. It is a pattern that is quite common.
Clear gives us these examples of habit stacking:
You buy a dress and have to get new shoes and earrings to match. You buy a couch and suddenly question the layout of your entire living. room. You buy a toy for your child and soon find yourself purchasing all of the accessories that go with it. It’s a chain reaction of purchases.
He explains that:
Many human behaviors follow this cycle….No behavior happens in isolation. Each action becomes a cue that triggers the next behavior.
This method, created by BJ Fogg as part of his Tiny Habits program and adapted by Clear, can help you attain or continue your sobriety, perhaps more manageable than it has been.
It can be instrumental in the early stages of being alcohol-free.
Example of the habit stacking formula
- The goal is to stay sober. As soon as you wake up (waking up is a cue, your first cue), you will envision yourself as a sober person (envisioning is an action that is another cue). Imagine doing whatever you want to do throughout the day rather than drinking alcohol. You may see yourself pouring a seltzer with a dash of orange juice during the witching hour when you usually make a cocktail.
- Exercise is another goal. Next up, you will put on your running shoes and head for a jog before breakfast.
- Gratitude is a daily must. As you hit the sack for sleep, you state what you are grateful for that day. It’s day 20 of sobriety, and I am so thankful.
As Clear writes, it is imperative to tie your desired behavior — sobriety, into something you do daily.
The above three behaviors will support you in your motivation to stay alcohol-free.
I automatically turned to habit stacking during my first months of sobriety, unaware I was doing that. It looked very much like the example above.
Once you have mastered the basics, you can build from there
- After you envision your sober self and return from your run, you will eat a healthy breakfast containing protein and fruit — this meal is a habit or seed sprouting other healthy decisions.
- After breakfast, you will shower and dress for work, reminding yourself that you look far better since quitting drinking. This thought enhances and supports your will to stay alcohol-free.
- After showering, you will read a passage from a sober book, AA’s Big Book, Annie Grace’s This Naked Mind, or another enlightening work that helps you stay strong before heading off to work.
Summary
You can create habit stacking throughout your day, tying your new habit to a cue that already exists, as we did above — envisioning immediately after waking, exercising after the envisioning cue, etc.
Your cue should be specific and actionable immediately for results to occur. Be precise when envisioning yourself as a sober person. What does a sober person do? How does a sober person look? It’s different for each of us.
I knew I would be hiking or playing pickleball in the morning, followed by a healthy breakfast. Afternoons, I would see myself in my office, writing for Medium or AINYF. On other days, I would meet a friend for lunch and catch up on our lives, sharing our successes.
You must decide. Are you well-dressed and fit? Are you smiling and confident?
Will you visualize your sober self while still lying in bed or after you’ve risen and brushed your teeth? Be specific with this so that action is automatic every day.
Remember to use habit stacking throughout your week, even for habits that may not be daily. Grocery shopping may be a weekly outing, and buying a seven-day supply of buzz-free drinks and healthy snacks ties in with your grocery shopping cue.
Habit stacking was designed to help you create behavior changes to better your life.
The seeds I planted — exercise, healthy eating, substituting seltzer for alcohol became habits that grew into a lifestyle that I no longer think about. It’s automatic.
This method is easily adaptable in many instances to help you maintain and strengthen your sobriety, as you can see.
