Viewing the world through the lens of Instagram and TikTok could lead you to think everyone has mastered selfcare and a certain unattainable lifestyle. But if you’ve ever tried to stick to a new routine or implement multitasking, it's often tricky to get new habits to last. So, what’s the secret? The key to lasting change lies in building on existing habits that come as second nature and pairing them with small secondary practices. Habit stacking has officially entered the chat.

What is habit stacking?

So what is habit stacking exactly, and how does it differ from multitasking? Multitasking is best in brief interludes but is not sustainable for a long-term lifestyle change — the most common reason being burnout. You can’t be expected to do several things at once like hydrate, respond to emails, strength train, and meditate all at once. However, if you take stock of the ingrained daily habits you already do, you can integrate small tasks that follow.

For example, let’s say you boil water for matcha tea or brew coffee every morning when you wake up, and you’ve been meaning to find the time to journal or read one piece of international news a day. So while coffee is brewing, take those 5 minutes to read one article or jot down your thoughts for the day. Soon, your mind will begin associating coffee brewing time with reflecting and composing your thoughts. After a while, it’ll be a smooth, seamless transition from one habit to the next and will therefore last.

The neural science behind the process is called synaptic pruning. Synaptic pruning occurs as your brain builds neuron pathways for your already established norms. You can take advantage of those habits and connections that you take for granted each day by building new habits.

How to start habit stacking

The easiest way to start is to first jot down all of your daily patterns. Here’s an example:

♦ Wake up
♦ Brush teeth
♦ A glass of Foundation Collagen Elixir
♦ Walk dog
♦ Get dressed
♦ Get ready for bed

Now, add in small corresponding new habits, which can look like:

♦ Wake up> drink a glass of water
♦ Brush teeth> floss
♦ Make coffee >journal
♦ Walk dog>call your mom
♦ Get dressed>lay out your workout clothes for later as a reminder
♦ Get ready for bed> play relaxing meditation music to unwind

And voila! After a month, one of those initial habits will begin to automatically trigger the other. After a few months, the benefits of being more hydrated, regularly flossing, clearing your head, staying connected to loved ones, and unwinding will be seen and felt.

How to habit stack your haircare routines

You can customize this process to specific regimens like haircare. Do you watch The Bachelorette every Monday night? Why not give your strands a little love by nourishing and deep conditioning them too? Work in Hair La Vie’s Mask while watching, and after an hour of cringey heartbreak, you’ll be on your way to silkier strands.

Do you make green juice every day? Toss in a scoop of our Foundation Collagen Elixir with blue spirulina, keratin, and prebiotics for an extra boost of nutrients to strengthen your hair and nails. You’ll be glowing and supporting your follicles with healthy hair nutrition.

If you find yourself often reaching for dry shampoo in a rush for a quick re-fresh, get in the habit of also taking a minute afterward to spritz your hair ends with a little leave-in conditioner. This will ensure the ends stay hydrated and soft while keeping them tangle-free. We love using our Nº77 Leave-In conditioner to keep dry ends at bay.

In the evening, while getting ready for bed and after your skincare routine, be sure to apply our Lash24TM AM/PM Formula conditioning and growth-enhancing formula to your lashes. While you get your beauty sleep, the unique dual formula works to give you thicker and fuller-looking lashes. Just might be the best and easiest habit stack hack yet!

Final thoughts

Creating new wellness and selfcare habits is attainable if you keep it minimal and incremental. Abrupt and ambitious self-improvement is rarely shown to work and is not easy to sustain. A better way is by giving yourself a cheat code for consistency. Consider if habit stacking is right for you by making one small change at first and see how it goes. We think there’s a better chance you’ll stick to it. If you need us, we’ll be conditioning our thirsty dry ends with a lightweight leave-in on our next #hotgirlwalk.