Dr. MAX PEMBERTON: My simple trick to sticking to your New Year’s resolutions… tie them into your daily chores!

Most of us have some things in our lives that we would like to improve or activities that we would like to introduce.

We would like to exercise more, meditate, improve our memory, even read better and become more cultured. But the days just seem to pass by and we never quite manage to make it a habit.

While starting a new habit is relatively easy even with the best intentions, maintaining it can be difficult.

After a few weeks things go wrong, and before we know it, months have passed and we feel like we’re back to square one, plus a little dejected and frustrated.

But fear not: A new trend aims to take the pain out of embedding a habit into your daily routine.

Dr. Max Pemberton (pictured) believes that ‘habit stacking’ – finding something you already do routinely and linking it to the new habit you want to start – is an effective way to make positive changes that stick.

It’s called ‘habit stacking’. This technique uses routines or habits you already have to help develop new ones.

Basically, you take something you already do routinely, like brushing your teeth, and pair that with the new habit you want to start, like balancing on one foot – which improves core strength and in the long run means you’re less likely to a fall.

You essentially link the new behavior to something you already do regularly.

THE COMMON BRAIN HACK

There is actually a good neurological basis for this approach. When we perform an action or behavior repeatedly, strong neural connections are formed.

Over time, we don’t even have to think about it anymore; they are so deeply ingrained that they are almost automatic. For example, every morning we turn on the kettle without really thinking about it.

Habit stacking takes advantage of this. By connecting a new neural pathway to an already existing one, it becomes easier for us to pick up this new habit.

THINK SMALL TO ACHIEVE A BIGGER GOAL

Another problem people face when making changes in their lives is thinking too big: the changes require such a break from their usual routine that they are not sustainable. Then people get discouraged and give up.

It is much better to approach problems in manageable bite-sized portions.

This is exactly what habit stacking focuses on. The habits are small, quick and easy to do; and once you master habit stacking, you can add them together or build on each small habit to achieve a bigger goal.

So instead of saying, “I really want to be fit and healthy,” which is a really big, kind of vague goal, habit stacking would make you introduce small, healthy habits into your daily routine. For example, say you’re going to do five push-ups every night before going to bed.

To start thinking positively, every night when you brush your teeth, mentally list the things that made you happy that day (stock image)

MAKE A COMMON STAIR

Once you’ve created a new, consistent habit this way, you can build on it. When you do this, you create a “habit trap.”

You adopt a behavior that you already do, such as brushing your teeth at night. Then put something on it that you would like to achieve, such as meditating for three minutes after brushing your teeth before going to bed.

Once this becomes a habit, you can layer another behavior on top of meditating, such as reading three pages of a novel in bed.

STACKING RULES

To ensure habit stacking is effective, follow these rules:

Keep it fast: A habit should last no more than five minutes.

Keep it fun: Choose something fun that you want to do, rather than something you think you should do.

Keep it simple: Make the habit simple – don’t overcomplicate things.

Be patient: Wait until you’ve successfully integrated a habit into your daily routine before adding another.

Changing your life doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking; Habit stacking is a brilliant way to make those small but important changes that can make you happier and healthier. Start one new habit tonight and good luck!

15 new habits that will transform your life

Everyone is different, with different goals and daily routines. Below are some suggestions, but you can adjust them depending on what you want to achieve and the routines you already have in place.

First identify ten to fifteen actions you already do and then brainstorm a list of habits you would like to do every day. Link the old habit to the new. Keep these in mind so you don’t forget them in the first few weeks.

1 To start thinking positively, every night when you brush your teeth, mentally list the things that made you happy that day.

2 To ensure you stay hydrated, every time you go to the toilet during work, grab a glass of water on the way back or fill a water bottle before sitting back down.

3 To improve your finances, write a budget. Check your bank balance every morning over breakfast and assess how well you are adhering to it.

4 To become better read, read three pages of a novel every night when you get into bed.

5 Listen to a piece of classical music while walking the dog and then read about it on Wikipedia. Year Of Wonder: Classical Music For Every Day, by Clemency Burton-Hill, has great suggestions for a beginner’s introduction to classical music.

6 To increase the amount of fruit you eat, you can eat a small apple or satsuma every day after your usual breakfast.

7 To increase the amount of vegetables you eat, each time you make the kids’ lunch, you can also cut up a piece of celery, carrot or some broccoli and eat it straight away.

8 If you’re on the bus or train, spend five minutes learning a new language. The Duolingo app is ideal for this.

9 Stand on one foot when brushing your teeth in the morning to improve your balance.

10 Read a short poem every time you wait for the elevator. Poetry foundation.org has a poem of the day and poems divided by subject.

11 After showering, do a minute of meditation. The Headspace app (headspace.com) has short, guided meditations you can follow.

12 Every morning, after checking your emails, make a to-do list of the most urgent things you need to do that day.

13 After lunch, take a five-minute walk outside, regardless of the weather, for some fresh air.

14 To help you declutter, scan the room every time you get up or go to bed and try to find at least one item that you can throw in the recycling, donate to charity, or throw away.

15 To be more organized, purchase a concertina file and file it away immediately every time you open your message. All bills that are due should be put together in a bulldog clip and hung so they are easily visible.