We are creatures of habit. Will Durant (paraphrasing Aristotle) wrote, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act but a habit.” It’s a mantra that reminds us: We are not what we do once in a while; we are what we do every day. For years as a mother and teacher, I’ve wondered how can we use the power of habit formation to bring more joy to our lives and the lives of children?
While the popularizing of habit formation is not new, many of us struggle to stick with healthy habits. We know exercise, even a little of it, can make us happier and healthier, but it can be hard to stick with it. We know that we are what we eat, physically and psychologically, but choosing apples over cookies is hard.
A new field within the science of happiness is looking at habit formation and the power of habit stacking. Essentially, add a new, healthy habit to an already existing one and you increase the likelihood that you will stick with the new habit igniting a sense of pride and greater happiness in the process.
For example, want to read more and encourage reading in your children? Commit to it as a habit by stacking reading on to an already existing habit as a part of your morning or evening routine. For example, while having your morning cup of coffee read for five minutes with your children on the couch. You and your child gain connection and you model the value of reading as a habit to start your day.
Habit Stacking At Home
There are countless ways to bring more joy to our lives through habit stacking. Here are a few ways to make a joy a habit in your daily routine:
-Waking up: Start your day by writing down an “I Am” affirmation. Try not to repeat yourself. Be specific.
-Morning coffee or tea: Read on the couch with your child. Let them choose what you read. Alternate pages if appropriate. Our family favorite is Calvin and Hobbes.
-Brushing your teeth: Think of three things you are looking forward to that day.
-Driving somewhere: Add joy by listening to audio books–our family favorites are The Terrible Two by Mac Barnett, The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Instead of asking, “Are we there yet?”, my boys now ask “Mom, can you please put on the story?”
-Making a meal: Listen to a podcast (my favorite, On Being) or by letting children be DJ (Space Unicorn seems to be the song of the summer in our house).
-Relaxing before bedtime: Write down three good things from your day and something you wish you’d done differently.
Habit Stacking In Our Classrooms
In our classrooms, we can use habit stacking to bring more joy to students as a part of their daily routine by design.
-Morning Arrival: Invite students to write “I Am”, “I Can”, or “I Did” statements on chart paper while you take attendance. Watch your affirmations grow as a class all year long. Invite one or two students to share what they wrote each day.
-Gratitude Practice: Alongside learning objectives, write down one thing you are grateful for each day. Invite students to turn and talk about one thing they are grateful for before you launch into a daily read aloud or mini-lesson.
-Transitions: Before transitioning to the classroom rug or back to individual seats, invite students to take three deep breaths or to do a power pose to nudge body–mind connections.
-Partner Work: Encourage students to compliment their partner as a habit at least once during their partner time.
-End of the Day: Invite students to write down one good thing from their day that brought them happiness before they pack their belongings.
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