We’re living through a wellness renaissance. But, without the right systems in place, all the resources and tools and practices can feel a bit overwhelming. So many good habits to implement into your daily routine… and such little time! How do you choose which healthy habits to commit to? Or, better yet, how do you hack your routine to fit more good habits into each day? Let’s talk about HABIT STACKING.
Biohacking is a movement that combines science-backed strategies, natural tools, and advanced technologies to ‘hack’ your physical and cognitive health. It can all seem complicated at first, but the best biohacking practices are actually designed to make it easy (if not effortless!) to implement powerful daily rituals that create visible changes, from the inside out. “Stacking” is a foundational practice of biohackers.
Most simply, “stacking” means layering multiple wellness steps into one powerful routine. This optimizes time, boosts the benefits, and makes it easy to commit to transformation. At HigherDOSE, we are passionate about inviting more women into the historically male-dominated biohacking movement. And we believe stacking is the most powerful way for anyone, especially women, to start.
Women are biohackers by nature. We’ve been tuning into our bodies since the beginning of time – to balance work, play, motherhood, partnership, and never-ending to-do lists. In other words, you are probably already habit stacking throughout your days. That’s great news – you’re perfectly positioned to optimize your steps and upleveling your stacks.
In this article, we are breaking down the basics of habit stacking, so you can start biohacking your way to easy days of vitality, energy, and radiance.
THE ART OF HABIT STACKING:
How do biohackers create a chain of behaviors that become automatic and easy to maintain over time? They start by “stacking” new habits on top of existing ones. Never miss a workout? Stack your new habits around your gym routine. Do you cherish your cup of coffee after you drop the kids off at school? That’s your launch point for your powerful new morning stack. By linking new habits on top of the ones you never miss, you create a new routine that becomes an automatic and sustainable part of your daily life.
It’s basically like finding your “flow zone” within your wellness routine. And in our opinion, the marker of successful stacking is that you start completing way more healthy tasks, with far less effort.
Here are some steps to perfect the art of stacking:
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IDENTIFY AN EXISTING HABIT: What is something you already do consistently? It could be anything from brushing your teeth to making your bed to drinking a glass of water in the morning. The key is to find something that you already do, with little to no thought. This will become your stack’s anchor.
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CHOOSE THE NEW HABIT: Once you’ve identified the existing habit, choose a new habit that you want to stack on top of it. This could be anything that you want to incorporate into your daily routine, such as meditation, exercise, reading, or journaling.
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DECIDE ON A TRIGGER: The next step is to decide on the trigger that will link the two habits together. This could be a specific time of day, a physical location, or a particular action. For example, if you want to meditate after brushing your teeth, you could use the act of putting your toothbrush away as the trigger.
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START SMALL: When you’re first starting out with habit stacking, it’s important to start small. Choose a new habit that’s easy to accomplish and won’t take too much time or energy. For example, if you want to start exercising after brushing your teeth, start with 20 push-ups every time you put your toothbrush away.
TIME-ORIENTED STACKS:
A great way to get started with habit stacking is to choose a time of day that you already have rituals, but could enhance. Ready to give your morning routine a facelift? Want to add more power and intention to your pre-workout ritual? Are you commuting to work again and wishing you could use the time for more than sitting in traffic? These are all great times to schedule a stack.
Here are some examples of common time-oriented stacks:
MORNING STACKMany biohackers use the morning to maximize habit stacking. Think of your morning stack like an AM routine that you can actually remember to complete each day. Here is a common example of a stacked morning: Start by drinking a glass of water with lemon to hydrate and support digestion, followed by a few minutes of meditation to center your mind and reduce stress. Next, move on to a quick workout or yoga session to get your blood flowing and improve your mood. From there, enjoy your coffee on top of the HigherDOSE Infrared PEMF MAT (because Beta brain waves are basically coffee for your cells).
See how double duty tasks start making these stacks gain momentum?!
PRE-WORKOUT STACK
If you're someone who looks forward to a daily workout, you might consider creating a pre-workout stack to help you optimize your performance and energy levels. This could include a cup of coffee or tea for a caffeine boost, paired with nootropics to support focus, energy, and endurance. As your energy levels rise, take a few minutes to stretch and warm up your muscles. After your workout, do your stretches on the HigherDOSE Infrared PEMF Mat, which will be doing double duty as it promotes muscle recovery and reduces inflammation after your workout.
See how adjacent activities start boosting the wellness benefits of one another?!
Are you headed back into the office and hoping to make the most of your commute? That time in traffic or on public transportation can be transformed into a powerful stacking moment. Before you head out, enjoy your coffee with a daily dose of wellness supplements. Save a few minutes to stretch before you hit the road. Use the first part of your journey to recite your daily affirmations. Then, turn on an audiobook that is teaching you something new.
See how you can find valuable time during parts of your day that used to feel crowded?!
Creating an evening wind-down stack can be a powerful way to promote restful sleep and reduce stress and anxiety. You might start by turning off all screens and electronics an hour before bed to promote relaxation and reduce exposure to blue light. Next, you could take a warm bath or shower to promote relaxation and soothe sore muscles. Then, you might spend a few minutes practicing mindfulness or meditation to quiet your mind and promote relaxation. Finally, you could slip into the Infrared Sauna Blanket to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and promote restful sleep.
See how the right stack can deliver a powerful reset and long-term benefits?!
BENEFIT-BOOSTING STACKS:
Want to get even more specific about your stacks? One of our favorite ways to stack vital habits is to focus on the desired benefit. We built three powerful stacks featuring our favorite HD devices: The Detox Stack, The Skin Stack, and the Calm Stack.
Dive deep into the benefit that is calling you:
THE DETOX STACK: Ready for a deep, deep clean of mind & body? Explore The Detox Stack.
THE SKIN STACK: Ready to commit to your best skin? Explore The Skin Stack.
THE CHILL STACK: Ready to take relaxation to new heights? Explore The Chill Stack.
THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF BIOHACKING:
Okay, you are ready to start stacking. But there are so many things you want to add into your days. Where to begin? Let’s review some core pillars of the biohacking movement.
Each vertical offers a range of powerful ways to optimize your health and wellness. And each can be accomplished without investing into the most expensive tools on the market. We firmly believe that sometimes the strongest medicine is just simply getting outside.
By zooming in on the areas you’d like to invest more time and energy into, you can start to create the ultimate personalized habit stack – loaded with desired benefits.
Here are a few biohacking building blocks to consider when stacking:
- NOOTROPICS & SUPPLEMENTS: You don’t have to buy the most expensive supplements or nootropics on the shelf. There are plenty of natural sources of vitamins and minerals that can be found in everyday foods. For example, leafy greens like spinach are high in magnesium, which can help with relaxation and stress reduction. Oranges are a great source of Vitamin C, which supports immune function. Always choose whole, organic ingredients. And get curious about the powerful benefits of what you are consuming each day.
- DIET & NUTRITION: The simplest way to start optimizing your diet is to focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods. Incorporating fruits and vegetables into every meal is a great way to get a variety of vitamins and minerals, and avoiding added sugars and processed foods can help reduce inflammation and improve energy levels.
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EXERCISE & MOVEMENT: Exercise doesn't have to mean going to the gym every day or racing towards the best body of your life. Start small and listen to your body. Simple activities like taking a walk or doing some yoga at home can have significant benefits for physical and mental health.
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SLEEP OPTIMIZATION:: One of the easiest ways to improve your sleep habits is to establish a consistent bedtime and wake-up time. Creating a relaxing bedtime routine, like reading a great book or taking a warm bath, can also help signal to your body that it's time to wind down.
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MINDFULNESS & MEDITATION:: Starting a mindfulness or meditation practice doesn't have to be intimidating. There are plenty of free resources available online, like guided meditation videos or mindfulness apps. Even just taking a few deep breaths throughout the day can help reduce stress and improve focus.
- WEARABLE TECH: While high-tech wearables like fitness trackers and sleep monitors can be helpful, there are plenty of low-tech options as well. Simply tracking your daily steps with a pedometer or writing down how many hours of sleep you get each night can help you become more aware of your habits and start making positive changes.
Happy Stacking! Let us know how it goes.
