PCOS New Year’s Resolutions: How to Use Habit Stacking to Meet Your Goals.

Most people set New Year’s resolutions and most people are never successful (Sorry to be blunt here). 

Why? Because we start out gung-ho, making complete lifestyle changes overnight.  

We feel good for a few weeks.  Finding it easy to prioritize all-day meal prep sessions, avoiding sugar completely or walking 10,000+ steps per day. 

But then, life starts getting in the way. And we start to slide back to our previous habits. 

When this happens, we start to feel guilt and shame, thinking that we just don’t have the willpower. 

Well, that’s just complete BS! You didn’t fail, that crazy diet failed YOU.

Most people make two mistakes when setting health goals for the New Year.

1. They are WAY too restrictive. Fad diets don’t work long term. Period. 
2. They don’t utilize a system to make LASTING changes to their health habits.

Slow and steady wins the race. It’s not sexy but it works.

Let’s dive into the world of Habit Stacking for PCOS so you can finally make those sustainable nutrition and lifestyle changes that will improve your PCOS.

What is Habit Stacking? 

Habit stacking is a method of behavior change that involves creating a list of small, manageable tasks that you can complete each day to help you reach your goal. 

The best part of habit stacking is that it doesn’t require a huge time commitment – you can start small and gradually add on as you go.

When it comes to developing habits that improve PCOS, “stacking” them makes the process a lot easier. Basically, you link a new healthy habit to an already established habit so that you don’t have to focus as much energy on making the change.

There is a lot of evidence behind habit stacking, and research has shown that it can be an effective way to make changes in your life. 

One study found that people who stacked their new habits were more likely to stick with them over time. In addition, they found that when people tried to make too many changes at once, they were less likely to be successful. 

So if you’re trying to adopt a new habit, it might be helpful to stack it on top of an existing one.

There are a few different ways to go about stacking habits – let’s take a look.

Types of Habit Stacking

Chain Stacking

Chaining involves linking a new habit to an established one. 

For example, you want to start taking Ovasitol (Use code PRC #233982 to save 15% off) every day, twice a day as recommended.

So you “chain it” to an existing habit like brushing your teeth. Every time you brush your teeth, you take the Ovasitol right after. You set yourself up for success by keeping the supplements right next to your toothbrush – to make it as easy as possible to add the new habit. 

The easier and more convenient the chained habit is, the more likely it is that you’ll adopt it.

Sequence Method

Sequencing involves doing a series of existing, related habits in order and adding in a new one. 

For example, if you’re looking to increase your intake of water, you might want to wake up, make coffee, [insert new habit] drink a glass of water, eat breakfast, and then brush your teeth.

Sequencing your habits can be helpful because it can make them feel more manageable. When you have a specific order that you do things in, it can make it feel less like you’re just randomly doing things and more like you’re following a plan. 

Plus, it can help you to remember to do all of your habits, since you’ll know that you have to do them in a specific order.

Pairing Method

Pairing involves pairing two habits together so that they happen simultaneously. 

This can be particularly powerful if you “temptation bundle” – pick something you really love doing and add a new habit to the mix.  

For example, let’s say you really love listening to podcasts or audiobooks –  bundling this existing pleasure with a new habit like walking.

Maybe you’re enjoying a new TV series – only watch it while on the treadmill. This way you will naturally look forward to your daily exercise as it is associated with something you really enjoy.

Take Action

You don’t need to stick to just one type of habit stacking. Experiment with pairing different habits, both current and new, and see what works best.

Trigger

The first step with any type of habit stacking is to choose a trigger. 

A trigger is something that you do on a regular basis that you can use to remind yourself to perform your desired behavior. 

For example, if you’re trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, you might use the trigger of brushing your teeth in the morning as a reminder to eat a healthy breakfast. 

Or, if you’re trying to cut back on sugary snacks, you might use the trigger of taking a break at work as a reminder to eat an apple instead of heading for the vending machine. 

Choose a trigger that is already part of your daily routine so that it’s easy to remember.

Start Stacking

Think about the different types of habit stacking and start with a new habit that fits well into your daily routine. 

Begin with stacking ONE habit to an established habit. Perform the stack for at least a week or two until it seems easier. Once you’re in the flow, you can add another habit to the stack.

The key is to create a chain of healthy behaviors that becomes automatic and second nature. Eventually, these behaviors will become part of your daily routine without any effort on your part. 

And when they do, you’ll be well on your way to improving your PCOS and overall health!

How to Use Healthy Habit Stacking

Let’s take a look at some examples of new healthy habits that can be created with stacking.

Drink more water:

Chain: brush teeth + fill water bottle + drink water

Sequence: wake up > make coffee > drink water

Pair: drink water while answering emails 3x per day

Prep More veggies:

Chain: make a sandwich + slice cucumbers

Sequence: make dinner > prep extra vegetables > pack for next day’s lunch

Pair: prep vegetables for week [carefully] while watching Sunday night football

Consume Blood Sugar Balancing Snacks:

Chain: put groceries away + portion out nuts for snacking

Sequence: pick up kids from school > eat an orange with nuts > make dinner

Pair: eat an apple with a cheese stick while doing Wordle daily

Final thoughts…

Habit stacking is an easy and effective way to make lasting changes to your eating habits and lifestyle that can significantly improve your PCOS symptoms.

By breaking down your goals into smaller steps and linking them together with triggers, you can gradually build healthy new habits that will last a lifetime. 

So give it a try – you may be surprised at how quickly and easily habit stacking can help you improve your PCOS and overall health!

Interested in learning more? Confused about what you should be eating for PCOS? Need help setting those weekly goals? Check out The PCOS Kitchen Cooking Course!