One of the best things you can do to ensure you stick to new things is to make them a habit, too. By doing so, you can turn them into a natural part of your evening or weekend. However, this is easier said than done, and so you’ll need a technique that will help you build your new habits into your days.

“Habit stacking” is a technique that will help you to “connect your new behaviour to something you already do”, according to Psychology Today. By doing so, you forge a strong mental association with the thing that you want to do, and mark a specific point in your day in which to do it. You’re also not trying to find additional time in your day, which there is only a limited amount of.

So, when you have your breakfast in the morning, try adding in a couple of minute’s meditation when you sit down with it. Or, when you’re changing out of your work get-up at the end of the day, you could put your running gear straight on so that you’re ready to head out. And, if you wanted to learn a new language or listen to an interesting podcast, you could try doing so as soon as you sit down on the sofa when you would usually watch Netflix.

“Habit stacking” could be just the thing you need to swap out bad habits for good