Tips for Adding New Habits to Your Routine

Hello everyone and welcome to my little blog where I share my experiences as a modern homemaker. If you are new here and you enjoy lifestyle content, tips and tricks, or blogs where I share my journey through new motherhood, I would appreciate it if you subscribed because I would love to have you as a part of this little community!

Okay, let’s get started! Today I am going to share with you some tips that I have used to successfully add in new habits to my routines. I have actually struggled with this in the past a lot and often would get bored or simply forget I was trying something new, and I figured with New Year’s Resolutions right around the corner, today is the perfect day to share these tips.

---

Start Small
If you want to set yourself up for success, start small and keep it simple. For example, if your goal is to have a clean bathroom start by just wiping down the sink every day. Once you are consistently wiping down the sink, then you can add in scrubbing down the toilet. Eventually you’ll end up with a deep cleaned bathroom.

Attach the New Task to an Old Habit
This is an important one. Studies actually show that attaching the new task you want to complete onto a habit that you already do (also known as habit stacking), you are more likely to keep doing the new task. Lets go back to our bathroom example. Most likely you already brush your teeth every day, so if you wipe down your sink right after you brush your teeth it will become second nature a lot faster because your brain will be tricked into thinking the two tasks are related even when they actually aren’t.

Add in a time constraint
When you set goals it is best to be as detailed as possible. Instead of saying I want to have a clean bathroom, reformat that into something that is attainable in a certain amount of time. For example: I want to have a clean bathroom at the end of the week. Now you know that you only have one week to develop the new habit of cleaning your bathroom. Adding in time constraints can also make your new habit seem more enjoyable because it will turn it into a competition. So hurry up and brush your teeth so you can wipe down the sink and have a sparking clean bathroom.

Reward Yourself
There is a ton of research around the idea of giving out rewards whenever you finish your tasks, in other words positive reinforcement. When you are trying to add in something new to your routine, make sure you reward yourself when you successfully wipe down your bathroom sink. This will make you more likely to keep wiping down your sink until it becomes second nature.

Here are some examples of rewards to motivate you to clean your sink just in case you need ideas. Although it truly doesn’t matter as long as it inspires you to clean your bathroom today.

• Watch an episode of your favorite show on Netflix
• Sleep in until 8:00 am tomorrow
• Have ice cream for dinner today.

Repetition is key
New habits don’t form over night. In fact, it can take anywhere from about a month to a year to successfully form a new habit depending on how complex the new habit you’re trying to add into your routine is. Repetition takes time, and that is why it can be so difficult to add a new habit to your routine or to cut out a bad habit you no longer want in your routine.

But if you start small, make it a fun competition, eat ice cream everyday for dinner, and wipe down your bathroom counters every day after you brush your teeth, you will successfully have added cleaning your bathroom into your routine–and good news! It will only take one year, so better start now.

---

Thank you for joining me today!

Affiliate Links:
Start your own blog today!
Choose your gift when you place your Grove order!

Join my email List for free access to my Etsy printables!

Shop at my Poshmark Closet: @ourlifeinmt

Connect with me:
Facebook: Laundry and Dishes
Instagram: @laundry_and_dishes
Pinterest: @laundryanddishes
Twitter: @laundry_dishes
TikTok: @laundry_and_dishes

For more cleaning and organizational motivation heck out my latest YouTube Video: 
Laundry & Dishes

Send me an email, I’d love to feature your work on my blog or collaborate with you: 
laundryanddishes@yahoo.com

Check out my husband’s Instagram:
@vigilantoutdoors