Habit Stacking

Introduction and Purpose

Habit formation is based on the linking of a behaviour to a context, repetition of the behaviour in that context, and a pleasing outcome (Michalek et al., 2019). By transforming pro-biodiversity behaviours into habits, it means they become part of everyday routines, rather than being dependent on attitudes and motivations. Once established, habits require minimal conscious effort.

Habit Stacking is a twist on the ‘if-then’ planning strategy to link a new behaviour to an existing one: “After I [current habit], then I will [new behaviour].” The If–then planning helps you prepare for situations by deciding in advance what you’ll do: “If I see food waste, then I’ll put it in the compost bin.” Habit Stacking takes this a step further by linking a new action to something you already do automatically. Instead of waiting for a situation to arise, you “stack” the new behaviour onto a daily routine: “After I make my morning coffee, then I’ll water the office plant.” Habit Stacking uses reliable, everyday habits as cues, which makes the new behaviour easier to remember and more likely to stick.

Habit Stacking is well-suited to biodiversity because many pro-biodiversity behaviours are small, repeated actions that benefit from becoming automatic. By linking these behaviours to daily routines, staff can contribute to biodiversity goals without needing constant reminders or motivation.

In a business setting, employees can stack biodiversity actions onto existing workplace habits such as making tea, logging into computers, taking breaks, or leaving the office. For example:

After I make my morning coffee, then I will water the office plant.
After I finish printing, then I will put scrap paper into the recycling bin.
After I walk to the car park, then I will check the wildflower pots or pick up one piece of litter.
After our weekly team meeting, then we will share one small biodiversity-friendly tip or action.
After I turn off my computer at the end of the day, then I will switch off the lights in the shared office space.

Over time, these routines create a collective habit culture, where biodiversity-friendly actions become a routine aspect of work life rather than extra tasks.

Key Features

Timeframe:

Habit Stacking can be established over a period of two to six months, depending on the complexity of the new habits, the strength of the anchor routines, and the consistency of repetition.

Materials Required:

Prompt materials to provide simple visual reminders placed at key habit locations, such as stickers by kettles, posters near printers, signs by recycling bins, or digital pop-ups when logging off computers.
Staff worksheets or templates to help employees design their own habit stacks using the “After I…, then I will…” format, encouraging reflection and personalisation.
Digital tools for optional use, such as apps, intranet pages, or calendar notifications, to send reminders during the early stages of habit formation.
Green resources to support biodiversity-related habits, including items such as watering cans for office plants, seed packets for staff, or compost caddies in shared kitchens.
Shared logbooks or digital trackers for employees to record biodiversity actions, such as pollinator sightings or office clean-ups. Ethical good practice should guide their use, ensuring transparency about data collection, voluntary participation, and respect for privacy and consent.
Communication channels including posters, newsletters, or team briefings to reinforce the purpose and value of Habit Stacking and to share examples of successful practices across teams.
Managerial support through visible encouragement and participation from leaders, demonstrating that biodiversity-friendly habits are recognised, valued and embedded in workplace culture.

Skills Required:

Behavioural awareness to understand how habits form and the importance of consistency, cues and repetition in sustaining behaviour. ‍
Facilitation to guide employees through creating their own habit stacks, ensuring biodiversity actions are realistic and fit naturally into daily routines. ‍
Communication to explain the Habit Stacking approach in simple, engaging terms so staff see it as practical and achievable. ‍
Creativity to design or suggest biodiversity actions that are small, manageable, and relevant to different work settings (for example, office desks, outdoor areas, kitchens). ‍
Leadership and role modelling to demonstrate personal habit stacks (for example, “After I make my tea, I check the office plants”) that normalise the practice and set cultural expectations. ‍
Monitoring and evaluation to track adoption and success of habit stacks and adjust prompts or supports if actions are not being maintained. ‍
Positive reinforcement to recognise and praise staff when they embed new biodiversity habits, strengthening motivation and normalising the behaviour.

Potential Impact:

Sustained pro-biodiversity behaviour, with employees consistently integrating small, meaningful actions into their daily routines.
Biodiversity practices embedded within workplace culture, becoming part of shared values and collective identity.
A collective ripple effect as positive behaviours spread across teams and inspire action beyond the workplace.
Improved employee morale and engagement through participation in purposeful, nature-connected activities.
Operational benefits such as reduced waste, enhanced wellbeing and increased productivity.
An enhanced organisational reputation as a workplace that values environmental responsibility and long-term sustainability.
Potential for scalability, enabling the approach to be adapted and extended across different teams, departments and sites.

Instructions

In a workplace context, Habit Stacking can be guided by the following steps:

Identify everyday habits that employees already perform consistently, such as making tea or coffee, logging into a computer, leaving the office, or attending weekly meetings. These familiar routines serve as “anchors” for new biodiversity actions.
Select small, simple biodiversity behaviours that can be easily integrated into existing routines, for example watering plants, recycling, switching off lights, or recording a pollinator sighting.
Encourage employees to frame their plans using the structure “After I [current habit], I will [new biodiversity action],” helping to make the link between behaviours clear and memorable.
Provide gentle visual or digital cues near relevant locations, such as a reminder by the kettle to water plants or a prompt near the printer to recycle.
Involve employees in designing their own habit stacks so that biodiversity actions feel natural and personally meaningful within their daily routines.
Reinforce the importance of consistency by encouraging repetition of the new action each time the existing habit occurs, as regular practice in the same context strengthens habit formation.
Support team-based approaches by encouraging shared biodiversity routines, such as including a biodiversity-related check-in at the end of meetings or during office clean-ups.
Monitor and celebrate progress through recognition or small rewards to maintain motivation and reinforce positive behaviour.

Rationale:

Habit formation is a valuable way to achieve long-lasting behaviour change because once a behaviour becomes automatic/routine, it no longer relies on conscious effort, reminders, or motivation. This is extremely useful where employees are already juggling multiple tasks and may forget or deprioritise biodiversity-friendly actions. By embedding these actions into daily routines, businesses can make action for biodiversity a part of routine operations rather than an additional responsibility.

Benefits:

Sustainability of change: Once habits form, they continue with minimal effort, ensuring lasting pro-biodiversity practices.
Low-cost approach: No expensive systems or incentives are required; small prompts and encouragement are enough.
Scalability and flexibility: Works at both individual and team levels, from personal routines (watering plants) to collective ones (ending meetings with biodiversity actions).
Cultural embedding: As more employees adopt biodiversity habits, they become workplace norms that reinforce the organisation’s values.
Resilience to setbacks: Even when motivation dips, habits often persist because they are cued by automatic routines.
Employee empowerment: Staff feel capable of contributing to biodiversity goals in small but meaningful ways, enhancing morale and ownership.

Links to Resources

Academic paper that explains habit formation in a workplace context by Michalek et al. (2019)

James Clear’s explanation of habit-stacking

Overview