{"id":16372,"date":"2024-02-01T16:17:16","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T17:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/?p=16372"},"modified":"2024-02-03T23:56:49","modified_gmt":"2024-02-03T23:56:49","slug":"how-temptation-bundling-can-help-build-healthier-habits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/everything-else\/how-temptation-bundling-can-help-build-healthier-habits\/","title":{"rendered":"How Temptation Bundling Can Help Build Healthier Habits"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Temptation<\/p>\n

“Damn you Netflix, how did I just watch 10 episodes of Stranger Things,<\/em>\u00a0I have stuff\u00a0to do!”<\/strong><\/p>\n

We’ve all been there. There are the things we know we SHOULD do, the things we NEED to do, and the things that we WANT to do.<\/p>\n

More often than not, the WANT wins out over the NEED and SHOULD.<\/em><\/p>\n

It’s like trying to win a tug-of-war against a tractor pulling in the opposite direction. It’s why we struggle to get to the gym after a long day of work. It’s why we opt for Taco Bell instead of taking the time to cook a healthy meal.<\/a><\/p>\n

Today, we’re going to give you a quick life hack that can help you start leveling up your life and actually get things done that need to get done!<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Temptation Bundling?<\/h2>\n

\"This<\/p>\n

I bet you’ve said the following: “Before I can watch TV, I need to\u00a0exercise.” And yet, TV ends up winning over exercise almost all the time, especially if it’s after a long miserable day at work.<\/p>\n

So, instead of “if I do this, then I get this” What\u00a0if we combined the two into one epic activity?<\/p>\n

That idea is called “temptation bundling,”<\/strong> a term coined by Wharton Professor Katy Milkman<\/a>: ultimately, you\u00a0combine something that needs to be done with something you\u00a0want to do.<\/p>\n

She describes the idea in a paper entitled: \u201cHolding The Hunger Games<\/em> Hostage at the Gym: An Evaluation of Temptation Bundling.\u201d [1]<\/sup><\/a><\/span> The goal is to get us to do things we need to do by combining them with things we want to do, removing the “either\/or” temptation and getting us to ACTUALLY do stuff:<\/p>\n

\n

Participants were randomly assigned to a full treatment condition with gym-only access to tempting audio novels, an intermediate treatment involving encouragement to restrict audiobook enjoyment to the gym, or a control condition. <\/em><\/p>\n

Initially, full and intermediate treatment participants visited the gym 51% and 29% more frequently.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Long story short:<\/strong> the people in the study who were told they could listen to addictive audio books only\u00a0<\/em>while working out visited the gym 51% more frequently<\/span> than those who were just told they should exercise more.<\/p>\n

Here’s some Nerd Fitness examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n

In love with the show Arrow<\/em>? I am, and I want Stephen Amell to be my best friend.\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Don’t say,\u00a0“I can only watch Arrow<\/em> after exercising.” Change your phrasing, and try this instead: “I can only watch Arrow WHILE exercising.” Bring your iPad or Laptop to the gym, and only watch particular shows while you are on a treadmill, walking, or using the elliptical.<\/p>\n

Addicted to Clash of Clans<\/em> on your phone?<\/strong> Only allow yourself to work on your clan while at the gym, in between sets of deadlifts<\/a>. Same goes for looking at TikTok or Instagram: only while resting in between squats<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Maybe you can only listen to\u00a0Serial<\/em><\/a>\u00a0or The Rewatchables<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>while walking, doing a particular work task, or even completing a chore at home like cleaning or laundry.\u00a0An hour episode while walking could result in you racking up 3+\u00a0miles on your walk to Mordor!<\/a><\/p>\n

Afraid to try cooking a new healthy meal<\/a>?<\/strong>\u00a0You can ONLY listen to a podcast or music in your house while you are cooking. BLAST it at top volume while having fun making a mess trying to cook.<\/p>\n

Now, although this study teaches us that bundling a healthy life-improvement activity with one you enjoy can help you make a change, the boost can oftentimes be temporary.<\/p>\n

The study went on to say that the “allure” of the audiobook + gym combo wore off after a few months, thus furthering the suggestion that the best chance for long term success is to truly “enjoy the journey<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

Long story short: this can a great strategy to get started, and a great way to identify types of exercise or strategies that work for you, long term results might require leveled up strategies!<\/p>\n

But that’s fine – we’re going to be using it to build long term habits.<\/a><\/p>\n

Try the temptation bundle challenge<\/h2>\n

\"Try<\/p>\n

If you can implement it properly, temptation bundling can both increase your time spent doing a healthy activity\u00a0while also helping you limit the\u00a0unhealthy one.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now, you might be saying, “Steve, doesn’t this make the fun\u00a0activity less enjoyable and the exercise\/health portion\u00a0less efficient?”\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Possibly, but that’s not the point! Sure, I would love it if you went to the gym, completed a kickass workout, ate a healthy meal, and then got 8 hours of sleep.<\/p>\n

However, this isn’t Imagination Land<\/a>, and I know\u00a0the best workout plan is the one you actually complete<\/a>. This is infinitely better than the perfect workout plan that makes you say “meh, I’ll start tomorrow.”<\/p>\n

So what do we do?<\/strong> We use temptation bundling to get us started, and then use drive to keep us going<\/a>. When we build interest ih the activity itself, we shift our focus from “I’m enduring this workout” to “I can’t wait to see how much better I am this week.” The change can become permanent.<\/p>\n

Your turn:<\/strong> what’s one activity that you love to do, and one that you know you should do more of? And how are you going to implement this strategy\u00a0TODAY to your daily routine? Here are some other rapid fire examples:<\/p>\n