Hate working out? Try temptation bundling

You want to go for a walk, but you also want to stay home and hear what happens next in your audiobook. Try giving those two wants the same appointment. Save the audiobook for the walk.

That is temptation bundling: pair an action you want to do more often with something you already enjoy. The pleasure happens during the action. You get to look forward to part of the session before you begin.

The gym-only audiobook experiment

In a study with 226 participants, researchers tested access to gripping audiobooks that could only be heard at the gym. At first, the group with gym-only access visited 51% more often than the control group.

The boost faded after a Thanksgiving break. That limit belongs alongside the result: the study supports trying the pairing, but does not promise that an early increase will last through interruptions. The episode’s advice is to keep the treat fresh.

Use the same idea for a routine you want to start. Choose a pairing you can comfortably do together, then write down the boundary that makes it a bundle.

1. Pick something you want

Choose a podcast, audiobook, show, or favourite coffee that you actually look forward to. Begin with your own taste. If you have no interest in the treat, choose another one before building a rule around it.

For a walking habit, pick the audiobook you keep wanting to return to. For cleaning, try a podcast you enjoy. Name the specific treat in your plan, so you know what will be waiting when the activity begins. Queue it before the session.

2. Pair it with one action

Write a clear sentence: “I listen to this audiobook only while I walk.” Or try: “This podcast is for cleaning the kitchen.” Pick the action you want to practise and give the treat a place inside it.

Check that the pairing works for the actual activity. You could listen while walking or choose a favourite drink for a study session. Use an arrangement you are comfortable carrying out. Decide where you will begin and have both parts ready.

3. Keep the boundary

Save that particular treat for the activity. If you listen to the entire audiobook on the sofa, you have used up the story you planned to take on your walk. Choose a rule you are willing to follow outside the session as well.

You can keep other things to enjoy at home. The practical choice is which one you will reserve. If you want this podcast available everywhere, pick a different series for the bundle. Make the agreement specific enough that you can tell when you are using it.

4. Refresh the treat

When you finish a series, choose the next one. Put it in your plan before the next walk or cleaning session. Ask yourself what you want to hear or enjoy now, rather than automatically keeping the original choice.

After a break, take a moment to set up the bundle again. Select the episode, prepare what you need, and choose your next session. Treat refreshing the pairing as something you can plan, with a real choice waiting for you.

Try one bundle

Pick one action and one treat tonight. Write the “only while” rule and prepare both parts. At your next session, notice whether you look forward to the pairing. Use that answer when you choose what to reserve for the session after it.

Related reading: The Smart Bribe: Using “Temptation Bundling” to Make Hard Habits Irresistible.

Sources

• Milkman, K. L., Minson, J. A., & Volpp, K. G. M. (2014). Holding the Hunger Games Hostage at the Gym: An Evaluation of Temptation Bundling. Management Science, 60(2), 283–299.