Stacked Intent: Be Authentically YOU!
The Stacked Intent podcast explores topics such as healthy relationships, finance, and nutrition, all backed by research. It aims to guide listeners toward intentional living and building confidence. Stacked Intent is a Family Life Education business that helps individuals discover their authentic selves and make impactful decisions regarding money, time, and energy. The initiative was inspired by a pivotal question about fostering healthy relationships, emphasizing the need for education on true relationship boundaries. Through podcasts, courses, and other resources, Stacked Intent promotes understanding and practicing healthy relationships and self-reflection.
Stacked Intent: Be Authentically YOU!
88: Micro Habits in Relationships
Brief Summary of objectives (3):
o Educate listeners on the power of micro habits in cultivating self-awareness and relational health.
o Empower individuals to implement simple, actionable habits that strengthen their self-relationship.
o Equip couples with micro habits that promote connection, trust, and long-term relationship satisfaction.
Call to action:
o Small, intentional actions can transform your relationship with yourself and others.
o Consistency matters more than intensity.
o Invite listeners to identify one micro habit for themselves and one for their relationship.
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Micro habits in Relationships
Brief Summary of objectives (3):
- Educate listeners on the power of micro habits in cultivating self-awareness and relational health.
- Empower individuals to implement simple, actionable habits that strengthen their self-relationship.
- Equip couples with micro habits that promote connection, trust, and long-term relationship satisfaction.
Topic 1: Micro Habits for Your Relationship with Yourself
- What are micro habits and how are they helpful?
- Defining micro habits, they are small, easily achievable action that you incorporate into your daily routines. These can be tiny habits that steer you toward a bigger goal.
- You can use a micro habit to transform any aspect of your life
- Identifying areas where you’d like to improve or change
- be honest with yourself, but not punitive
- “change” vs. “adjusts”
- Building a strong self-relationship lays the foundation for healthier interpersonal relationships.
- if you’re second guessing yourself to an unhealthy extent, this will impact your relationships with others
- The ripple effect of self-compassion and awareness on external relationships.
- Examples of Micro Habits:
- Practicing daily gratitude (write 1-3 things you’re thankful for).
- Even journaling for five minutes every, just to help get your thoughts out on paper and it will help you truly begin to see the relationship you have with self
- Setting a 5-minute mindfulness timer to check in with your emotions.
- Identifying an area of struggle for yourself and affirming yourself with one positive statement regarding that issue each day.
- Putting things back once finished
- I know one of the biggest things for me and taking care of myself through the micro habit of always putting an item away once I am finished to help not create clutter.
- Meditate or prayer for one minute everyday
- This can help to increase your stress management; meditation is known as a factor for your mental wellbeing.
- Outside time can give you connection to yourself with no technology and fresh air
- Small changes lead to big change
- start with one or two, rather than a large overhaul
- remain flexible - if the new micro habit doesn’t “fit,” ask yourself what needs to change, adjust and keep moving
Topic 2: Micro Habits in Romantic Relationships
- Micro habits are everyday actions that can significantly strengthen a bond through simple actions that speak a long way.
- Small actions create lasting bonds and trust in relationships.
- in the busyness of everyday life, our romantic relationships are often the first thing to go on the “back burner”
- relationships are built in the small moments
- Examples of Relational Micro Habits:
- Planned moment of reconnection every day - 15-minute check-in exercise. Click the resource here.
- Sending a kind text or note of appreciation once a day - set a reminder if necessary
- 6 second kiss at the end of the workday (from the Gottman’s research showing that this is enough to kick your body into gear).
- Share gratitude
- sitting around the fire together
- planned “no-phone” time at certain times of day
- Daily appreciation
- Actively listening
- be present when your partner is speaking
- Consistent micro habits prevent “relational drift” and foster deeper connection.
- moments of turning toward one another in a life that is pulling your attention away
- seeing each other and feeling seen fosters emotional intimacy
- moments where you and your spouse feel prioritized by each other serves to realign your priorities where they should truly be
- Making sure to have a daily check-in with each other through looking at what is a highlight from the day, what do you wish was better, and even do you have a tough moment you want to talk about.
- Sharing a meal together
Topic 3: Integrating Micro Habits into Your Life
- Practical Strategies:
- Start small and stack habits onto existing routines.
- know yourself (ex: getting up 2 hours early vs. 10 minutes early)
- Use visual reminders (sticky notes, phone alerts).
- Celebrate small wins to build momentum.
- every victory is a victory
- setbacks are normal; frame them as “speedbumps” rather than “dead ends”
- be flexible and analyze progress and fit
- if something isn’t working, as yourself “why?”
- is this truly a priority for you?
- is there a better way to integrate this change into your routine?
- make adjustments as necessary
- feel free to “pause”
- put a reminder on your calendar in 1, 2, or 3 months to reevaluate routine and implement adjustment(s) again
- bring in your partner!
- discuss their goals for your relationship and ask for their teamwork to help put these things in place
Recap:
o Educate listeners on the power of micro habits in cultivating self-awareness and relational health.
o Empower individuals to implement simple, actionable habits that strengthen their self-relationship.
o Equip couples with micro habits that promote connection, trust, and long-term relationship satisfaction.
Call to action:
o Small, intentional actions can transform your relationship with yourself and others.
o Consistency matters more than intensity.
o Invite listeners to identify one micro habit for themselves and one for their relationship.
