Temptation bundling: examples and how to make it work

Pair a treat you want with a habit you should do, and save the treat for the habit. Examples for exercise, chores and study, and what the study found.

The BeHabit team
October 30, 20265 min read

Temptation bundling means pairing something you want to do with something you should do, and only allowing yourself the treat during the task: a favourite podcast only while you walk, a series only while you fold laundry. The treat pulls you towards the task. In the original experiment, people with gym-only audiobooks went to the gym 51% more often at first.

Some habits are good for you and dull to do. Waiting for motivation to appear rarely works. Temptation bundling borrows motivation from something you already enjoy. Here are examples for exercise, chores, work and study, and how to set up your own.

What is temptation bundling?

The idea comes from behavioural scientist Katherine Milkman. You take a “want” (an activity that’s fun now but not very useful, like a gripping audiobook) and a “should” (an activity that pays off later but feels like a chore, like exercise), and you link them: you only get the want while doing the should.

James Clear describes the appeal in his article on temptation bundling: “You’re more likely to find a behavior attractive if you get to do one of your favorite things at the same time.”

Does temptation bundling work?

In the first study of it, Milkman, Minson and Volpp (2014) gave gym members access to tempting audiobooks. One group could only listen to their audiobooks at the gym, on iPods kept there. A second group was simply encouraged to keep the audiobooks for the gym. A third group had no bundle.

At first, the gym-only group visited the gym 51% more often than the control group, and the encouraged group 29% more often. The effect faded over time, especially after the Thanksgiving holiday. Still, after the study, 61% of participants chose to pay to keep the gym-only access, which suggests people saw the value of the bundle.

Two lessons. Bundling gives a real push, especially at the start. And it works best as one tool among others, combined with a cue, a small habit and a way to come back after a break.

Temptation bundling examples for exercise

An audiobook or a favourite podcast only while walking or running.
A series you love only on the exercise bike or treadmill.
A new playlist only for workouts.
A walk with a friend you enjoy: company and movement at once.
A sauna, a bath or a smoothie only after a workout.

Temptation bundling examples for chores

A favourite series only while folding laundry or ironing.
A podcast only while cleaning the kitchen.
A call with a friend only while doing the dishes.
Music you love only during the weekly tidy-up.
A good coffee only while paying the bills.

Temptation bundling examples for work and study

A favourite café only for the tasks you’ve been putting off.
Instrumental music you like only during focused work.
A special tea only during study sessions.
A comfortable spot in the garden only for reading reports.
A good lunch out only after your weekly admin hour.

How to create your own temptation bundle

List your wants

Write down five things you enjoy and would happily do more of: a podcast, a show, a type of music, a drink, a place.

List your shoulds

Write down the habits you keep putting off: exercise, chores, admin, study.

Pair them sensibly

Match a want and a should that can happen at the same time. Audio fits with walking. A show fits with ironing. A café fits with reading.

Make the rule clear

“I only listen to this podcast while walking.” The restriction is what gives the bundle its pull. In the study, the strict version worked better than encouragement alone.

Tie it to a moment

Give the bundle a regular slot: “After lunch, I’ll walk and listen to my podcast.” That’s a cue on top of the treat. Our habit stacking examples have plenty of daily moments to choose from.

Fifteen days of walks with a podcast saved just for walking. Two misses, and a habit that kept its appeal.

What if the bundle stops working?

It might. In the study, the effect faded over time, especially after a holiday. When the pull weakens:

Refresh the want. A new audiobook or a new series brings the excitement back.
Lean on the habit. By then, the routine may carry itself. Keep the cue and the minimum version.
Come back quickly after a break. Holidays are when bundles and habits drift. Plan your first day back, as in never miss twice.

Temptation bundling works well for exercise in particular; our guide to making exercise a habit shows how it fits with the rest.

How BeHabit handles it

In BeHabit, write your bundle into the habit itself: a Cue like “After lunch” and a note on the treat. For timed bundles like a 20-minute walk with a podcast, set Log by to Timer: long-press the habit on Today to start the focus timer, and the session counts when it ends. A Minimum version keeps the habit alive on days the treat isn’t enough. Here’s how counts and timers work.

The short version

Temptation bundling pairs a treat you want with a habit you should do, and saves the treat for the habit.
In the original study, gym-only audiobooks led to 51% more gym visits at first; the effect faded over time.
Good bundles happen at the same time: audio with walking, a series with ironing, a café with reading.
Make the rule strict, tie it to a daily moment, and refresh the treat when it loses its pull.
Combine bundling with a cue and a minimum version so the habit outlasts the novelty.

Bundle your next habit

Add a cue, a note about your treat and a focus timer to a habit in BeHabit. Free, no account.

iPhone version coming soon.