Pairing Joy with Effort to Build Better Habits
Have you ever said to yourself, “I can only watch that absurd TV show if I’m on the treadmill,” or “I’ll listen to that podcast while I fold all this laundry”? If you have, congratulations! You’ve already been practicing temptation bundling without even realizing it.
Temptation bundling is a concept introduced by Dr. Katherine Milkman, a behavioral scientist and professor at Wharton. It’s based on a foundational idea from psychology known as the Premack Principle, which was developed by psychologist David Premack. This principle explains that more probable behaviors can reinforce less probable ones. In simpler terms, when you pair something you genuinely enjoy (a temptation) with something you tend to avoid (a task or habit), you increase your likelihood of following through with the less appealing activity.
Dr. Milkman tested this theory in a clever study. Participants were split into two groups and given iPods (a true throwback) loaded with highly engaging audiobooks. One group was allowed to listen only while at the gym, while the other could listen anytime. The results were impressive. The group that practiced temptation bundling, those who paired their entertainment with exercise, went to the gym 51% more often than the group who had unlimited access to the audiobooks. Even more fascinating, 61% of those participants later said they wanted to keep their listening restricted to gym time because they found it motivating.
What’s powerful about this is how naturally it works. Many of us have been doing this for years without putting a name to it. In my old dieting days, I would only let myself watch the Food Network (food porn) while at the gym. As a health coach who’s worked with clients for nearly two decades, I’ve learned that the difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it often comes down to understanding why we do it. That’s where mindset comes into play.
Temptation bundling works because our brains are wired for immediate gratification. We crave things that feel good now, even when we know something better might come later. When we pair an activity that gives us instant satisfaction, like watching Friends again with one that has delayed gratification, like exercising we create a sense of motivation that makes the experience more enjoyable and sustainable.
If you want to try temptation bundling for yourself, start with something simple. First, make two lists. In one column, write down activities you genuinely enjoy, your temptations. In the other, list tasks you procrastinate or wish you did more often, like cleaning, exercising, or meal prepping. Then look for potential conflicts. For instance, listening to an audiobook might not pair well with answering emails, but it could work perfectly during laundry or cooking. After that, play matchmaker and pair your temptations with your tasks. This turns your “have to’s” into “get to’s,” helping you build consistency with less resistance.
Once you’ve found your pairings, you can take it even further through habit stacking, which means connecting your temptation bundle to something you already do automatically. For example, “After I brush my teeth, I’ll fold laundry while listening to my favorite podcast.” This method helps you anchor new behaviors onto existing ones, strengthening your routine without needing as much willpower.
One important reminder during this process is that food is not a reward or a punishment. You don’t have to earn your pizza, candy, or any treat. Enjoy those because you want to, not because you suffered through a workout or a task. Instead, pair your habits with non-food pleasures that still feel rewarding. Maybe you put on your favorite playlist while cleaning, or you call a friend while cooking for the week. If you want to make meal prep more fun, invite some friends over and chat while you cook together. The goal is to find joy in your process rather than seeing it as something you have to get through.
Experts emphasize that for proper temptation bundling, the enjoyable activity should only happen while you’re doing the paired task. It’s not something to be used as a reward afterward. The two must occur at the same time. Personally, I love pairing shows that don’t require much focus, like Love Island, while I work on more tedious projects. Now, I’ll admit, those aren’t the only times I watch these shows, so technically I’m not following Dr. Milkman’s study to the letter. Still, it works for me and keeps me moving forward, which is what matters most.
Whether it’s Love Is Blind on the elliptical, your favorite podcast during meal prep, or music while washing dishes, temptation bundling gives you the chance to make your habits something you actually look forward to. It’s a powerful reminder that motivation doesn’t always have to be forced. Sometimes, we just need to make our behaviors more enjoyable. When we pair joy with effort, we make progress feel less like a chore and more like a choice. That’s the heart of building sustainable habits, a shift in mindset that makes growth feel good.