New research shows forming habits can take up to a year, debunking 21-day myth

Study finds average habit formation time ranges from 59 to 66 days, with some taking up to 335 days.

 New research shows forming habits can take up to a year, debunking 21-day myth. Image: PeopleImages.com (photo credit: Yuri A, via Shutterstock)
New research shows forming habits can take up to a year, debunking 21-day myth. Image: PeopleImages.com
(photo credit: Yuri A, via Shutterstock)

A new study challenged the widely held belief that it takes just 21 days to form a new habit, revealing that it can actually take anywhere from two months to nearly a year for healthy habits to take root. According to CNN, the research found that while habits can start forming within about two months, the time required varies among individuals, ranging from four days to 335 days.

Dr. Ben Singh from the University of South Australia, who led the research, stated, that "the adoption of healthy habits is vital for long-term health and well-being, but forming these habits and breaking away from old unhealthy habits can be difficult." The study, published in the journal Healthcare, analyzed the time it takes for new habits to become automatic behaviors.

The researchers reached this conclusion after conducting a meta-analysis of 20 previous studies published between 2008 and 2023, involving a total of 2,601 participants. This provided a comprehensive look at habit formation across a diverse population.

Singh explained that the idea of 21 days comes from the 1960 book Psycho-Cybernetics by plastic surgeon Maxwell Maltz, who observed that his patients took about 21 days to get used to their new appearance after surgery, as reported by CNN. "And although it is commonly believed that it takes just 21 days to solidify such habits, that claim is not based on scientific evidence," Singh added.

The study found that the time required to form healthy habits varies greatly by individual and depends on the type of habit in question. "Sometimes we find that simple behaviors, like starting to floss every day, can take a week for someone to adopt, but more complex behaviors, like changing diet and physical activity, can take much longer," Singh said.

The habits evaluated included activities such as exercising, drinking water, taking vitamins, and flossing, illustrating the variability in time required to form these habits.

Benjamin Gardner, director of the Habit Application and Theory Group at the University of Surrey, England, urged that the study's results be interpreted with caution. "It's important to be cautious with the idea that people either have a habit or they don't, which is implied in the study. In reality, habit varies on a continuum; in other words, habit strengthens over time, rather than reaching a magic point where it's 'completely formed,'" Gardner said, according to CNN.

Singh emphasized the importance of perseverance in habit formation, urging individuals not to give up after the "mythical three-week mark." He advised that planning and intending to complete a new behavior can help solidify a new habit, such as laying out gym clothes the night before a morning walk.

Singh suggested that incorporating new habits into a regular morning routine may help in forming them, as the hardest part of implementing good resolutions is the beginning. He noted that adapting the new practice to the morning routine can increase the likelihood of maintaining it.

Establishing a healthier lifestyle can prevent chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, lung diseases, and strokes, and can extend life. These findings can form the basis for more effective health interventions aimed at promoting healthy behaviors and preventing chronic diseases.


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"Tailoring habit-building strategies into our day and making plans on how we can achieve them will put you in a position for success," Singh said. He advises that small, practical steps can make the difference between success and failure in forming new habits.

The researchers acknowledge the need for further studies. "This apparent lack of studies directly measuring the time of habit formation highlights a significant gap between common advice and scientific findings in this field and points to an important area for future research," they wrote.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq