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It takes just 66 days on average to form a new habit, study reveals
With the new year in full swing, everyone is trying to improve their lives and the best way to do that successfully is by forming a new habit.
A habit is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and occurs subconsciously – and it doesn’t actually take that long to form one.
It takes 66 days to form a habit
According to a�2009 study by Philippa Lally�published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, it takes an average of 66 days to form a habit.
They studied a range of different people and looked at how long it took each one to perform a new behaviour automatically.
The entire range was 18 to 254 days, but the average was concluded to be 66 – which is just over two months or 9.4 weeks.
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Behaviour becomes a habit when it is performed automatically because it has been done so frequently in the past.
This repetition “creates a mental association between the situation (cue) and action (behaviour),” the study explains.
When the cue is encountered, a person’s body performs the behaviour automatically and it becomes a habit.
How to make a new habit in 2024
To create a healthy new habit, you need to repeat the same behavior over and over again in exactly the same situation.
You must keep the setting the same so your brain can cue the behaviour. Once it’s made, breaking a habit is difficult.
The only way to break a habit is by changing your environment so that you don’t encounter the cue that triggers it.
When you form a new habit, the old one doesn’t disappear, but it will have less of an impact on your behavior over time.
Positive habits to form in 66 days
- Waking up early
- Exercising
- Drinking water
- Smiling
- Eating healthy food
- Meditating
