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It takes a while to form a habit: A study on habits and how long it takes for them to be formed
31.08.2023 00:30
Updated: 13.05.2024 21:23
Some people may think that "it takes two weeks" or "it takes 28 days" to form a habit.
In fact, there are no magic numbers that can help us understand how much time we need to make a new habit.
Let's find out more.
A study on habits
A recent study conducted by social scientists at Caltech reveals the time it takes to form certain habits.
The study examined gym attendance and hand-washing behavior.
It found that forming the habit of going to the gym takes an average of around six months, while health care workers took an average of a few weeks to develop the habit of washing their hands regularly.
The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, utilized machine learning to analyze large datasets from gymgoers and hospital workers.
The study debunked the common belief that it takes about 21 days to form a habit and emphasized that habit formation varies based on the behavior and various other factors.
The study's authors noted that factors like past behavior played a role in habit formation, while others like the time of day had no significant effect.
Why it's important
The study helps us understand that we are all unique, and so are habits - sometimes it might take lots of time to make a new habit a part of our life.
Also, we shouldn't rely on something becoming natural to us - instead, we should always make the right choices until it's easy for us to make them regularly.
