A popular piece of self-help folklore might be more complicated than we thought.
New research finds that it takes significantly more than a month for a new habit to form.
They found that habits typically begin forming after about two months.
If you’re trying to pick up a new healthy habit like flossing, it’ll take some time.© Huizeng Hu via Getty
For some unlucky people, though, it could even take up to a year.
Some studies, however, havesuggestedthat this supposed rule isnt quite so simple.
The researchers found that habits formed around 106 to 154 days on average.
That said, the study did reveal plenty of outliers.
The shortest reported length of habit adoption was four days, while the longest was a whopping 335 days.
The primary takeaway is thathabitformation is a gradual process requiring time, patience, and persistence.
Starting small with manageable goals can help build momentum and make thehabit-forming process less overwhelming, Singh said.
Additionally, choosinghabitsthat align with personal values or intrinsic motivations increases the likelihood of success.
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