People struggling to maintain their New Year’s resolutions are being urged to stay the course, with new research finding habits take longer to form, and break, than previously thought.
University of South Australia (UniSA) researcher Ben Singh said that contrary to popular belief, healthy habits take far longer than three weeks to lock down.
“At the beginning of the year, many of us are setting goals and making plans for the months ahead, things like being more active, cutting back on sugar, or making healthier food choices, but while common wisdom suggests that it takes just 21 days to form such habits, these claims are not evidence-based,” Dr Singh said.
He said, in the first systematic review of its kind, UniSA researchers found that new habits could begin forming within about two months, but some could take up to 335 days to establish.
“In our research, we’ve found that habit formation starts within around two months, but there is significant variability, with formation times ranging from four days to nearly a year.
“So, it’s important for people who are hoping to make healthier habits not to give up at that mythical three-week mark.”
Dr Singh said the study also found that certain factors could influence successful habit formation.
“When trying to establish a new healthy habit, success can be influenced by a range of things including how frequently we undertake the new activity, the timing of the practice, and whether we enjoy it or not,” he said.
“If you add a new practice to your morning routine, the data shows that you’re more likely to achieve it. You’re also more likely to stick to a new habit if you enjoy it.”
He said planning and intending to complete a new behaviour could also help solidify a new habit.
“So make sure you continue to make time to include your new healthy habits into your everyday activities.
“This could be as easy as laying out your gym clothes the night before a morning walk or having a healthy lunch ready to go in the fridge.
“Tailoring habit-building strategies into our day and making plans on how we can achieve them, will put you in a position for success.”
Read the full study: Time to Form a Habit: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Health Behaviour Habit Formation and Its Determinants.
