As January comes to an end, many of us may be struggling to stick to our New Year’s resolutions. But don’t give up just yet. Researchers say it takes not just 21 days but at least two months to turn a new habit into part of your routine.
A new study from the University of South Australia (UniSA) challenges the common belief that habits form in just 21 days. The researchers examined how long it takes to establish health-related habits, such as exercise, drinking water, taking vitamins, and flossing. The results of the meta-analysis that evaluated 20 studies conducted between 2008 and 2023, involving over 2,600 participants revealed that it typically takes around two months — and in some cases, nearly a year.
The study noted that while certain health habits took a median time of 59-66 days, some may take as long as 335 days. “Sometimes we found that the simple behaviors, (like) if someone wanted to start flossing each day, might take someone a week to get into their routine, but more complex behaviors such as changing someone’s diet and physical activity can take a lot longer,” Ben Singh, co-author of the study told CNN.
Singh also noted that people looking to build healthy habits, such as eating better or exercising more, may have greater success if they practice them in the morning when motivation tends to be higher.
The researchers believe that the current findings would help “people set realistic expectations” about habit formation, encouraging them to stay committed even if progress feels slow.
The idea that habits form in 21 days traces back to plastic surgeon Maxwell Maltz, who observed that his patients, whether recovering from nose jobs or amputations, typically needed about 21 days to adjust to their new appearance. This led to the theory that people in general would take the same period to adopt a new behavior.
“There is the possibility that it will put people off and maybe discourage them and demotivate them. (But) some people (who) may think that it’s going to take them 21 days, but then after 21 days they’re still struggling, then at least this research and this evidence provides people with some realistic benchmarks that they can follow,” Singh noted.
