How Long Does It Take to Build a Habit?
Here's What the Research Says
In a recent systematic review and meta-analysis titled "Time to Form a Habit" ( PMID: 39685110), researchers examined the actual time required for healthy habits to take hold. Important information to know if you’re planning on forming new habits that’ll help you smash your goals!
The researchers examined 20 studies involving over 2,601 people, encompassing various health behaviours, including physical activity, water consumption, vitamin intake, flossing, a healthy diet, and others.
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What they found
Health-related habits typically require 2–5 months to develop. Not 21 days, that’s often preached in the fitness world. There was substantial individual variability, ranging from 4 to 335 days. This illustrates the vast differences between individuals – what can be easy for one person, forming a habit in just four days, can be painful for another, taking almost a year before the activity becomes habitual.
What this means for you
If you’re trying to build a healthy habit – like going to the gym, walking more, or eating better – don’t expect it to feel natural right away. It takes time, and chances are it’ll take longer than 21 days before it’s a fully formed habit – before you can do it without having to think about it, without having to schedule it in your diary or rely on willpower.
Why is this important?
Well, if a habit takes a few months to form, then we need to consider this when it comes to setting goals. Let’s take step count, for example – if, for the first few months, we’re relying more on willpower to get those steps in, rather than it just being a habit, then it’s wise to set realistic targets. If you currently only hit 5000 steps per day, then maybe pushing up to the common target of 10,000 steps might be overly ambitious, as it will demand too much willpower. In this case, we’d want to be sensible and set a target that will facilitate the results we seek, while being sensible and achievable, such as aiming for 6,000-7,000 steps. This will require much less willpower, which means we can do it for long enough to fully form it as a habit, without taxing our willpower tank.
Pro-Tip
To form a habit, it’s good to consider how it can most easily fit into your routine, and if there are other habits you can piggyback on. For example, I’ve recently incorporated more stretching into my daily routine, and instead of just adding it to a random part of the day, I’ve integrated it into my resistance training sessions. Another example would be brushing your teeth. Brushing your teeth is a well-established habit, and if needed, you can easily incorporate another habit, such as taking a daily multivitamin, or even basic mobility work or balance exercises. For example, if you have a shoulder issue, your physio might suggest some shoulder rotation exercises while brushing, alternating hands with the toothbrush, of course. This strategy can help you solidify a habit much more quickly.
Final thoughts
Habits can take their sweet time to form, so when setting goals, set goals that you know you’ll be able to do for the next few months, even when purely relying on willpower. It’s worth it in the end, as when it’s a formed habit, you won’t even need to think about it. You won’t need to be either ‘on the wagon’ or ‘off the wagon.’ You’ll realise there is no wagon, and it honestly becomes easy. Like brushing your teeth!