We are well into 2025, but if you're struggling to maintain your New Year's resolution, you're not alone. Research from the University of South Australia shows that forming a healthy habit can take longer than you might expect.
In the first systematic review of its kind, researchers found that new habits can begin forming within about two months (median of 59-66 days) but can take up to 335 days to establish.
It's an important finding that could inform health interventions to promote healthy behaviors and prevent chronic disease.
Chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, lung diseases and stroke, can be prevented by changing unhealthy habits or lifestyle factors.
Adopting healthy habits is essential for long-term well-being but forming these habits -- and breaking unhealthy ones -- can be challenging.
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.
"In this research, they 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.
The study of more than 2600 participants also found that certain factors can influence successful habit formation.
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.
Planning is essential to 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.
ความคิดเห็น