The 21-day myth: Study looks at how long it actually takes to form a habit – CTV
April 18, 2023
How long does it actually take to form a lasting habit?
If your friend successfully cultivated an exercise routine within a couple of weeks and you’re still struggling to develop a consistent schedule for doing your laundry, there’s no need to feel like a failure — according to a new study, there’s no one timeline for forming a habit, and it varies widely depending on the task at hand.
Scientists at the California Institute of Technology studied two specific activities that can be habit forming in order to get a better idea of the mechanisms of training oneself to fall into that pattern.
They found that to form a gym habit took an average of about six months.
But on the other hand, it took health-care workers an average of just a few weeks to get in the habit of washing their hands as frequently as the job requires.
