AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -It can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit and an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic.

Detailed explanation-2: -On average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic-66 days to be exact. And how long it takes a new habit to form can vary widely depending on the behavior, the person, and the circumstances. In Lally’s study, it took anywhere from 18 days to 254 days for people to form a new habit.

Detailed explanation-3: -Research from 2012 looking at habit formation suggests 10 weeks, or about 2.5 months, is a more realistic estimate for most people. The main evidence-backed time frame for habit breaking comes from 2009 research, which suggests it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days.

Detailed explanation-4: -Part of the reason is that breaking a habit takes a long time. Despite what Linkin Park might have to say, you likely won’t be ‘breaking the habit tonight’. Instead, psychologists estimate it takes roughly 60 days to break or form a new habit.

Detailed explanation-5: -Is this true? Nope. The 21 days to a new habit myth likely comes from a book published by Dr. Maxwell Maltz in 1960, where he noticed a trend of people adapting to new transitions in their life.