1. How much time does it really take?
You may have heard that it takes 21 days to form a habit. But is that really true? Well, unfortunately it’s not quite that simple. Research suggests that the length of time it takes to truly root a habit into our daily lives is unique to everyone. For some people, 3 weeks might be enough…but for others, it could be 10 months. It also depends on the type of habit you’re trying to master. Something like drinking more water can become part of your routine quickly. Something more challenging, such as a new exercise routine, can take a lot longer to embed.
So, if we can’t rely on setting a time-related goal to help us make our new habits stick, what can we do to help? Luckily, science has plenty of answers for that too…
2. Find your ‘why’
Firstly, you need to understand the ‘why’ of your new habit. And this question really matters. Say, you want to walk for 15 minutes every day – ask yourself why you want to do this. Why walking? Why 15 minutes? Is it so that you can post pictures of the landscape on Instagram to gain more ‘likes’? Is it because you heard that your friends are doing it? Or is it because you know the psychological and physical benefits of regular, low intensity exercise? Is it because you know this habit will help you to manage stress, think more clearly and maintain a healthy weight? The ‘why’ really does matter – and it must matter to you.
3. Make it a part of your identity
Research shows that habits stick more successfully if they become part of your identity – part of who you are and what you do. Let’s take the example of running. Instead of just thinking ‘I want to run for 20 minutes, 3 times a week’, say to yourself ‘I am a runner; running is what I do’. If you first attach the identity of ‘being a runner’ to yourself, you are much more likely to maintain a routine where running regularly is just built into your week. The nice thing about this method is that it also allows you to start really small; even running for 10 minutes regularly earns you the title of being a runner. This works for everything – ‘I’m a reader’, ‘I journal’, ‘I’m a healthy eater’, ‘I meditate’…the list goes on!
4. Attach it
Do you remember first building the habit of brushing your teeth? How hard is it now for you to keep that habit? Easy, right? Well, when your parents or caregivers were first instilling that habit in you, they attached it to something you were doing anyway – waking up and getting ready for bed. Now you can’t imagine going to bed without brushing your teeth. That’s because it is attached to something you do every day anyway. So, when building a new habit, try to attach it to something you already do. For example, if you want to start journalling, attach it to when you sit down for your morning cup of tea or coffee. If you want a daily practice of yoga, do it 10 minutes before you have your morning shower. Over time, you won’t be able to do one action without the other.
5. Make it regular
I mentioned at the beginning of this article that the time it takes to secure a habit is individual to all of us. Well, the common factor in making a habit stick successfully is, of course, regularity. People who regularly practice the habit they’re trying to build have more chance of embedding it over time, and more quickly. So, why not try a ‘little and often’ approach? Rather than setting yourself a goal of walking for an hour twice a week, instead find time to walk for 15 minutes every day. It’s easy to find the time for a 15-minute walk and, if you miss a day for whatever reason, you’ll have still walked regularly over the week. If this seems too much, start even smaller – can you walk around the block for 5 minutes every day? Don’t be afraid to start with tiny steps – as long as it’s regular and consistent.
“We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.” – John Dryden
If you’re struggling to make healthy habits stick, Coaching can help. Book a 30-minute discovery call here.
*A version of this article was originally published in The Young Vision Magazine, United Arab Emirates
