How long does it take to consolidate a habit and how to achieve it

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«We are what we do repeatedly. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit». Aristotle said it to highlight the importance of discipline and persistence to achieve something. For his part, writer John Heywood, in the eleventh century, said: «Rome was not built in one day, but bricks were set every hour»stating that every great goal, however large and unattainable it seems, requires a lot of small daily efforts. And John Dryden, an English playwright from the seventeenth century, finished: «First we form our habits, then they form us»referring to the fact that, although it takes time to strengthen them, a consolidated habit is as powerful as the personality itself.

A habit is a learned behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to become automatic over time, requiring little or no conscious intervention. It is formed through repetition and the boostergenerating changes in neuronal circuits.

Although for a long time a belief circulated that Forming a habit has only 21 days, Recent research at the University of Southern Australia He explained that, far from being a precise calculation, the time of these processes is very variable and It can range between two months and one year.

To get to this conclusion, the researchers made a meta -analysis of 20 studies published between 2008 and 2023in which more than 2,600 people participated. The time required for behaviors becoming automated habits and factors related to a “successful training” were evaluated.

In short, the study defined that the average time necessary for a healthy habit to be rooted is usually between 59 and 68 days, but that in many cases it could carry Up to 335 days.

In this regard, Ben Singh, co -author of the study, said he hopes that the findings will help people to «establish realistic expectations «and emphasized that Time is different for each person.

The story of a myth

«The belief that a habit is established in 21 days is a simplified myth,» explains Alejandro Andersson, neurophysiologist and director of the Buenos Aires Institute of Neurology. «Time varies according to the complexity of behavior, motivation, repetition and individual characteristics of each person; the Ease to consolidate it depends on the activation and reinforcement of circuits in the basal ganglia, the prefrontal cortex and the dopaminergic reward system, which strengthen the automation of behavior through neuroplasticity, ”he adds.

According to Singh, the origin of the myth of 21 days comes from the book Psycho-Cybernetics (1960), of the Maxwell Maltz plastic surgeon, who observed that his patients were taken about 21 days to adapt to physical changes after a qirurgical procedure. «People cling to the idea of ​​a quick solution as motivation”The researcher pondered.

Singh’s and his team is not the first investigation that demystifies the term of 21 days. In 2008, a Study of the University College London He found that The consolidation process of a habit can take between 18 and 254 dayswith an average of 66 days.

The habit loop

To talk about the consolidation mechanism of a habit, Martina Tornabene, Health Coach of longevity and quality of life, brings up the concept of «»habit loop”This consists of three elements:

Essentially, the scheme explains that, for a habit to take root and sustain in time, the satisfaction Play a crucial role. Therefore, observe Tornabene, Healthy habits usually require Not only a more conscious effort, but also one planning.

«In general, practices how to exercise regularly or Eat healthy They do not provide us with an immediate reward”, Says the health specialist. This, expands, is because what they produce is serotonina neurotransmitter associated with the regulation of mood and happiness, which is released in the long term.

Instead, harmful habits How to look reels compulsively on social networks, or eat ultraprocessed food, They release in the short term dopaminealso known as immediate pleasure hormone.

«The brain will always prioritize immediate rewards over long -term benefits, Which makes us many times we abandon healthy habits, ”Sopesa Tornabene.

«The main function of the brain is survival And, when we try to modify behavior, it needs to reconfigure its connections, which can generate discomfort, frustration And even anxiety”Adds Sol Candotti, nutrition specialist and physical trainer. Therefore habits that imply a loss of rewards, how to eat a cake portion, They are more difficult to change«

In this sense, both specialists agree that the key is, especially at the beginning of the process, in raise awareness of the habit introduced, and reinforce its implementation with discipline and perseverance.

Tornabene also highlights that «positive reinforcement», based on rewards and understanding that all progress is gradual, will always be more effective than strict and uncompromising discipline. «Most likely, the latter generates stress and induces us to abade the habit,» we pondera. «What is not flexible cannot be maintained over time «.

What happens at the brain level

From a neurological point of view, Andersson recides in the role of the neuroplasticity in the consolidation of new habits: a mechanism by which the brain modifies its structure and function in response to experience. In other words, it is The ability of the brain to change and adapt throughout life.

“At the beginning of the implementation process, the prefrontal cortex has a vital role in decision -making and conscious control of behavior, but over time, Neuronal activation moves towards the basal ganglia, allowing the habit to run automatically”, Details the neurologist. In other words: the more an action is repeated, the more automatic its execution becomes, and less dependent on a meditated effort.

«Over time, What required will and discipline before becoming a lifestylecausing healthy habits to cease to be just a desire to transform into a daily reality, ”adds Mercedes Conti Urabayen, a psychologist specializing in cognitive therapy (Mn 62814).

Change a negative habit for a positive one

«Neuroplasticity allows you to modify existing habits or create new by reorganization of neuronal circuitswhich implies a period of weakening previous connections and strengthening new ones ”, elucidated Andersson. When trying to change a negative habit for a positive one, he explains, the brain experiences a competition process between neuronal circuits.

“Previous habits have generated well -established neuronal routes in the basal ganglia, making automatic behavior persist. To modify this pattern, The prefrontal cortex should be activated to inhibit the previous behavior and reinforce a new synaptic path through repetition and positive reinforcement«, Says.» Over time, if the new habit is reinforced sufficiently, the connections of the ancient habit are weakened due to lack of use, while those of the new habit are strengthened, making the positive behavior become automatic. «

Neuroplasticity also explains Differences in the formation of habits between young people and adultsexplains the doctor. In young people Neuroplasticity is higher, facilitating the creation of new synaptic connections and the adaptation of neuronal circuits in the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus and the basal ganglia, «allowing that habits form more quickly and with greater flexibility «; While, in adults, although neuronal plasticity is still present, it tends to be less. «This can make habits consolidation more time and require greater conscious effort, Especially when it implies unlearning previous behaviors, ”says the neurophysiologist.

Although there are more long -desired processes that, especially in an initial instance, demand effort and, at some point, sacrifice, The rewards of a entrenched healthy habit arrive on multiple fronts. It is not just about preventing diseases or improving physical indicators – although these effects are inevitably part of the transition – but of starting to inhabit the body in another way: with more energy, more clarity and a greater sense of well -being in the daily life of everyday life.

«Positive habits reprogram our body and mind, substantially impacting aspects that range from hormonal and psychological regulation, to the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and brain plasticity. Essentially, they make you more productive in all areas,» says Candotti. «They are the basis on which our health and quality of life are built «concludes Tornabene.

In his book Calm the f*CK Down (2018), to illustrate the relevance of implementing new habits betting on the impact of the results over the slowness of progress, Sarah Knight said: “Change your day changes your week. Change your week Change your month. Change your month changes your life»