{"id":22673,"date":"2021-01-11T23:01:19","date_gmt":"2021-01-11T23:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?p=22673"},"modified":"2022-10-25T22:13:11","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T22:13:11","slug":"how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Does It Actually Take to Build a Habit?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Changing your habits takes time and effort. <\/em><em>But in actuality, how long does it take to build a habit?<\/em><em> Here\u2019s what science tells us about the process around habit formation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>Drinking your coffee at the exact same time each morning while you scroll through your newsfeed, taking your lunchtime stroll around the same block each day, and listening to the exact same <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-to-start-meditating\/\">meditation<\/a> each night before drifting off\u2026do those sound familiar?\u00a0 It\u2019s true that humans are inherently creatures of habit, and most of our actions are probably on autopilot. But how long does it take to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/jen-sincero-how-to-form-badass-habits\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\">form a habit<\/a>, and what should we expect if we want to break an unhealthy habit?<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Before we get to how long it takes to build a habit, let\u2019s first investigate the importance of habits in our daily lives.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-habits-are-important\"><strong>Why Habits are Important<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p>We do the same things more out of habit than for any other reason. But why? Our habits and routines rule our lives since they make life easy, comfortable, and rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Imagine if you had to think through every decision:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><em>Do I like coffee?<\/em><\/li><li><em>Do I need to brush my teeth?<\/em><\/li><li><em>Should I take my house keys with me?<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<p>Decisions take time and effort to make, so doing habitual things unconsciously is less cognitively demanding. As a result, your brain is free to focus on other tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>For instance, the following cues may trigger helpful automatic habits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Wake up = make coffee<\/li><li>Bedtime = brush your teeth<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/benefits-of-spending-time-in-nature\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Go outdoors<\/a> = grab your keys<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<p>In short, automatic habits enable you to get stuff done. The efficiency that your habits offer your brain are great, so long as the habits are adaptive and serve you well.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Conversely, habits turn into liabilities when they negatively impact your life. What should you do when you realize your current habits don\u2019t serve you anymore and you want to change them? How do you go about creating new habits?<\/p>\n\n\n<p>As a neuroscience researcher, I looked at the science behind what it really takes to build new habits and break old ones. Here\u2019s what I found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img data-dominant-color=\"a58f78\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #a58f78;\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/How-are-habits-beneficial-How-long-does-it-take-to-create-a-habit-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition.jpg\" alt=\"Couple brushing teeth together - an example of how unconscious habits can be beneficial\" class=\"wp-image-22781 not-transparent\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\"><strong>How Long Does It Take to Build a Habit?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Wondering how long it takes for something to become a habit? You may have heard that the magic number is 21 days. However, current science doesn\u2019t back that up.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Instead, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucl.ac.uk\/news\/2009\/aug\/how-long-does-it-take-form-habit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">research by University College London<\/a> concluded that the median amount of time necessary to build a new habit is 66 days.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>However, it\u2019s worth noting that the study showed a wide range of timelines for any change to become a habit. Some people were able to develop a new habit within only 18 days, while others took up to 254 days.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Other experts believe that it\u2019s less about the time frame and how many days it takes to form a habit than the intention when it comes to building a habit. \u201cWhen there is a strong desire to accomplish something, it becomes about the mindset to put it all into motion and create a long-lasting \u2018habit.\u2019 Whatever the habit is, good or bad, it comes down to whether or not someone has the real desire to accomplish it or let it go,\u201d says Jennifer Kelman, LCSW, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justanswer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">JustAnswer<\/a> mental health expert. It\u2019s more about the repetition of practicing that new behavior and a determined mental outlook than a specific timeline\u2014if you have the will to follow through, you can form that habit.\u00a0That said, don\u2019t lose faith if you don\u2019t see the results you\u2019d hoped for within a couple of weeks. I recommend that you consciously stick to your intended change and apply that mental determination for at least three to four months. By doing so, things should fall into place to create a new habit that lasts.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-habits-are-built\"><strong>How Habits are Built<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Now that you\u2019re aware of a realistic timeline and frame of mind to work with, it may also help to understand the key elements of habit building and change.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-self-awareness\"><strong>Self-Awareness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Knowing that you want to change something about your life is something to celebrate. Knowing what works and what doesn\u2019t is indicative of both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S1053482218301840\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">high emotional intelligence<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/per.2234\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">self-awareness<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Wanting to become a better version of yourself is something to be proud of. When we better ourselves, we have a positive impact on our lives and the lives of those around us.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-incremental-actions\"><strong>Incremental Actions<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Do our habits develop in childhood? Do we make choices and unconscious decisions simply to follow the crowd? <a href=\"https:\/\/oxfordre.com\/psychology\/view\/10.1093\/acrefore\/9780190236557.001.0001\/acrefore-9780190236557-e-129?_scpsug=crawled%2C3983%2Cen_82cedcf620ef92ed2f9a847c0ce09bf5a1b4529d45732f77150d8f85e05c2164\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How the decisions we make become habits <\/a>is hotly debated.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>But what\u2019s clear from science is that habits are formed in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3505409\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">small, incremental, and repetitive actions<\/a>. The repetitive nature of these actions\u2014in similar or consistent settings\u2014creates a strong association between an event and a subsequent action.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>In neuroscience, this lends to the idea that \u201cneurons that fire together, wire together.\u201d These neuronal connections create strong cues that result in the many subconscious choices we make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img data-dominant-color=\"9e837f\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #9e837f;\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/How-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit-66-days-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition.jpg\" alt=\"Woman having a cookie with coffee, which is a habit that needs changing if you want to eat healthier\" class=\"wp-image-22780 not-transparent\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-behavioral-change\"><strong>Behavioral Change<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<p>One thing neuroscientists can agree on is that any action that becomes a habit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3505409\/\">requires p<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3505409\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">l<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3505409\/\">anning<\/a>. As Benjamin Franklin put it, \u201cIf you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p>In other words, if you want to change your actions and build a new habit, make sure that you have a plan to help you succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>For starters, generate an environment with cues that\u2019ll remind you to make different choices. For instance, if you want to make <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3505409\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">healthier food choices<\/a> but have the habit of grabbing a cookie every time you make coffee, you can plan ahead by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Having <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/healthy-snacks-weight-loss\/\">other snacks<\/a> by the coffee machine<\/li><li>Removing cookies from the kitchen counter (or your home entirely)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<p>These changes can help ensure that next time you make coffee, you don\u2019t grab and eat a cookie before realizing you\u2019ve even done it (and then <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/21749245\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">take it out on yourself<\/a> for not sticking to your goals).<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-phases-of-building-habits\">Phases of Building Habits<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re ready to make a change and to establish new habits, you\u2019re in what scientists call the initiation phase. The next step is the learning phase, followed by the habit change.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s when you retrain your brain. The cycle can be summarized into the 3 R\u2019s:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Reminder (cue that triggers the behavior)<\/li><li>Routine (repetition of new behavior)<\/li><li>Reward (benefit from the change)<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<p>The process seems simple, but it involves the tricky <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/this-is-what-your-period-is-saying-about-your-health\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\">period<\/a> of teaching an old dog new tricks. It often leads many to stumble while attempting to make the changes they hope for. However, it\u2019s important to remember that success is within reach.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Last but not least comes the stability phase, in which your habits become second nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img data-dominant-color=\"a18f7a\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #a18f7a;\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Build-Good-Habits-by-Planning-Well-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition.jpg\" alt=\"Woman using post-its on wall to plan good habits for success\" class=\"wp-image-22782 not-transparent\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6-steps-to-building-new-habits\">6 Steps to Building New Habits<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>To ensure you succeed in your quest to become the best version of yourself, follow the six key steps of successful habit modification:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Decide on the habit you want to change.<\/li><li>Choose a simple action that you can easily incorporate into your daily life.<\/li><li>Plan when, where, and how you\u2019ll change your environment to ensure your success.<\/li><li>Be consistent by repeating the new behavior every time the same situation or cue presents itself.<\/li><li>Stay patient, as it\u2019ll take time to rewire your brain and build new habits.<\/li><li>Track your progress and reward yourself for any small change towards your goal.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n<p>Remember: It\u2019s all about progress, not perfection!<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-breaking-vs-building-habits\">Breaking vs. Building Habits<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Many of the habits we want to change aren\u2019t habits we planned for; they just happened.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>But one thing is for sure: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-to-break-bad-habits\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\">Breaking a habit<\/a> is harder than creating a new one. That\u2019s because breaking habits requires unlearning a behavior. (In neuroscience speak, the connections between the neurons that have associated one event with a particular action or outcome need to weaken.)<\/p>\n\n\n<p>When breaking a habit, you can\u2019t expect to stop it with an \u201call-or-nothing\u201d approach, because you might burn out quickly and go back to the familiar habit. Instead of say, deciding to go vegan cold turkey and never looking back at meat, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/dairy-and-acne\/\">dairy<\/a>, or animal products, start slow and over time replace the old habit with a new one you\u2019re committed to sticking with. \u201cPick one day a week to eat only plant-based foods, and as you feel more energized from that healthful day of eating, it will likely turn into more days each week,\u201d Kelman says.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<p>By taking time to slowly build new habits to replace old ones, they might have a positive ripple effect on your other habits. For example, eating more nourishing whole foods might give you more sustainable energy, which can encourage you to get outside for more exercise, and that can then improve your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/mighty-night\/\">sleep<\/a> quality, Kelman adds.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Regardless of your goals, don\u2019t let this fact, the time commitment, or other factors hinder your progress. Above all, it\u2019s important to build habits that serve to benefit your overall health, which should be well worth the wait\u2014whether it takes 66 days or otherwise.<\/p>\n\n<div  class=\"products-block -mx-4 md:mx-0 my-10\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/product\/65\/ashwagandha-calm-gummies\" class=\"text-xs text-dark hover:!text-dark flex items-center border border-light rounded p-4 group !no-underline mb-4 relative pb-16 sm:pb-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"shrink-0 mr-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.humnutrition.com\/assets\/860eff00-7edc-11f0-a0ef-c10dbf4f15a4.png\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" class=\"object-cover transition-opacity group-hover:opacity-80 !mb-0\" alt=\"Ashwagandha Calm Gummies\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grow pr-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mb-2 flex flex-col sm:flex-row sm:items-center divide-x-0 sm:divide-x divide-light text-sm\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"pt-1 pr-2 flex\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"flex mr-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"mr-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"17\" height=\"16\"><path d=\"m11.532 4.697 4.353.663c.36.053.664.316.828.64.066.397 0 .791-.288 1.06l-3.157 3.193.745 4.581a1.01 1.01 0 0 1-.39.978c-.3.188-.698.25-1.022.072l-3.888-2.14-3.889 2.14c-.327.178-.724.116-1.024-.072a1.008 1.008 0 0 1-.388-.978l.745-4.581L1 7.06C.713 6.79.646 6.397.713 6c.162-.324.464-.587.827-.64l4.35-.663L7.842.563c.16-.344.5-.563.87-.563.372 0 .711.219.872.563z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"mr-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"17\" height=\"16\"><path d=\"m11.532 4.697 4.353.663c.36.053.664.316.828.64.066.397 0 .791-.288 1.06l-3.157 3.193.745 4.581a1.01 1.01 0 0 1-.39.978c-.3.188-.698.25-1.022.072l-3.888-2.14-3.889 2.14c-.327.178-.724.116-1.024-.072a1.008 1.008 0 0 1-.388-.978l.745-4.581L1 7.06C.713 6.79.646 6.397.713 6c.162-.324.464-.587.827-.64l4.35-.663L7.842.563c.16-.344.5-.563.87-.563.372 0 .711.219.872.563z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"mr-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"17\" height=\"16\"><path d=\"m11.532 4.697 4.353.663c.36.053.664.316.828.64.066.397 0 .791-.288 1.06l-3.157 3.193.745 4.581a1.01 1.01 0 0 1-.39.978c-.3.188-.698.25-1.022.072l-3.888-2.14-3.889 2.14c-.327.178-.724.116-1.024-.072a1.008 1.008 0 0 1-.388-.978l.745-4.581L1 7.06C.713 6.79.646 6.397.713 6c.162-.324.464-.587.827-.64l4.35-.663L7.842.563c.16-.344.5-.563.87-.563.372 0 .711.219.872.563z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"mr-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"17\" height=\"16\"><path d=\"m11.532 4.697 4.353.663c.36.053.664.316.828.64.066.397 0 .791-.288 1.06l-3.157 3.193.745 4.581a1.01 1.01 0 0 1-.39.978c-.3.188-.698.25-1.022.072l-3.888-2.14-3.889 2.14c-.327.178-.724.116-1.024-.072a1.008 1.008 0 0 1-.388-.978l.745-4.581L1 7.06C.713 6.79.646 6.397.713 6c.162-.324.464-.587.827-.64l4.35-.663L7.842.563c.16-.344.5-.563.87-.563.372 0 .711.219.872.563z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"mr-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"17\" height=\"16\"><path d=\"m8.713 3 1.54 3.61 3.46.58L11.207 10l.588 4-3.082-1.878zm4.555 7.253 3.157-3.193c.288-.269.354-.663.288-1.06-.164-.324-.467-.587-.828-.64l-4.353-.663L9.584.562A.965.965 0 0 0 8.713 0a.965.965 0 0 0-.871.562L5.89 4.697l-4.35.663c-.363.053-.665.316-.827.64-.067.397 0 .791.287 1.06l3.157 3.193-.745 4.581a1.01 1.01 0 0 0 .388.978c.3.188.697.25 1.024.072l3.889-2.14 3.888 2.14c.324.178.721.116 1.021-.072a1.01 1.01 0 0 0 .391-.978z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4.6\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"pt-1 sm:pl-2 text-medium\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t539 Reviews\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"text-base font-semibold mb-1 group-hover:text-primary\">Ashwagandha Calm Gummies<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mb-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsupports stress relief for a calm, clear mind (formerly Calm Sweet Calm)\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"absolute bottom-4 left-4 right-4 sm:bottom-0 sm:left-0 sm:right-0 sm:relative inline-flex justify-center bg-primary group-hover:bg-primary-light text-white rounded py-3 px-12 leading-none text-center\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"pr-1.5 border-r border-primary-lightest\">$26<\/span><span class=\"pl-1.5\">SHOP NOW<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"self-start\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Changing your habits takes time and effort. But in actuality, how long does it take to build a habit? Here\u2019s what science tells us about the process around habit formation. Drinking your coffee at the exact same time each morning while you scroll through your newsfeed, taking your lunchtime stroll around the same block each [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":22779,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_toc_level":"h2","_toc_min":2,"footnotes":""},"categories":[825,830],"tags":[895,863],"coauthors":[22055],"class_list":["post-22673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mind","category-mood","tag-brain-health","tag-healthy-habits"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.2 (Yoast SEO v24.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How Long Does It Actually Take to Build a Habit? | HUM Nutrition Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Changing habits takes time and effort. But how long does it take to build a habit? Is the magic number 21 days? Here&#039;s what science says.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Long Does It Actually Take to Build a Habit?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Changing habits takes time and effort. But how long does it take to build a habit? Is the magic number 21 days? Here&#039;s what science says.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"HUM Nutrition Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/humnutrition\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-01-11T23:01:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-10-25T22:13:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/How-Long-Does-It-Actually-Take-to-Build-a-Habit-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"670\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rita Hitching\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@HUMnutrition\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@HUMnutrition\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rita Hitching\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Rita Hitching\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2ad40abb5d15c12633dcbc2142ded4a6\"},\"headline\":\"How Long Does It Actually Take to Build a Habit?\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-01-11T23:01:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-10-25T22:13:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/\"},\"wordCount\":1514,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/How-Long-Does-It-Actually-Take-to-Build-a-Habit-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition-jpg.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Brain Health\",\"Healthy Habits\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Mind\",\"Mood\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/\",\"name\":\"How Long Does It Actually Take to Build a Habit? | HUM Nutrition Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/How-Long-Does-It-Actually-Take-to-Build-a-Habit-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition-jpg.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-01-11T23:01:19+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-10-25T22:13:11+00:00\",\"description\":\"Changing habits takes time and effort. But how long does it take to build a habit? Is the magic number 21 days? Here's what science says.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/How-Long-Does-It-Actually-Take-to-Build-a-Habit-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition-jpg.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/How-Long-Does-It-Actually-Take-to-Build-a-Habit-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition-jpg.webp\",\"width\":1440,\"height\":670,\"caption\":\"Pensive woman sitting at desk, wondering how long it takes to build a habit\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How Long Does It Actually Take to Build a Habit?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"HUM Nutrition Blog\",\"description\":\"The Wellnest | Beauty From The Inside Out\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"HUM Nutrition\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/favicon.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/favicon.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"HUM Nutrition\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/humnutrition\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/HUMnutrition\",\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/humnutrition\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/hum-nutrition-inc\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/humnutrition\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCcwy4Ev5RlWtTFiN0wLa1ng\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2ad40abb5d15c12633dcbc2142ded4a6\",\"name\":\"Rita Hitching\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/b3b7e1ea83fec1b7132dca3586514e76\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cropped-Rita-Hitching-MSc-Neuroscience-Researcher-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition-96x96.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cropped-Rita-Hitching-MSc-Neuroscience-Researcher-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition-96x96.webp\",\"caption\":\"Rita Hitching\"},\"description\":\"Rita Hitching, MSc, is a neuroscience researcher, writer, and editor focused on mental health, with 20+ years of experience in psychology and psychiatry research. She received her Masters from the London School of Economics and teaches at San Jose State University.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/writeonrita.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/author\/rita-hitching\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Long Does It Actually Take to Build a Habit? | HUM Nutrition Blog","description":"Changing habits takes time and effort. But how long does it take to build a habit? Is the magic number 21 days? Here's what science says.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How Long Does It Actually Take to Build a Habit?","og_description":"Changing habits takes time and effort. But how long does it take to build a habit? Is the magic number 21 days? Here's what science says.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/","og_site_name":"HUM Nutrition Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/facebook.com\/humnutrition","article_published_time":"2021-01-11T23:01:19+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-10-25T22:13:11+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1440,"height":670,"url":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/How-Long-Does-It-Actually-Take-to-Build-a-Habit-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Rita Hitching","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@HUMnutrition","twitter_site":"@HUMnutrition","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Rita Hitching","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/"},"author":{"name":"Rita Hitching","@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2ad40abb5d15c12633dcbc2142ded4a6"},"headline":"How Long Does It Actually Take to Build a Habit?","datePublished":"2021-01-11T23:01:19+00:00","dateModified":"2022-10-25T22:13:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/"},"wordCount":1514,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/How-Long-Does-It-Actually-Take-to-Build-a-Habit-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition-jpg.webp","keywords":["Brain Health","Healthy Habits"],"articleSection":["Mind","Mood"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/","url":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/","name":"How Long Does It Actually Take to Build a Habit? | HUM Nutrition Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/How-Long-Does-It-Actually-Take-to-Build-a-Habit-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition-jpg.webp","datePublished":"2021-01-11T23:01:19+00:00","dateModified":"2022-10-25T22:13:11+00:00","description":"Changing habits takes time and effort. But how long does it take to build a habit? Is the magic number 21 days? Here's what science says.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/How-Long-Does-It-Actually-Take-to-Build-a-Habit-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition-jpg.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/How-Long-Does-It-Actually-Take-to-Build-a-Habit-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition-jpg.webp","width":1440,"height":670,"caption":"Pensive woman sitting at desk, wondering how long it takes to build a habit"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/how-long-does-it-take-to-build-a-habit\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How Long Does It Actually Take to Build a Habit?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/","name":"HUM Nutrition Blog","description":"The Wellnest | Beauty From The Inside Out","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"HUM Nutrition","url":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/favicon.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/favicon.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"HUM Nutrition"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/facebook.com\/humnutrition","https:\/\/x.com\/HUMnutrition","https:\/\/instagram.com\/humnutrition","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/hum-nutrition-inc","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/humnutrition\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCcwy4Ev5RlWtTFiN0wLa1ng"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2ad40abb5d15c12633dcbc2142ded4a6","name":"Rita Hitching","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/b3b7e1ea83fec1b7132dca3586514e76","url":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cropped-Rita-Hitching-MSc-Neuroscience-Researcher-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition-96x96.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cropped-Rita-Hitching-MSc-Neuroscience-Researcher-The-Wellnest-by-HUM-Nutrition-96x96.webp","caption":"Rita Hitching"},"description":"Rita Hitching, MSc, is a neuroscience researcher, writer, and editor focused on mental health, with 20+ years of experience in psychology and psychiatry research. She received her Masters from the London School of Economics and teaches at San Jose State University.","sameAs":["https:\/\/writeonrita.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/author\/rita-hitching\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22673"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22673\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22673"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=22673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}