Habits, Behavior Change & Neuroplasticity

Habits form when a behaviour is repeated in a consistent context until the cue triggers it automatically. In one influential study, automaticity took a median of 66 days across participants, with individual estimates from 18 to 254, so there is no fixed number of days. Implementation intentions and stable contextual cues have strong behavioural evidence and can reduce dependence on in-the-moment motivation.

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