How can we integrate a habit into our behavioral repertoire, how long will it take to develop it naturally?Can all actions be acquired as habits and with the same training time?In this article, we’ll answer all your questions about what you need to create a habit.
We all want to incorporate in our day to day routines that allow us to lead a healthier life, such as quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, etc. but what happens in our process to try to do that?In many cases, lose motivation after a few days and stop trying.
- Creating a habit takes effort.
- It is about adapting our body or our pace of life to new routines that have previously unknown.
- So the keys to creating a habit will be constancy and perseverance.
- They are the ones who will have to face the temptation to give up.
When we manage to integrate the behavior into our usual repertoire, it is easier to do so and execute it more naturally. The first step will be to define what I want to achieve; if it’s something I want and motivates me, it’ll be a lot easier to get started.
In 1960, plastic surgeon Maxwell Maltz defined the duration of 21 days to create a habit, then it was observed that neurons are not able to completely assimilate new behavior at this time, and we run the risk of leaving behavior prematurely with only 21 days of training.
“Brain plasticity has shown that the brain is a sponge, moldable, and that we continually reconfigure our brain map. “Patricia Ramarez.
Other studies conducted by University College London have shown that, on average, it takes 66 days to incorporate new behavior into our routine and keep it in mind. They also found that spending a day without performing the behavior is not detrimental to the long run. goal to term.
Creating a habit requires a routine practice at the beginning (constant and frequent) to automate certain common processes and so that we need less effort to execute it, the practice time will vary depending on the behavior we want to acquire and how familiar it is to us. Something totally new and very different from our usual routine may require more practice time than, on the other hand, acquiring a habit close to our reality and simple for us.
The first thing we need to do is define an action plan, and that means creating short-, medium- and long-term goals to prevent us from abandoning the first change and continue to persevere when we see that we are achieving what we are aiming for. The plan should also include the definition of the time of day at which we will do the set. Well-defined and organized plans are much easier to follow.
Why do we want to acquire this habit? Designing our future or evaluating what we will positive for new behavior helps us stay motivated and not lose the expectation that initially made us decide to create this habit. Considering these goals also facilitates daily practice.
Don’t let procrastination win, i. e. don’t postpone tomorrow what you can start today. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll realize what you want to achieve. Creating a habit requires constant discipline and work, which we can do if we’re looking forward to it and if we’re passionate about what we can achieve, go with your new habits!