how much time do you develop a habit and how much time is needed to break it?

Answer 1

to be honest i think it all depens on the person's personality and their ability of self control.

for example i had a slouching problem, which i developed after about a month of sitting cross legged on the floor of the classroom(unintentionally) then went to a ciropractor, who told me to always sit upright whenever i was seated and walk straight. after about 2 weeks of continuing this routine (i was also very careful not to slouch) it became a normal thing for my body to do, and i eventually stopped slouching.

so a month to develop a habit and 2 weeks to get rid of it

but my dad was different he evntually forgets and falls back into old habits.

he used to sit on the chair in front of the computer but with his feet up on the desk after years of doing this and seeing it as a comfort thing rather than a habit, he eventually screwed up his back- his spine twisted. so he had to go for a very risky operation to get it fixed and do all these exercises, he also was'nt allowed to sit for long periods of time, so he eventually forgot about his seating habit. but once he had fully recovered (1 year later) and was allowed to sit for longer periods of time he kind of forgot and would sit that way again. of course my mum would always keep a close eye on him and tell him off when she caught him doing it, so it became more like a thing he did sometimes but not so often anymore.

so with my dad, it was a thing he'd always do, until 6 years later he had to go for a operation, then afterwards would only occasionally do it until he realised what he was doing and sat upright.
so he never really broke the habit.

in conclusion it depends on the person, their ability of self-control and how desperate they want to break the habit........if they even want to.

Answer 2

I heard somewhere that if you do something more than 20 times it becomes a habit. I'm guessing that it takes longer for you to break a habit than it does for you to develop it.

Answer 3

i heard a study where it takes 18 days of doing something (like brushing your teeth) for it to become a habit, and the same amount of time to break it. i think it depends on what it is, like an addiction to drugs or caffeine can happen a lot faster.

Answer 4

that is different fotr each individual,
some people will take many years to become alcoholic others can do it in a few ,

the same idea applies to drugs as well
but some of those can turn somebody into an addict in months
and to break the habbits is just as individual

one of the hardest addictions to break is tobacco

Answer 5

I just heard that it takes 1 month. I quit smoking last year and I would say that is about the same amount of time it took me to feel normal...not wanting a cigarette anymore.