"Anything that you do for 21 days becomes a habit". They say it is proved scientifically.
What do you think, it it a myth? if yes why? if not, why not?
by 
raytex
ANSWERS: 7
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A bit generalized and arbitrary, no? ;-)
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The '21 days' is used more for classification than as a predictor. In order to classify something as an addiction, for example, we need a minimum frequency at which it must occur. . There are also other factors that contribute to these classifications . Along with the '21 days' there are other factors to consider. For example, the ease of which we can cease doing the activity, and how much willpower and attention are needed to keep from doing it automatically. . To answer the question, I don't think it is always true, but it could lead to a habit in many cases.
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I believe it is a myth because you cannot generalize.
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Depends wether or not you stop after 21 days. Should you not then it is a habit.
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I've heard it said that it takes 4 weeks (28 days) to make or break a habit. From my own experiences, I definitely think there is merit in this statement.
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I've tried it and it didn't work for me.
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My thoughts: Habits are behaviours that operate at the subconscious level. For something to become a habit it needs to penetrate the subconscious and become internalized. For something to become internalized it needs to be repeated/reinforced/ affirmed over a period of time. This will not happen if the action takes place on a single occasion so doing something 21 times repetitively in one go will not create a habit. Why 28 days? My take.. 28 days/ 4 weeks/ 1 month seems to represent a critical value in the body's physiological processes, e.g. 1.) a woman's monthly cycle and 2.) when starting on an exercise regime, it takes 4 weeks for you to see and feel a difference. The body is constantly replacing worn-out cells and I've read that it take 4 weeks for the human body to replace all its cells. On a cellular level you are a new person every 4 weeks. Running with this...To break a smoking habit it would take 4 weeks for all your cells to be nicotine-free. Maybe it also has something to do with the cycle of the moon which also takes 1 month!
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