Developing a habit depends on the habit, you, and your efforts (努力). Many believe it takes 21 days to form a habit. This idea came from Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a doctor. He found that his patients spent about 21 days getting used to a new way of seeing themselves.
But not all habits take 21 days to develop. Some need more time to become a regular (规律的) part of your life. Mark Vahrmeyer, a therapist (治疗专家) , says the 21-day rule seems easy. But often, it takes longer to make a habit. Dr Maurice Duffy, who teaches about thinking patterns (方式), says that our daily actions are our habits. Alyssa Roberts, who researches eating habits, says habits are made by repeating (重复) something. When we do something many times, our brain starts to do it without thinking.
Author Charles Duhigg explains the "habit loop", that is a habit has three parts: a trigger (引发其他事件的一件事), the habit, and a reward (回报). For example, stress might lead to overeating (暴食) to feel better. If this repeats, the brain will see stress as a chance to eat for comfort.
A 2016 study found that believing in yourself is the key to forming habits. If you think you can keep a habit, you likely will. This belief helps in quitting (停止) smoking, losing weight, drinking less, and exercising more.
