A new study by researchers at the University of Surrey, the University of South Carolina and the University of Central Queensland suggests that much of what we do every day is guided by habit rather than deliberate decision-making.
This study psychology and healthwe found that about two-thirds of our daily actions begin automatically and become so routine that they essentially run on “autopilot.”
Habits are formed when people repeatedly respond to familiar situations in the same way. Over time, your brain associates certain settings and cues with certain actions. When these cues appear, the associated behavior begins automatically, without conscious thought.
The researchers also found that 46% of behavior is due to habit and is consistent with people’s intentions. This suggests that individuals often build routines that support their goals while gradually weakening habits that conflict with what they want to achieve.
Track your habits in real time
To better understand how habits function in daily life, the research team used a method designed to capture behaviors as they occur. Previous studies have attempted to estimate how often habits influence behavior, but this approach aimed to observe habits in real time.
The international team recruited 105 participants from the UK and Australia. Over the course of a week, participants received six random prompts on their phones every day. Each time, they were asked to describe what they were doing at that moment and indicate whether the behavior was caused by habit or was done on purpose.
They found that 65% of daily actions are habitually initiated. In other words, most behaviors were triggered by everyday cues rather than intentional choices.
Professor Benjamin Gardner, professor of psychology at the University of Surrey and co-author of the study, explained:
“Our research shows that while people may consciously want to do something, the actual initiation and execution of that behavior is often driven by unconscious habits and done without thinking. This suggests that ‘good’ habits can be a powerful way to make goals a reality.
“For people who want to break bad habits, it’s not enough to just say, ‘Try harder.’ To create lasting change, we need to incorporate strategies to help people recognize and break undesirable habits, and ideally form positive new ones in their place.”
Why habits matter for health and behavior change
This finding could have important implications for public health programs and lifestyle interventions. Researchers say efforts aimed at encouraging behaviors such as regular exercise and healthier eating need to focus on helping people establish consistent habits.
For example, someone who is trying to exercise more may struggle if they only exercise once in a while. A more effective approach is to connect exercise to predictable moments throughout the day. This may include exercising at a specific time or immediately after a normal activity, such as when clocking out, and repeating that behavior consistently in that situation.
Breaking unhealthy habits requires a similar strategy. For example, someone trying to quit smoking may find that motivation alone is not enough. More effective approaches include destroying the triggers that trigger the habit (e.g., avoiding places where you used to smoke) and creating alternative routines (e.g., chewing gum after meals instead of cigarettes).
“The study’s lead author, Dr. Amanda River, is an associate professor at the University of South Carolina.
“People like to think of themselves as rational decision makers, thinking carefully about what to do before doing it.
“However, many of our repetitive actions occur with minimal forethought and are rather automatically generated by habit.”
The role of habits in building a healthier routine
Dr Grace Vincent, sleep scientist and associate professor at Central Queensland University and co-author of the study, said the results provided encouraging insights for people wanting to improve their health and daily life.
“Our research shows that two-thirds of what people do every day is driven by habits, and most of the time those habits are aligned with our intentions.
“This means that if you try to create a positive habit, such as improving sleep hygiene, nutrition, or overall health, you can rely on your internal ‘autopilot’ to take over and maintain the habit.
“Unfortunately, not all habits are created equal. Exercise was an exception in our findings because it is often habit-driven, but it was less likely to be achieved purely on ‘autopilot’ than other behaviors.”
