Most of what people do each day is guided by habit rather than deliberate decision-making, according to new research from the University of Surrey, the University of South Carolina, and Central Queensland University.

The study, published in Psychology & Health, reports that roughly two-thirds of everyday behaviors begin automatically, driven by habitual responses rather than conscious thought.

Habits form when repeated actions become linked to familiar situations, causing people to respond automatically when they encounter those settings again. Over time, these learned associations prompt behavior with little active awareness.

The researchers also found that 46% of behaviors were both habit-driven and consistent with people’s stated intentions. This suggests that individuals often develop habits that support their goals and are more likely to break routines that interfere with them.

Measuring habits as they happen

Rather than relying on memory or self-reflection alone, the study introduced a real-time approach to observing habits. The international research team tracked 105 participants in the UK and Australia by sending six random prompts to their phones each day for one week, asking what they were doing at that moment and whether the behavior was habitual or intentional.

Using this method, the researchers found that 65% of daily behaviors were initiated through habit, indicating that routine responses play a dominant role in shaping everyday action

Why motivation is not enough

Professor Benjamin Gardner, Professor in Psychology at the University of Surrey and co-author of the study, said:

“Our research shows that while people may consciously want to do something, the actual initiation and performance of that behavior is often done without thinking, driven by non-conscious habits. This suggests that “good” habits may be a powerful way to make our goals a reality.

“For people who want to break their bad habits, simply telling them to “try harder” isn’t enough. To create lasting change, we must incorporate strategies to help people recognize and disrupt their unwanted habits, and ideally form positive new ones in their place.”

Designing habits for health

The findings may have broader implications for public health and wellness interventions. The researchers recommend that initiatives designed to help people adopt new behaviors, like exercising or eating healthier, should focus on building new, positive habits.

For example, for someone trying to take up exercise, inconsistent exercise may not be enough. The most effective strategy would involve identifying an everyday situation in which exercise can realistically be done – for example, at a certain time of day, or following a regular event, like leaving work – and consistently doing some exercise in that situation.

Likewise, to break a bad habit like smoking, simply wanting to quit may not cut it. The most effective strategies would involve disrupting triggers (e.g., avoiding places where they used to smoke) and creating new routines (e.g., chewing gum after a meal instead of having a cigarette).

Rethinking conscious control

Dr Amanda Rebar, Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina and lead author of the study said:

“People like to think of themselves as rational decision makers, who think carefully about what to do before they do it.

“However, much of our repetitive behavior is undertaken with minimal forethought and is instead generated automatically, by habit.”

When autopilot helps and fails

Dr Grace Vincent, Sleep Scientist and Associate Professor at Central Queensland University and co-author of the study, said the findings offer hope to people trying to develop healthier lifestyles:

“Our study shows that two-thirds of what people do each day is sparked by habit, and most of the time those habits are also aligned with our intentions.

“This means that if we set out to create a positive habit, whether that’s around better sleep hygiene, or nutrition, or general wellbeing improvements, we can rely on an internal “autopilot” to take over and help us maintain those habits.

“Unfortunately, not all habits are created equal. Exercise was the exception in our findings, as it was often triggered by habit, but less likely to be achieved purely “on autopilot”, compared to other behaviors.”