21-Day Habits in Secondary School

This project focuses on explaining how to acquire habits in 21 days. Throughout the article, we will provide you with the keys to increase your chances of success through updated scientific articles, and we will provide you with a table (calendar) so you can start acquiring your habits in 21 days.

La idea de este interesante experimento ha sido extraída de la web «Huberman Lab». Andrew Huberman, profesor en la Universidad de Stanford, dedica el siguiente podcast a hablar sobre la ciencia detrás de los hábitos.

How is it Applied in Your Class?

I've personally implemented this with 1st year high school students, but it's suitable for any secondary school grade. It's crucial to establish the following rules on the start day:

Choose 6 positive habits (e.g., strength training; reading for 15 minutes; making a positive comment to a family member).
Avoid choosing negative habits (e.g., stop using TikTok; not eating sugar).
Each day, perform at least 4 habits.
If you complete 4 habits in a day, mark off that day.
If you complete habits for 2 consecutive days at the same level, mark off the level.
If you miss a day, do NOT try to compensate the next day.

The idea is simple: complete at least 4 of the habits every day. The reason for having 6 is to encourage continuity success. If you plan to train strength every day, you'll need to rest one or two days a week. On those rest days, make sure to keep up with the other habits to fulfil at least 4.

Use this table to track your daily habits. At the end of the 21 days, count how many habits you've completed and how many levels you've surpassed.

The project doesn't have to end there. While it's true that you shouldn't add another 6 habits and start over, you should evaluate which habits were acquired and which weren't. This should be assessed in the next 21 days. Thus, the project could be divided into:

Habits that are 100% acquired should ideally be maintained, though they can be replaced with new ones. Habits with moderate success (more than 50% but less than 90%) should be continued until fully acquired. Habits that didn't reach a significant success rate need to be reevaluated. If you genuinely want to acquire that habit, keep it; if it was unrealistic or less interesting than expected, replace it.

Clarifications

¿Por qué "Hábitos en 21 días "en Educación Física?

Physical education goes beyond just teaching sports skills; it's about imparting values. Today, teaching students tools to develop their potential in a world full of distractions and constant new stimuli is more important than ever. Habits don't have to be solely sports-related; in fact, I encourage students already active in physical activities to focus on other aspects of their daily life. Do you make your bed? Are you polite with your family? Do you read? Study?

How Do I Know if I've Acquired a Habit?

Quoting Andrew Huberman: "The strength of a habit is dictated by how much limbic friction you need to overcome to perform the behaviour and how much context dependence exists. That is, do you perform the habit no matter what, or only when you're calm, rested, in the presence of others, with caffeine, etc.?"

Para más información sobre hábitos puedes visitar the «Huberman Lab«.
Si quieres descubrir nuevas formas de retar a tus alumnos de secundaria como con «Hábitos en 21 días», visita nuestro proyecto «Preguntas Científicas«.