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How long does it take for a habit to be developed?

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How long does it take for a habit to be developed?

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66 Days.

On average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic — 66 days to be exact. And how long it takes a new habit to form can vary widely depending on the behavior, the person, and the circumstances. In Lally's study, it took anywhere from 18 days to 254 days for people to form a new habit.

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Maxwell Maltz was a plastic surgeon in the 1950s when he began noticing a strange pattern among his patients.

When Dr. Maltz would perform an operation - like a nose job, for example - he found that it would take the patient about 21 days to get used to seeing their new face. Similarly, when a patient had an arm or a leg amputated, Maxwell Maltz noticed that the patient would sense a phantom limb for about 21 days before adjusting to the new situation.

These experiences prompted Maltz to think about his own adjustment period to changes and new behaviors, and he noticed that it also took himself about 21 days to form a new habit. Maltz wrote about these experiences and said, "These, and many other commonly observed phenomena tend to show that it requires a minimum of about 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to jell."

In 1960, Maltz published that quote and his other thoughts on behavior change in a book called Psycho-Cybernetics ( audiobook). The book went on to become an blockbuster hit, selling more than 30 million copies.

And that's when the problem started.

You see, in the decades that followed, Maltz's work influenced nearly every major "self-help" professional from Zig Ziglar to Brian Tracy to Tony Robbins. And as more people recited Maltz's story - like a very long game of "Telephone" - people began to forget that he said "a minimum of about 21 days" and shortened it to, "It takes 21 days to form a new habit."

And that's how society started spreading the common myth that it takes 21 days to form a new habit (or 30 days or some other magic number). It's remarkable how often these timelines are quoted as statistical facts. Dangerous lesson: If enough people say something enough times, then everyone else starts to believe it.

It makes sense why the "21 Days" Myth would spread. It's easy to understand. The time frame is short enough to be inspiring, but long enough to be believable. And who wouldn't like the idea of changing your life in just three weeks?

But the problem is that Maxwell Maltz was simply observing what was going on around him and wasn't making a statement of fact. Furthermore, he made sure to say that this was the minimum amount of time needed to adapt to a new change.

So what's the real answer? How long does it take to form a habit? How long does it take a break a bad habit? Is there any science to back this up? And what does all of this mean for you and me?

How Long it Really Takes to Build a New Habit

Phillippa Lally is a health psychology researcher at University College London. In a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, Lally and her research team decided to figure out just how long it actually takes to form a habit.

The study examined the habits of 96 people over a 12-week period. Each person chose one new habit for the 12 weeks and reported each day on whether or not they did the behavior and how automatic the behavior felt.

Some people chose simple habits like "drinking a bottle of water with lunch." Others chose more difficult tasks like "running for 15 minutes before dinner." At the end of the 12 weeks, the researchers analyzed the data to determine how long it took each person to go from starting a new behavior to automatically doing it.

The answer?

On average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic - 66 days to be exact. And how long it takes a new habit to form can vary widely depending on the behavior, the person, and the circumstances. In Lally's study, it took anywhere from 18 days to 254 days for people to form a new habit. 1

In other words, if you want to set your expectations appropriately, the truth is that it will probably take you anywhere from two months to eight months to build a new behavior into your life - not 21 days.

Interestingly, the researchers also found that "missing one opportunity to perform the behavior did not materially affect the habit formation process." In other words, it doesn't matter if you mess up every now and then. Building better habits is not an all-or-nothing process.

Finding Inspiration in the Long Road

Before you let this dishearten you, let's talk about three reasons why this research is actually inspiring.

First, there is no reason to get down on yourself if you try something for a few weeks and it doesn't become a habit. It's supposed to take longer than that! There is no need to judge yourself if you can't master a behavior in 21 short days. Learn to love your 10 Years of Silence. Embrace the long, slow walk to greatness and focus on putting in your reps.

Second, you don't have to be perfect. Making a mistake once or twice has no measurable impact on your long-term habits. This is why you should treat failure like a scientist, give yourself permission to make mistakes, and develop strategies for getting back on track quickly.

And third, embracing longer timelines can help us realize that habits are a process and not an event. All of the "21 Days" hype can make it really easy to think, "Oh, I'll just do this and it'll be done." But habits never work that way. You have to embrace the process. You have to commit to the system.

Understanding this from the beginning makes it easier to manage your expectations and commit to making small, incremental improvements - rather than pressuring yourself into thinking that you have to do it all at once.

Where to Go From Here

At the end of the day, how long it takes to form a particular habit doesn't really matter that much. Whether it takes 50 days or 500 days, you have to put in the work either way.

The only way to get to Day 500 is to start with Day 1. So forget about the number and focus on doing the work.

If you want more practical ideas for breaking bad habits and creating good habits, check out my book , which will show you how small changes in habits can lead to remarkable results.

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How Long Does it Take to Form a Habit? Backed by Science.

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Maxwell Maltz was a plastic surgeon in the 1950s when he began noticing a strange pattern among his patients. When Dr. Maltz would perform an operation - like a nose job, for example - he found that it would take the patient about 21 days to get used to seeing their new face.

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1. One Habit at a Time

2. A Tiny Habit

3. Once a Day

4. Focus on Starting

5. Enjoy Doing It

6. Watch Your Thoughts

7. Don't Miss Two Straight Days

8. Be accountable

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The hardest thing for most people, when it comes to building habits, is sticking to it long enough for it to become ingrained.

Duh, Leo.

It's why most people don't exercise or eat healthy, why people procrastinate or have clutter or debt, why people smoke and drink soda, why people don't meditate or learn new languages or write everyday or read more books.

Simply put: if you can learn to stick to a habit, you can do almost anything. I'm a good example of that.

So how do you stick to a habit? I'm going to make this as simple as possible - let's dive in.

Why You Don't Stick to a Habit

The most common reasons people don't stick to a habit:

1. Habit is too difficult.

2. You don't enjoy doing it.

3. Too many habits at once (habits are hard!).

4. Too many other things going on.

5. Changes in routine (sick, travel, visitors, big project at work).

6. Not really motivated to do it.

7. You talk yourself out of it.

8. You miss a day or two and get discouraged.

There are other reasons too: people actively discourage you from changing, or you think negative thoughts about your ability to change, or you overdo it in the beginning and then run out of enthusiasm.

The Rules for Sticking to a Habit

Now that we know all that we're up against, it seems pretty tough, no? Actually, it's not easy, but it's definitely doable. Anything worth doing is going to take some work. You just need to set your mind to doing something tough, and be OK with a little discomfort.

That said, I have a set of rules to follow if you want to actually stick to new habits. Now, you can ignore these rules, as most people do, and increase your likelihood of failure. Or you can try the rules, and see if they work for you (each person is different, so you have to figure out your own formula).

Here are the rules:

1. One Habit at a Time. This is incredibly important - most people ignore it because they underestimate how much focus it takes to actually stick to a new habit. It's easy to start a habit, or even 5 of them at once. Sticking to them is another story. Please note that this is one habit period - don't think you can do one fitness habit, one social habit, one work habit, etc. One habit only. Do not break this rule.

2. A Tiny Habit. Do not focus on results as you're forming the habit. I recently mentioned that I'm doing 3 yoga poses every morning - doing more than an hour is too difficult for me and I tend to quit when I do long classes. Will I get a good workout with only 3 yoga poses? No! I'm not trying to get a good workout, get flexible, become more mindful, or get in shape. Eventually, yes, those results will probably come. But for now, I'm only doing one thing: forming the habit of doing yoga each day. Make the habit as tiny as possible. Whatever you think you should do, cut it in half. Then, if possible, cut it in half again. Maybe once more if your time to do it is longer than 2 minutes.

3. Once a Day. You might think you can change your entire diet all at once. Not bloody likely. Only do the habit once a day, and again, just for a minute or two each day. Once the habit is ingrained, you can expand, but wait at least 3 weeks before you even consider that.

4. Focus on Starting. The only thing you need to do is start. That's the part of the habit that matters in the first month or so. Later on, you'll run a marathon. For now, just put all your effort into lacing up your shoes and getting out the door. If you're meditating, just get your butt on the cushion. If you're eating healthy, just get your healthy snack (carrots & hummus?) in front of you, and take the first bite. If you're writing, just close your browser, open a text document, and type the first sentence. Just start.

5. Enjoy Doing It. It's really important that you get positive feedback for doing the habit, right away. Many people do a habit they hate, which is built-in negative feedback, and then wonder why they can't stick to it. Do a habit you love, or find a way to enjoy doing the habit. Focus on the positive aspects of it. Also, as my friend Tynan does, praise yourself for doing it. Feel good about doing it. This is immediate reward, and it's necessary.

6. Watch Your Thoughts. If you start to avoid the habit, or do the habit but feel discouraged, or ever feel like quitting ... pay attention to these thoughts. Where are they coming from? Are you rationalizing quitting? Are you giving yourself some negative self-talk? Those thoughts aren't real - they're just defense mechanisms your brain uses to avoid discomfort. Let them go, and don't let them have power over you. You can beat them with some positive self-talk.

7. Don't Miss Two Straight Days. This is the key. If you let yourself miss a day, be absolutely sure, incredibly and powerfully sure, that you don't miss a day again. Miss a day, and let all kinds of alarms go off: you should put yourself on emergency status and do everything possible to not miss the 2nd day. Tynan suggests doubling down, but whatever you do, don't let yourself slip up again. If you do, you are never going to get good at habits. Don't do it.

8. Be accountable. Tell at least one other person about your habit change, and ask them to keep you accountable. A group of 4-5 people is even better (as in my Sea Change Program). It increases your likelihood of sticking to the habit by about 50% in my experience.

How to Learn the Habit Skill

That might all seem like a lot to learn at once. That's OK. We're going to learn it simply and easily. Here's how:

Do the easiest possible habit when you first start.

If you're not good at habits yet (and if you're reading this guide, you probably aren't), then start with the most basic skills - don't try to do ninja habit skills yet.

You want to practice the habit rules by doing something crazily easy. It will seem a little ridiculous, but spend a little time doing something ridiculous if you really want to be good at it.

Some ideas for habits to start with:

Drink a glass of water each day.

Put your clothes in your hamper.

Wash your bowl when you're done.

Say thank you every morning.

Drink tea each afternoon.

Eat one piece of fruit.

Write one sentence a day.

Floss one tooth.

Too easy? Try something harder, and if you fail, then promise me you'll try one of these.

Need Help?

If you need some help with forming habits, consider joining my Sea Change Program. I'll give you the accountability and reminders you need, along with some guidance each month, and you can form new habits along with everyone else in the program.

The Sea Change Program for forming habits.

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Sticking to a Habit: The Definitive Guide - zen habits

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By Leo Babauta The hardest thing for most people, when it comes to building habits, is sticking to it long enough for it to become ingrained. Duh, Leo. It's why most people don't exercise or eat healthy, why people procrastinate or have clutter or debt, why people smoke and drink soda, why people don't meditate [...]

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Renewable Habits - Happer & Healthier Planet

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Renewable Habits - Happer & Healthier Planet

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Can being sustainable increase a person's happiness? A recent social experiment by Tetra Pak looked to find out. The Renewable Living Social Experiment, conducted in partnership with University College London (UK) and the Tilburg University (NL), challenged leading bloggers in five countries (United States, Brazil, India, France and Spain) to take small steps to adopt simple, renewable habits, from walking or biking to work, to making eco-minded choices at the grocery store. The experiment showed a significant increase in both how habitual the behaviors became, and how happy they made the bloggers over the 28-day period.

The experiment's results showed that a better understanding of renewability can positively impact both people and the environment. However, many consumers lack a familiarity and understanding of products and packaging that are made from renewable materials. That's why Tetra Pak, the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions company, decided to take action.

This month the company launched Renewable Living, a campaign in the U.S., Canada, and 20 other countries. Building on its past research, Tetra Pak explored how to motivate new habits and practices among consumers. Data revealed that renewable living contributes to happiness. In fact, findings from Tetra Pak found that adopting a few simple, renewable lifestyle habits that help protect the earth's natural resources can help people go from feeling glum to good, with 70% of those surveyed claiming they felt happier when making eco-minded choices!

In addition to increasing positive sustainable habits with consumers, there's also a business imperative for Tetra Pak. As resources become scarcer, there becomes a greater need to develop more responsible sourcing and increase use of renewable materials. Tetra Pak is a leader in the field of renewability and a driving force in creating a more sustainable world. Learn more about the Renewable Living campaign, and let us know how you're creating renewable habits at #RenewableLiving

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Renewable Habits: Happier People, Healthier Planet, Stronger Businesses

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Can being sustainable increase a person's happiness? A recent social experiment by Tetra Pak looked to find out. The Renewable Living Social Experiment, conducted in partnership with University College London (UK) and the Tilburg University (NL), challenged leading bloggers in five countries (United States, Brazil, India, France and Spain) to take small steps to adopt simple, renewable habits, from walking or biking to work, to making eco-minded choices at the grocery store.

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Lifestyle changes and the impact it can have on the Environment

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Lifestyle changes and the impact it can have on the Environment

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Lifestyle changes can lead to a change in individuals' contribution to the climate crisis, this could be an area to look into!

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Garrette Clark (GC): We're facing a triple planetary crisis that threatens our survival, so our impact on the natural world is an obvious concern. An increasing number of people know this but tend to avoid acting on it as the problem can seem abstract, they don't know what to do, and they have more immediate priorities.
How do our choices as consumers impact the planet?
GC: First, we need to understand that consumers are not only individuals. Great drivers of consumption are businesses and governments, who structure and influence the systems that meet our needs. So, it's important that people make more informed decisions and ask governments and business to take action. UNEP recently launched Act Now: Speak Up, a campaign that showcases how citizens can compel governments and businesses to up their climate game.
What does a sustainable lifestyle look like in 2022?
GC: I think we hear the word sustainable everywhere these days. We think of sustainable living as the positive things we can do in our daily lives to live better. But given the climate, biodiversity and pollution emergencies, we need to be clear on what those actions are and ensure that everyone needs to be taking them.
If someone wants to live more sustainably, where can they start?
GC: UNEP has made this super easy with the Anatomy of Action, an online media tool which translates the science into action. It all comes down to five domains: food, mobility, stuff, money and fun. In each of those areas, the top three things people could do are highlighted. Now they can be different depending on where and how they live and resources available, but within these three priority actions, there are opportunities for people to take action.
People around the world are talking about what's known as the 1.5°C lifestyle, a way of living that aims to keep alive the Paris Agreement goal of How do you convince someone to change the way they live? limiting global warming to 1.5ºC, considered a red line for the planet. Can you tell us more about that ethos?
GC: The 1.5°C lifestyles idea is tied to evidence and what we know about how individuals, governments and business consume. We know we have to change our consumption in the areas of food, mobility, housing and leisure, and we need to change quickly and drastically. 1.5°C living is a guide for change.

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How sustainable living can help counter the climate crisis

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UNEP's Garrette Clark explains how people can live more sustainably and what governments and business can do to support that transition.

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More Ways to Reduce our Carbon Footprint

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More Ways to Reduce our Carbon Footprint

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1. Shun Fast Fashion
2. Reduce your Meat and Diary Intake
3. Avoid Single-Use Plastic
4. Travel Greener
5. Switch to Green Energy

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Simple hacks with big impact

written by Matt Davies

Despite the misguided ramblings of one overweight orange ex-president, climate change is real, and unless we get a wiggle on and each reduce our carbon footprint, our planet's surface temperature is set to increase by 2°C. - A rise of 2°C is considered the most the Earth could tolerate without risking catastrophic changes to food production, sea levels, fishing, wildlife & deserts.

Here are 5 ways to reduce your carbon footprint significantly.

1. Avoid Mass Market, Throw Away Fashion

The clothing sector generates 10% of all global carbon emissions and remains the second biggest industrial polluter, following the oil industry. Ironically, approximately 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make polyester fibre, the most commonly used fibre in the fast fashion industry. - inexpensive throw-away clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends.

Fast fashion garments, which on average are worn less than 5 times and kept for just 35 days, produce over 400% more carbon emissions per item than garments worn 50 times and kept for 1 year. In addition to the CO2 emissions associated to production and transportation, fast fashion also facilitates deforestation on a grand scale.

Over 70 million trees are cut each year to produce cheaper fabrics such as rayon, viscose, modal and lyocell. Not to mention the water pollution from plastic microfibers, pesticides for cotton crops and toxic colouring dyes.

So by shunning fast fashion, by means of buying sustainable and environmentally friendly apparel, or better still purchasing or sourcing second hand clothing, you'll significantly reduce your carbon footprint, while also looking rather dapper in ecological or retro threads.

2. Reduce your Meat and Diary Consumption

Livestock and their byproducts account for at least 32,000 million tons of CO2 per year, or 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, which is significantly more than the combined exhaust fumes from all modes of transportation put together. And these emissions for animal agriculture are projected to increase 80% by 2050 unless more sustainable food production systems are widely adopted.

The meat and dairy industry is also responsible for up to 91% of Amazon deforestation (grazing land and feed crops), which results in the extinction of unique plant, insect, and animal species. This alarming list of statistics goes on, but it needn't be like this, and with the ever-increasing range of exceptional vegan and veggie options in our supermarkets and eateries, the choice is getting easier to reduce your meat and diary intake.

Each day, a person who eats a vegan diet saves 1,100 gallons of water, 20kgs of grain, 30 sq ft of forested land, 9kgs of CO2, and one animal's life. But if going vegan really isn't an option at the moment, try to source wild meat from sustainable agriculture such as Knepp Wildland. Adopting a pescatarian diet, flexitarian diet, or choosing white over red meat; shopping locally and seasonally; and reducing your food waste will also greatly reduce your footprint.

3. Refuse Single-Use Plastic

Gone are the days when reusing jam jars and recycling tin cans was enough to save the planet. To make real environmental change and really reduce one's carbon footprint, it's high time we all started living plastic free or adopting a zero waste lifestyle.

300 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year. Without intervention, the amount of emissions from plastic will consume 17% of the global carbon budget by 2050!
By refusing single-use plastic, we as individuals can make a significant dent in these figures.

Take your own reusable shopping bag to the shops

Use own food containers, cup, and utensils to avoid unnecessary throw-away plastic

Carry a reusable water bottle

Invest in bamboo earbuds and toothbrush

Say no to disposable straws and stirrers

Avoid heavily and/or unnecessarily packaged foods

Purchase solid packaging free detergents, soaps, and shaving creams

Invest in or make your own eco friendly cosmetics

Purchase from grocery stores and local markets that sell their produce loose and free of packaging.

Do you want to have a direct impact on climate change? Sir David Attenborough said the best thing we can do is to rewild the planet. So we run reforestation and rewilding programs across the globe to restore wild ecosystems and capture carbon.
Get involved

Avoiding meat and dairy is 'single biggest way' to reduce your impact on Earth
The Guardian

4. Reduce and Rethink your Transportation

Second to the meat industry, transportation releases a devastating percentage of CO2 into our atmosphere - 13% of all greenhouse gas emissions!

Unfortunately, as much as we'd like it, it's not as easy to completely abandon transportation like it is to go veggie or refuse single-use plastic. In fact, for many of us, we're likely to be reliant on fossil fueled transportation, generating unavoidable carbon emissions, for at least the next 5 to 10 years. So in the meantime, a reduction and rethink on how we travel is the next step to reducing our carbon footprint.

If it's just five minutes by car, could you walk, run or cycle instead?

Switch off the ignition when at traffic lights, in a traffic jam or waiting for someone.

Is public transport an option? You'll be surprised how comfortable and economical it is to travel on public transport nowadays.

Could you be car sharing on the school run or commute to work?

Could you reduce the number of flights you take? Is there an alternative, cleaner means of transport e.g. train?

If you can't avoid it, offset it. Try to carbon offset unavoidable flights or long road trips.

5. Switch to Green Energy

The future of household energy lies in renewable energy sources such as wind, and solar power. Regardless of climate change, there are limitations on the availability of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal, while "green electricity" is becoming cheaper and more readily available.

Nowadays most energy suppliers offer "green electricity" tariffs, which seek to champion renewable energy. However, we recommend sourcing one that ensures your electricity supply is 100% renewable (Some companies purchase a mix of renewable and non-renewable electricity).

A 100% green supply means all the electricity you buy is 'matched' by purchases of renewable energy such as wind farms and hydroelectric power stations. As more people sign up for such schemes, it will drive up investment in these technologies and subsequently drive down renewable energy prices. It's a feedback and you can be the catalyst of change.

Ready to start reducing your carbon footprint? Read on to learn how to calculate and manage your footprint and help restore nature through rewilding.

Now knowing the main areas to gain the biggest reductions to your carbon footprint, try our Carbon Footprint Calculator to find out your personal estimated yearly CO2e emissions. Your individualised footprint will be compared to averages in the US and Europe and you'll also be informed of your total estimated emissions in the areas listed below, where possible, based on where you live. To read in greater detail and depth about our methodology, see our Carbon Footprint Calculator article.

Finally, after completing our simple 5-minute Calculator, you will receive instant personalised recommendations to reduce your footprint. Having such detailed results allows you to easily compare your total emissions against the global average needed to stop a 2°C rise in global temperatures, making our Carbon Footprint Calculator a valuable tool in your personal fight against climate change.

Mossy Earth Carbon Footprint Calculator

Food: Covering dietary choices, how you shop (factoring in food miles), wastage and recycling.

Travel: With an in-depth focus on Air Travel, including the extra emissions associated with high altitudes and specific emission factors related to flying in different cabin classes.

Commuting: Using up-to-date emission data by BEIS on car types, usage, and size. In addition to emission factors for electric vehicles and how electricity is produced differently in different regions.

Energy/Heating: Our estimations for home energy involve country specific factors and average household consumption levels drawn from scientific studies. Also covering renewable energies as even they generate emissions.

Lifestyle: Calculations are arrived at by taking average emissions for each item of clothing, certain electronics, having pets, and large purchases such as cars.

Fighting Climate Change through Rewilding

What is Rewilding?

Rewilding, a revolutionary branch of conservation, works on the core principles that nature can recover and thrive by itself if given the space and time needed with little human intervention. It is gaining momentum and praise for its astounding successes in transforming impoverish landscapes into thriving ecosystems and improving biodiversity. It does this by restoring ecosystem processes, replacing missing species, reconnecting habitats, and supporting other essential components of nature that have been damaged by human activity.

Advocates of the highest calibre promote rewilding on a grand scale to combat climate change: Sir David Attenborough recently stated " It is the only way out of this crisis that we ourselves have created. We must rewild the world!"

How to get involved with Rewilding

Rewilding can take place on any scale which means anyone can start the process of bringing back nature. While the specific actions previously mentioned focus on reducing the carbon you personally emit into the atmosphere, rewilding offers you the chance to support biodiversity - fundamental in the fight against climate change. Rewilding your garden is a simple way to not only help native flora and fauna but also to conserve resources and avoid unsustainable and harmful gardening practices. If you want to up the scale, there are plenty of rewilding projects working to protect and restore ecosystems and in the process take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Our Projects page contains a list of exciting and impactful projects operating around the globe, contributing to such impacts is made easy, transparent and engaging through our Mossy Earth Membership.

Reducing Your CO2 Emissions

Avoid mass-market throw away clothing. Instead opt for sustainable fashion of second hand clothing.

Keep your existing clothing in circulation longer by repairing, upcycling, or donating it.

Go vegan or vegetarian.

If veganism is a step too far, choose white over red meat or adopt a pescatarian diet.

Refuse single-use plastics.

Invest in a reusable water bottle, shopping bag and avoid unnecessarily packaged goods.

If it's just five minutes by car, could you walk, run or cycle instead?

Live the example you want to set.

Could you be car sharing on the school run or commute to work?

If you can't avoid it, offset it. Try to carbon offset unavoidable flights or long road trips.

Switch to a 100% green energy supplier.

Calculate your footprint and make the right changes to reduce it.

Rewild your garden and support native flora and fauna.

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5 Ways To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Significantly

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Simple hacks with big impact written by Matt Davies Despite the misguided ramblings of one overweight orange ex-president, climate change is real, and unless we get a wiggle on and each reduce our carbon footprint, our planet's surface temperature is set to increase by 2°C.

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1. Tack control of your Heating

2. Upgrade your heating system

3. Insulate your home

4. Draught-proofing

5. Low energy lighting

6. Energy efficient appliances

7. Low carbon travel

8. Reduce, reuse, recycle.

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In the UK, around 22% of the country's carbon emissions come from our homes - including heating, lighting and appliances. The way we travel - from driving to work or the shops to jet setting around the globe on holiday - comes close behind heating for the volume of carbon emissions produced.

We can reduce our carbon emissions by improving our homes, choosing low carbon travel options and making small behaviour changes - all while having a positive impact on addressing the climate emergency.

Here, we take a look at options to suit all budgets and lifestyles, from updating your heating controls, replacing your bulbs with LEDs or making the switch to an electric vehicle.

Use heating controls

For most of us, the first step in cutting carbon emissions it to take control of our heating. We can reduce our carbon emissions and energy usage by making sure we're not using more heating than we need.

Heating controls are evolving rapidly and investing in modern, easy to use controls is a good way to make sure you're only using heating when necessary. To do this effectively, for a central heating system you'll need a timer or programmer, a room thermostat and thermostatic radiator valves.

Smart heating controls are available for all types of heating system, including electric storage heaters. Some systems include automation features, which can help by working out exactly when to turn the heating on and off.

Upgrade your heating system

If you need to replace your heating system, you have a real opportunity to cut your carbon emissions and save on your energy bills. Most of us heat our homes using a gas or oil boiler, with the obvious solution to just replace this when it fails.

However, first think about switching away from gas or oil heating altogether. The lowest carbon option is to install a renewable heating system such as an air source or ground source heat pump. Heat pumps are powered by electricity and are much more efficient than gas boilers. And because the carbon content of the UK's electricity has reduced dramatically in recent years, heat pumps will always help to cut your carbon emissions.

If you're not ready to make the switch to a low carbon heat pump when your boiler breaks down, make sure you talk to your installer about the best heating controls for you. If you're getting a new boiler then now is the best time to make any control upgrades you might need.

Insulate your home

All the energy we use in our homes leads to additional carbon emissions. Over half of home energy is used for heating, so it's important to make sure that the walls, roof, and floors in your home are insulated, cutting back on heat waste and reducing your carbon footprint.

For a quick fix, insulate any exposed hot water pipes, along with your hot water cylinder if you have one. Insulating the building itself will make a bigger difference, making your home warmer in winter, as well as lowering your energy bills and cutting your carbon emissions.

Insulating your walls is a good place to start, as around a third of the heat lost from an uninsulated home escape through the walls. The cost of insulating walls depends on what type of home you have: homes with a cavity wall (typically built after about 1920) are the easiest to insulate, while older homes will require solid wall insulation.

Most people now have some, but not enough, insulation in their loft: it's important to check this is in good condition, and to top it up to the recommended level of 270mm of insulation. Unless you live in a mid-floor flat, it's also worth adding insulation to your ground floor. We have more advice on floor insulation, including DIY options.

Draught-proofing

Your home may be losing heat through gaps around the windows and doors, between floorboards or up your chimney. Draught-proofing these areas is a cost-effective way to save energy and reduce your household's carbon emissions. It's easy to do and, in many cases, doesn't require a professional.

Low energy lighting

Lighting is one of the big success stories of home energy efficiency. A modern LED bulb uses 80-90% less energy than a traditional lightbulb, which helps to lower your carbon emissions and electricity bills.

If you replace all the bulbs in your home with LED lights, you could reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by up to 65kg a year. This is equivalent to the carbon dioxide emitted by driving your car around 220 miles.

Energy efficient appliances

While insulating and changing the way we heat our homes is the big carbon saving opportunity, choosing energy efficient appliances is a straightforward way to reduce your carbon footprint.

How you use your appliances can also affect how much energy they use - cooking, cooling or freezing, and wet appliances typically account for 13% of an average household's energy consumption.

You can reduce your energy use - and carbon emissions - by making small changes to your habits. Frequency of use is one factor, but choosing Eco modes, lower temperatures, and airing clothes on a line instead of using a tumble dryer, for example, will reduce energy consumption.

If you are looking to replace an appliance, choosing a model with a high energy efficiency rating that meets your needs and budget will minimise your home's carbon emissions.

Low carbon travel

Since the first Covid-19 lockdown began in March 2020, many people across the UK have reduced their transport emissions by switching to walking or cycling over short distances. However, as restrictions are eased and people start to travel more freely, it's likely these carbon emissions will begin to creep up.

If you do need to drive, consider switching to an electric car. Electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions, which helps to improve air quality, and much lower carbon dioxide emissions than a petrol or diesel equivalent. The initial purchase price of an electric vehicle is often higher but lower running costs over its lifetime help balance the initial outlay, and there is no doubt about the environmental benefit.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

As well as the energy we use directly in our homes, every product we buy has a carbon footprint: the energy used in making that product and getting it to you will almost certainly have caused some carbon emissions.

One way of reducing emissions from products at home is to reduce the amount you consume. You should also try to re-use wherever possible and recycle when you no longer need something. Local authority and council recycling is supplemented by private initiatives - recyclenow, managed by WRAP, has a tool that helps you recycle goods in your area.

Food for thought

Research carried out in 2018 revealed that meat and dairy uses 83% of farmland and produces 60% of agriculture's greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Vegetarian Society, by eating vegetarian food for a year, you could save the same volume of carbon emissions as taking a small family car off the road for six months.

Food that's grown locally and in season will travel fewer 'food miles' before it makes it to your plate. This seasonal fruit and vegetable calendar shows you what food is in season throughout the year.

Around one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption - around 1.3 billion tonnes - is wasted. This food ends up in landfill, which releases methane gas, speeding up the impact of climate change. Throwing less away food makes economic, as well as environmental, sense. Recipe planning can help you manage your food more effectively, or find more tips in our blog about food waste.

It all adds up

There are around 67 million people in the UK. If we all continue as we are, climate change will get worse. But if we each reduce our own energy consumption, even just a little, that would add up to a huge reduction in our national carbon emissions.

Taking control of our energy consumption and reducing our own emissions is a positive step towards keeping our planet safe for future generations.

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Top tips to reduce your carbon emissions

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In the UK, around 22% of the country's carbon emissions come from our homes - including heating, lighting and appliances. The way we travel - from driving to work or the shops to jet setting around the globe on holiday - comes close behind heating for the volume of carbon emissions produced.

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What is the average Carbon Footprint per person?

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What is the average Carbon Footprint per person?

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The average carbon footprint per person in the UK, per year, is 12.7 tonnes CO2e.

So is 12.7 tonnes of CO2e a lot?

In terms of global annual carbon emissions of ca. 38,000 megatonnes CO2e, 12.7 tonnes might not sound like much (Source: Edgar). But when you consider a population of 68 million people in the UK alone — nearing 8 billion worldwide — all of a sudden individual impact begins to mean something.

If everyone in the UK reduced their carbon footprint by 100 kgs annually (the same as driving 180 less miles or eating 8 fewer steaks), we’d be 6.8 million tonnes of carbon lighter.

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The average carbon footprint per person in the UK, per year, is 12.7 tonnes CO2e.

OK. What does that mean?

First off: CO2e stands for carbon dioxide equivalent, a lump term to describe all the greenhouse gases under one common unit. It signifies the amount of CO2 that would cause the same amount of global warming, allowing for different bundles of greenhouse gases to be easily compared.

If you stepped onto the scales in the morning and weighed a tonne, you'd be a bit concerned. But in terms of carbon, is a tonne a lot? Or is it a drop in the ocean when you consider how vast the planet is?

Let's put it into perspective:

1. Your heating would need to be going full blast for 80 days straight (although it would explode before you got there).

2. You would need to drive 23,000 miles in the average car to emit 12.7 tonnes of CO2e (that's once around the world).

3. You'd have to eat over 1,000 beef steaks or 4,100 camemberts. But please don't try that at home.

(Pawprint's carbon footprint data is powered and fact-checked by Mike Berners-Lee's Small World Consulting. Mike is an advisor to Pawprint and author of How Bad are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything)

18 dairy cows

10,500 bottles of wine

25 million plastic straws

If 'miles driven' or food isn't helping you visualise 12.7 tonnes, how about the equivalent weight? It's the same as:

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To deadlift that weight, we'd need 25 and a half Eddie Halls (the world's strongest man, who lifts 500kgs).

Curious what the average carbon footprint is, globally? Well, in true Blue Peter style, here's something we prepared earlier.

So is 12.7 tonnes of CO2e a lot?

In terms of global annual carbon emissions of ca. 38,000 megatonnes CO2e, 12.7 tonnes might not sound like much (Source: Edgar). But when you consider a population of 68 million people in the UK alone - nearing 8 billion worldwide - all of a sudden individual impact begins to mean something.

If everyone in the UK reduced their carbon footprint by 100 kgs annually (the same as driving 180 less miles or eating 8 fewer steaks), we'd be 6.8 million tonnes of carbon lighter.

There are loads of easy and effective ways to reduce your footprint immediately. Why not try a flexitarian diet, and cut back on the amount of meat on your plate? Or switch to a green energy tariff and help transform the UK grid to 100% renewables? From tips and tricks on running a low carbon household and shopping for clothes sustainably, to calculating your carbon savings when switching to an EV, our Eco Blog has got you covered.

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Join 4,000+ others in receiving our monthly newsletter - from boosting your climate knowledge (and showing off to colleagues), to keeping abreast of news and trends, if there's one eco email in your inbox, this should be it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is the average carbon footprint per person in the UK?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The average carbon footprint per person in the UK, per year, is 12.7 tonnes CO2e. OK. What does that mean? First off: CO2e stands for carbon dioxide equivalent, a lump term to describe all the greenhouse gases under one common unit.

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Carbon Footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual, organization, or community.