The neuroscience of habit
How small IC tweaks can drive big behaviour change
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Will Durant, American historian, philosopher and writer.
It’s a line, as I’ve just learned, that is often (mis)attributed to Aristotle, but it captures something neuroscience is proving true: lasting change doesn’t come from single, heroic acts. It comes from what we repeat, again and again.
That’s why internal communicators often see a pattern: launch a big campaign, get a burst of engagement… then silence. The message landed, but did it stick?
Here’s the science bit. Research shows that habits are formed in the brain when repeated actions shift from our goal-directed system (“I intend to do this”) to our habit system (“I just do it automatically”). And forming a habit isn’t instant or easy as we all know, a 2024 meta-analysis found the median time is around 59–66 days, sometimes stretching to over 100.
So if excellence is really “a habit,” then excellence in IC means designing small, consistent communications that build behaviour over time.
And it’s not just habit science pointing the way. A 2024 systematic review on nudges found that simple tweaks like defaults and social proof lines (“Most teams have already done this”) are consistently more effective than one-off messages. Crucially, the review also notes that nudges work best when they’re transparent and respectful, exactly the qualities IC teams need to maintain trust (and a great reminder for me, a mother to boys that don’t seem to listen to one word that comes out of my mouth!) Put the two together and you get a powerful toolkit: the neuroscience of habit explains why consistency matters, and behavioural nudges show us how to design those small tweaks that really stick.
How habits work in practice
When we repeat an action in a consistent and familiar setting, the brain begins to “hand over” control. At first, our goal-directed system has to work hard, deciding, remembering, intending. Over time, the stimulus–response system in the basal ganglia (often described as our “auto-pilot”) takes over. The behaviour becomes automatic, sparked by cues in the environment. Are you still with me? It’s fascinating, isn’t it?
This is why some habits lock in quickly while others drag out for months. In the same 2024 meta-analysis you saw in the intro, researchers found some people formed habits in as little as 18 days, while others needed more than 250. Think of it like learning to drive. At first, every mirror check and gear change takes conscious effort. After enough repetition in the same context, it becomes second nature, freeing up brain space for the journey ahead.
For IC, this means the trick isn’t to make messages louder, but to make them stickier and tied to cues in people’s existing routines so they embed over time.
Why one off messages don’t work
If habit formation follows a curve, then a single glossy email or campaign launch gives you a short-lived bump of attention… but then declines.
Recent real-world experiments back this up. In one study, researchers used smartphone apps to nudge people into new routines. Only participants who received regular, repeated prompts in context showed measurable habit formation; occasional reminders simply faded away.
For IC, the implication is clear: don’t rely on a “big-bang” announcement to shift behaviour. Instead, think in terms of small, repeatable nudges that ride alongside existing workplace rhythms, so the action becomes as natural as checking your email or joining a weekly stand-up.
Habit toolkit for IC pros
With all this in mind, here are five science-backed tweaks you can apply straight away:
Micro-messaging
Short, snackable prompts beat long, occasional updates. A 2025 piece on micro-habits showed tiny, repeatable behaviours drive better productivity and engagement.Timing with routines
Send nudges right after regular events (post-stand-up, pre-timesheet Friday). This reflects the “just-in-time adaptive intervention” (apparently also known as JITAI) model: messages are most powerful when they coincide with existing cues.
Defaults & friction
Make the right action the easy action. Research showed automatic enrolment in pension plans boosted sign-ups from ~49% to ~86%.
Positive reinforcement
Also research-backed: Immediate feedback (a confirmation, a thank-you, even a progress bar) strengthens reward pathways in the brain.
How to tie these to real-life? Here are a few ideas:
Instead of one launch email - send 3 prompts over 2 weeks - tired to daily routine. Expect higher, more steady adoption.
Add a line like: “Most teams complete this by Thursday” - compliance improves without extra noise.
Auto-enrol people into a short digest - respectful opt-out available, but apparently this can help raise participation (the default effect!).
Habits aren’t built in a day, we know this from our own lives. They’re wired in the brain through repetition, timing, and reinforcement. Nudges help by making the right behaviour easier, more visible, and more rewarding - so we have an opportunity as IC pros to help our colleagues.
Back to Will Durant and his words: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” For IC, excellence in engagement won’t come from one-off campaigns, but from consistent, thoughtful tweaks that align with how people really build habits.
And guess what! We help teams apply this science to communications - helping those all-important messages really, truly stick.
Are you struggling to keep up? Fancy a call?
We’re here to help you with your comms challenges, whether you need an extra pair of hands, an energy or creativity boost or support with your strategy.
