Habits are often described as "sticky" due to their inherent nature to persist and be difficult to break or change. This stickiness arises from a combination of neurological, psychological, and behavioral factors:

• Neurological Basis: Habits are deeply ingrained in our brain through repeated actions. This repetition strengthens neural pathways, making the behavior more automatic and less reliant on conscious thought. The basal ganglia, a part of the brain responsible for habits, plays a significant role in this process. Once a habit is formed, the brain requires less effort to initiate and execute it, making it hard to override. MIT News
• Psychological Reinforcement: Habits are often associated with rewards or positive outcomes, which reinforce the behavior and make it more likely to be repeated. This reinforcement can be either direct (e.g., the satisfaction of eating a sweet treat) or indirect (e.g., the relief of avoiding a task by procrastinating). This creates a psychological association that makes the habit feel rewarding and necessary, even if it's ultimately detrimental. American Psychological Association
• Behavioral Momentum: Once a habit is established, it gains momentum through repeated performance. The more often you engage in the behavior, the more ingrained it becomes in your routine. This momentum makes it challenging to disrupt the habit, as it becomes a default response to certain cues or situations. Psychology Today

Therefore, the term "sticky" aptly describes the way habits cling to our behavior and resist attempts to dislodge them.