To Change Habits, Try Replacement Instead
nytimes.com
To Change Habits, Try Replacement Instead
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Re: To Change Habits, Try Replacement Instead
#2Here is a much more powerful proof that changing environment can help you change yourself.
Re: To Change Habits, Try Replacement Instead
#3Thought suppression is a one-way ticket to training your brain that the thoughts you are trying to avoid are the only things you should be thinking about.
Over a long enough timeline, it wires your brain, the giant "what if" machine, that it should be worried about whatever it is that's popping into your head and making you feel so resistant.
Re: To Change Habits, Try Replacement Instead
#4That was a lot shorter than I expected for a self-help piece. There are so many such pieces, books, videos, groups and online courses on forming new habits and motivation, but there’s still a huge market to be developing content in this space.
We humans seem to be fundamentally built for laziness and habits, which could many a times be to our own detriment.
Re: To Change Habits, Try Replacement Instead
#5I’ve found committing a large chunk of money, in front of friends, to causes I detest it I don’t hit my goals, to be like a magic wand for this stuff.
UKIP haven’t yet received £1,500 from me, and each week I’ve been tremendously productive and done everything I set out to with that as a threat
Re: To Change Habits, Try Replacement Instead
#6Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and if you are suffering emotionally/mentally please seek professional help.
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My anecdote:
I used to frequently suffer from (undiagnosed) anxiety and depression.
For about a year, I would respond to sudden anxiety by seeking comfort in various forms of isolation/depressed behavior (watch TV as a distraction, try to take a "nap", etc.). The most insidious thing about this was how it seemed to happen so quickly that it was practically subconscious. Days would disappear.
It took me about a year to recognize this pattern, but eventually I learned to catch myself whenever I was seeking this form of comfort, and instead chose to do one session of push-ups, instead (when possible).
This worked really well for me for two reasons:
1. It caused me to stop myself short of falling into any kind of depressive spiral -- physical exertion is a great distraction!
2. Needless to say, I did a LOT of push ups, which are a great form of full-body exercise. The benefits are well known.
These days, I don't need the push-ups as a distraction; most of the "bad habits" I used to have don't appear nearly as much (although I still need to exercise regularly to avoid depression).
Re: To Change Habits, Try Replacement Instead
#7Thoughts and habits are related, but they aren't the same. Interesting counterpoint to the replacement theory of kicking bad habits: https://www.nirandfar.com/2015/04/bad-habits.html
Re: To Change Habits, Try Replacement Instead
#8I can profoundly relate to it myself as by moving alone for studies to a university in a completely different country, a lot of things changed in my life. It is not only that you replace many of the troublesome habits, but also you are making yourself busy familiarising with a new environment. It is like with every other change, which causes us to go out from the comfort zone, however, in the end, we are satisfied with the changes we agreed to.
Re: To Change Habits, Try Replacement Instead
#9I think attacking one problem at a time is the best way to go about (at least for me). I noticed that many people try to make drastic changes all at once and then fail at all of them. I'd recommend trying one thing and just doing that one thing above all else. IE, don't try to exercise and diet at the same time. Pick one and when you've firmly established the habit, start the next change.
Re: To Change Habits, Try Replacement Instead
#10I’ve found committing a large chunk of money, in front of friends, to causes I detest it I don’t hit my goals, to be like a magic wand for this stuff. UKIP haven’t yet received £1,500 from me, and each week I’ve been tremendously productive and done everything I set out to with that as a threat
Beeminder comes to mind when thinking about losing money when you don't hit your goals (goes to the company). I've been too afraid to try since I'm a student with loans, but maybe it's time.