Breaking Bad Habits
The pesky little devil
“I had quit for a year, I started back last semester because of stress. I am not addicted though” said my friend after blowing out a cloud of nicotine-loaded mist. “I like the buzz though” he continued.
“Next time you have the urge to take a puff, for that ‘buzz’, stop for a moment. Picture a sweaty, balding, fat man or just imagine someone who is the opposite of who you want to be. He is laughing at you, thinking what a loser you are and how easy it was to hook you to vapes. After picturing this, talk to someone, watch Instagram reels, just occupy your mind with thoughts about something else for some time.” I said, “Also, every addict says that they are not addicted” I added.
This Friday evening conversation inspired me to write this article. Most of us have a habit we want to get rid of, it can be an addiction or something which might seem harmless, for instance, I drown my sorrows in ice-cream every time I have a bad day.
Here are two strategies to help you get rid of that pesky little devil that lives in your mind and often hijacks the control centre compelling you to engage in actions you don’t want to.
The Yuck-factor:
This ties in with what I told my friend to do, attach a visual which will make you look at yourself with disgust if you engage in the habit. This works wonders. Until grade eight I never missed a shower unless I absolutely had to, I even showered when there was no hot water, just because my crush in grade five had asked me if I showered every day, to which I had nonchalantly said “Sometimes I don’t.”
Her face immediately crunched up in disgust and said one word “Eww…”
This visual haunted me whenever I thought about not showering (the effect girls have on boys), the habit stuck so strongly that I still shower every day. Though this wasn’t intentional, it built a good habit. Once you attach such a visual to these habits, the urge might not drop, but a new urge not to engage in the habit emerges. This new urge very often overpowers the heavy one we have been carrying, because we do not want to be disgusted by ourselves.
Increasing Friction:
The second strategy is to create friction around the habit. Let’s go back to nicotine as an example. When you leave home for work or school leave the e-cigarette or the cigarette box at home or better still throw it away or tape up the cigarette box tightly so that you have to put effort to engage in the habit. The more walls you put between you and the habit, the less likely you will be to engage in it.
It is time to push the devil out of your mind’s control centre and get back in control, it is time to show him who the real boss is!
- Sartha
