Triggering Bad and Good Habits

A while ago, I wrote a letter to my future self about what I need to do to get to the next level. Now I want to write about my bad habit triggers - the things that make my bad habits tick - and how to disable them, or perhaps shift their effect to something better.

It started with wanting to watch a movie as a break for the week. I hate to say that I got hooked up and postponed what I had to do in the afternoon. Approximately an hour later I went back to watch a horror game play-through - I'm not proud of it - and every time I said I will stop, I didn't. Right now I thought about writing a small journal about it. Perhaps I may understand its triggers and find a way to break the cycle, or perhaps to flip their effect to trigger something good for me: cleaning the house, exercising, walking, sitting in the garden, spending time with my family, etc.

First, I think it would be better to watch movies and entertaining videos in the evening, because watching them at noon got me in the mood for watching movies, and the brain has a tendency to keep up with the least effort and most rewarding route - in that state, watching videos. I think that watching videos and movies in the evening is my best bet for now because my day would already be over by then.

I can as well set triggers to do the things I want to do, like exercising at a specific time. The more triggers I have the more I lean toward them.

Second, if I add more fun to the good routines then it would be easier to do them, like listening to music or my favorite podcast while exercising and doing chores.

Third, persistence. The more we do something, the easier it gets and it becomes a part of us. Have you ever walked in a park or the hills and noticed that the path that is mostly used is distinguished from others? The same thing to us: We have mental pathways for each task we do, and the more we do it, that path would be marked more, until it gets paved that using it gets preferable to others. So if I want to increase my real-world time and productivity, then I simply have to do it. I may not be good at it as I want to be, but the more I do it, the easier it becomes for me.

There's also the shifting reality technique (seeing things from a different point of view or focusing on a good outcome) and meditation to change our thoughts about something, but these are also related to persistence and mental pathways.

In addition to that, there's occupational therapy: When soldiers get traumatized by war events, therapists would give them tasks to do: reading, writing, playing with a ball, watering the flowers, cooking, etc. The key point here is that the soldiers would be so occupied in what they're doing that they would think less of their trauma, which has a positive side effect on their psychology. So whenever a bad habit is triggered, I should occupy myself with an alternative that would divert my thoughts from the former.

"Everyone wants to go to Heaven, but not everyone wants to die," (Robert Kyosaki).

It's important to remember that change is a process and it takes time and effort. You may not be perfect every day but it's important to be kind to yourself and keep trying. Keep track of your progress, celebrate small wins, and make adjustments as needed. It's important to have a support system, whether it's friends, family, or a teacher. They can help you stay motivated and provide you with additional insights and strategies.

Keep in mind that the key is to keep practicing and to be mindful of your habits. Remember that small steps lead to big changes and it's important to take it one day at a time. You've got this!