The more you think 'I should stop,' the harder it is to quit. Psychology has taught me why.
An afternoon working from home.
I finish a section of my work and brew some coffee.
"Well, time for a snack."
When I open the cupboard, there's a selection of snacks to choose from: potato chips, rice crackers, chocolate...
For the old me, these were the regular members of my 3:00 PM routine.
"Just a little bit today."
I say that as I open the bag.
However, I know of nothing less trustworthy than the phrase "just a little bit."
Just one chip.
Just one piece.
That was the plan, but before I know it, I can see the bottom of the bag.
Who is the culprit?
I am the only one home.
It seems it was me again this time.
I look at my health check results and reflect on my choices,
"I'm going to stop eating high-calorie snacks."
I have made that resolution more than once or twice.
Yet, after a while, I'm right back where I started.
Is my willpower just weak?
That is what I used to think.
However, after reading a certain psychological study, my way of thinking changed a little.
In 2011, psychologist Marieke A. Adriaanse and colleagues at Utrecht University in the Netherlands reported interesting results in a study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (PSPB), an international peer-reviewed journal in the field of social psychology.
The title of the paper is,
Planning What Not to Eat: Ironic Effects of Implementation Intentions Negating Unhealthy Habits.
The study showed that,
rather than deciding,
'I will not eat high-calorie snacks,'
it is easier to change habits if you decide,
'If I feel like eating a high-calorie snack, I will replace it with a healthy snack.'
Furthermore, it was found that simply denying yourself by saying 'I won't eat it' can sometimes ironically lead to an 'ironic rebound effect,' where the original bad habit is actually strengthened.
I see.
In that case, I will stop the endurance contest.
I stopped banning snacks.
Instead, I bought mixed nuts.
For the first few days, it still felt unsatisfying.
To be honest,
'Potato chips taste better.'
That is what I thought.
But, one week.
Two weeks.
Before I knew it, eating mixed nuts had become a habit.
It wasn't that I had quit snacking.
I had simply replaced it.
Then, strangely enough, the number of times I bought potato chips naturally decreased as well.
Reading this research made me realize something.
Perhaps there is no need to fight bad habits head-on.
Try placing a slightly better habit in that same spot.
It seems that people can change more naturally that way.
This applies to more than just diet.
Replace staying up late with reading.
Replace time spent looking at your smartphone with a walk.
Replace the elevator with the stairs.
Perhaps in life, too, "replacing" is more sustainable than "quitting."
At sixty-two, I think about this.
Life can sometimes change through grand resolutions.
But in most cases, it changes through the accumulation of small replacements.
Lately, that is what I feel.
Takeaway for today
Instead of trying to quit a bad habit, try replacing it with a good one.
References
Adriaanse, M. A., van Oosten, J. M. F., de Ridder, D. T. D., de Wit, J. B. F., & Evers, C. (2011). Planning What Not to Eat: Ironic Effects of Implementation Intentions Negating Unhealthy Habits. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(1), 69–81. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167210390523
#LifeReignition
#60s
#HealthyHabits
#Snacking
#MixedNuts
#Psychology
#Health
#LifestyleImprovement
#PaperIntroduction
#HabitBuilding
[Another challenge started in my 60s]
As part of my life reignition, I am also working on writing novels.
I am currently publishing fairy tales on TALES.
It is a slightly different world from note, but this is also an important creative activity for me.
If you are interested, please take a look.
▼ TALES Work Page
(Link)