Hi, enjoy this nice article I just received from Jason,
Have a Bad Habit? Take the Doctor's Advice::
1. Recognize your triggers. Our habits are often prompted.
Dr. Wendy Wood, a professor of psychology and neuroscience
at Duke University, put it this way: "If you regularly eat
chips while sitting on the couch, after a while, seeing the
couch will automatically prompt you to reach for the
Doritos." The couch becomes a trigger.
With this knowledge in hand, the shame-filled snack lover
has a new weapon of attack. Instead of relying on willpower
to resist the chips, he or she can stop the urge before it
strikes by sitting in a different spot--or selling the
couch.
2. Snap yourself. Whether it's biting nails or drinking
soda, we do bad things for a reason. Though it might be
hidden, there's a reward milling around there somewhere.
Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of Mindless Eating, offers
simple advice to take advantage of the fact. "Habits," he
says, "become that way because they provide value to a
person." To change the habit, take away the value.
Here's his tip: Put a rubber band around your wrist. Every
time you engage in your negative behavior, snap it--and
snap it hard! (Well, not too hard.) Simple as it sounds, it
works. According to Dr. Wansink, "It's a quick way to pair
non-reinforcing behavior with the behavior you want to
stop."
3. Hang in there. If you're trying to start a new habit,
for example jogging every morning, Monika Fleshner, PhD.,
has good news. If you can force it for two or three weeks,
habit will soon take over the heavy lifting.
Here's the science: When you do something such as
exercising, something that makes you feel good when you're
through, neurotransmission of dopamine is increased.
(Dopamine, if you don't already know, is associated with
the pleasure system of the brain. It produces feelings of
enjoyment, which motivates the action that triggered it and
helps to form a habit.)
The more you exercise, the more you get chemically
rewarded. After two to three weeks, your brain will
actually crave the activity. You'll be eager to exercise.
Until next time,
Jason
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