15 Mindsets You Can Start Today To End Addiction
15 Mindsets You Can Start Today to End Addiction
We all know what's good for us. Eat healthy, exercise, work hard, and save for retirement. Have a little fun in life. Going from knowing to doing, however, can be a tricky beast.
The reason addiction is bad is that it prevents you from doing the good things, as all addictions grow into compulsions. The compulsions overtake you to pursue the bottle or the nicotine or the smartphone. Addictions never help - they lead to unbalanced lives of unfocused action, and eventually, consume the person, so that their entire existence is to satisfy an addiction.
By the time someone has entered rehabilitation services it is almost too late.
And it all starts so simple. What's the big deal about a little vice? The problem is, sometimes that vice hijacks the brain and demands of your mind and body its consumption. *insert research*
Addiction is real. It is not a trick of the mind. And it will grow and grow until you cut it off at its knees. Here is how.
#1 Treat work as a wise teacher
Overcoming addiction will be real work, possibly the hardest work in your life. A metaphor would be useful here. Most people have had a sports coach or a math coach that pushed them to excel in an endeavor. That person was often harsh and seemed to force impossible demands upon you.
But the demands were not impossible. That person was teaching you to be strong, stronger than you thought was possible. The reason it was so hard was not that the person was harsh, or that the standards were so high, but that you were untrained and anything new is challenging.
Now it is time for you to be your own teacher. You must hold yourself accountable to the life you are living. You are now your own teacher, and here are a few ways you can be a wise one:
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Understand the past.
Why did you start your addiction? When did it happen? How did you feel the first time you partook? Are you chasing a feeling which will never occur again?
The brain and the body keep a record of your past actions. insert study. It is important to understand these actions if you are to correct them.
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Be kind, but have high standards for yourself
Know that you have a long, hard battle in front of you. This is not a won and done thing, it is a marathon to run, and it will be a high challenge. It is important to be kind to yourself, but know that you have a long way to go to escape the enemy that is your addiction.
The addiction is a part of you now. Your brain has wired itself to integrate the bottle or the smartphone into your sense of wellbeing and self worth. It will take time to disentangle this parasite.
But a parasite is definitionally weaker than the host. *cite source* . If it were not so, the parasite would not be a parasite and you wouldn't be breathing.
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Have the strength to say "no"
This is not only to those who innocently encourage an indulgence here and there, but also to your mind who says a little partaking won't hurt anyone.
It is essential to remember that behavior compounds. A day late for work results in a habit and eventually an expectation of being late for work. Don't let the addiction take anymore root into your mind. Seeds are small things, but eventually consume enough material that they grow into quite large specimens.
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Have the humility to start again
Everyone falls. Everyone fails. Every skateboarder began their learning by falling many, many times off their board. Einstein didn't start a genius and Bill Gates didn't write perfect code on the first go.
Failure is not a sign of failure. Failure is a sign of growth. You are a learning creature, and one cannot learn without making mistakes. Don't use this as an excuse to give up, but as an excuse to learn and adapt.
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Partake in wise counsel.
No one is meant to go life alone. We are by nature social creatures. This might take some humble pie, but you, by yourself, would never have discovered fire, invented electricity or learn to read. We are group creatures, and we learn from each other
However, it is just as easy to learn the wrong thing from the wrong people as it is the right thing from the right people. This is where your personal discernment will come in. Seek out those who will help you. In some environments, this is easier said than done, but it is never impossible.
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Know that you got this.
You totally do.
#2 Treat procrastination as a dangerous enemy
Why do today what can be put off until tomorrow? The reason is tomorrow has enough trouble of its own, and if you make a practice of creating a debt of inaction for yourself, that debt will only grow, until it seems impossible to pay off even its interest. Ask anyone who is still paying off their credit card, and they will attest to this.
A classic example is diet and nutrition. People who put off diet and exercise are making even harder to get into shape. Every day you don't exercise or eat properly, the body deviates further and further from a healthy state. Healthy habits compound, but so do unhealthy habits.
The only solution I have found to work is to integrate very slowly, but consistently, the replacement of addiction with a much healthier lifestyle option. If you have a fast food addiction, you will need to cook at home instead of going out to eat. If you get tired and hungry, and see no option for food other than fast food, you will need to adopt new lifestyle habits. Perhaps you will need to cook the day's food the night before. Perhaps you will need to reserve two days a week to go grocery shopping for fruits and vegetables. Everyone is different, but feeding a parasite only makes it grow stronger and make you weaker.
But it is essential to start as soon as possible
#3 Imperfect action today beat perfect inaction never
Pardon the bad English. This isn't a high stakes standardized test. And even if it was, it is better to take the test as early as you are able than to wait until the "perfect time." There is no perfect time. You will always be inconvenienced or tired or distracted. If it matters to you, you must start now. Addictions take over a person's life, and five years down the road, you could become unrecognizable and ashamed of what you have become.
And there is no such thing as perfect action. Even Michael Jordan doesn't play perfect basketball. But he practiced often, and started as soon as possible. The soonest you can start is now. You will make mistakes as you remove addiction from your life, but momentum is key - the wins you make today build a foundation for victories for tomorrow. The inaction today breeds inaction tomorrow.
Let momentum be your friend.
#4 Start breaking your addiction now
To reiterate, START NOW. Time has a way of slipping through our fingers, and a day of waiting to fix yourself can easily turn into a decade of idleness. Don't let this happen to you.
#5 Whatever you do daily becomes a habit
This is the negative side of addiction. Your bad habits are a part of you now. Your brain and your body expects them, and get very upset when they do not get what they want.
You will need to be wiser than your brain and your body. Like a child, it is necessary to discipline and train your weaker parts. Your future self will forever be in your debt, if you choose the hard path, and break the habit.
#6 Whatever you don't do regularly eventually atrophies
This is the positive side of addiction. Addiction is like a very nasty weed. It grows where you least expect it, and is a true bother to remove from your life.
There is hope though. Just think of today. Don't smoke today. Don't watch television today. Don't exacerbate your diabetes today. A lifetime is only a series of days, and you only need to focus on the day you are living. Over time, you'll make much progress to curbing and hopefully breaking this parasite from your soul.
#7 Know that you don't need your addiction to be happy
This is the hardest part. Addiction is almost another personality within you. It is like that toxic person who demands everything of you, but gives nothing of value in return. Addiction will guilt you; addiction will plead with you; addiction will pretend to be your best friend.
But friends don't deliberately ruin your life. Friends do not try to control your time and your wallet. Friends don't isolate you from the activities and people you care about.
Addiction is your enemy. You will be much happier once you remove the enemy from your camp.
#8 Know that life improves without your addiction
You may wonder, "What will I do with myself without my addiction? It makes me feel better, it is something I can rely on, and it really isn't that big of a deal."
There is a heuristic here- lies tend to have many justifications. Truth tends to be simple and easy to defend.
You are being lied to. Without the time and space to feed your addiction, you can pursue more fulfilling activities, and more whole relationships. It will make you more productive, much calmer, and more focused on what matters.
It is totally worth it.
#9 Prepare for detox
Addiction won't give up without a fight. Addiction is happy where it is, and when you try to kick it out of your life, it will fight you from the inside. There are techniques to brace through detox, but it is painfully, impossibly difficult for everyone.
It's a fight for your life. You have to win no matter what.
#10 Celebrate small victories over your addiction
Life has time for fun and games. Take a break. Relax. Reward yourself for good behavior.
#11 Don't use relapse as an excuse
We all make mistakes, and falling off the wagon isn't a reason to go deeper into a ditch. You just pick yourself up and find another wagon :)
#12 Practice self care
Life happens. And sometimes we make mistakes. Addiction is not a character flaw. But it is trying to take your life. You are in a deep and life threatening battle, but you will need to rest and recharge to win the day. Make time for this.
#13 Be accountable to yourself and others
Don't be the lady in the photo below. Surround yourself with people who will support your desire to better yourself, and be honest about when you stumble or fall. Also be honest when you are successful. It's a balance of the two.
