habit is addiction. to break a habit, what needs to happen?
months ago, blood testing revealed i was borderline diabetic. given the fact that i had taken off my covid-19 lockdown weight gain and more, the fact that my blood sugar and a1c test were high was mildly surprising. given my family’s genetics, the result was inevitable. prior to going for a medical assessment, i radically changed my diet. three months of dieting would be the proper amount for new test results.
with research, white flour products, rice, potatoes, candy, ice cream, and sweet drinks were to be removed from my consumption. likewise, i took a watchful eye on food packaging concerning added sugar content. after months, further weight loss ensured; my stomach literally flattened out. after months of dieting, i started to notice that i lacked the craving for the sweet things in life. the thought or sight of candy, soda, ice cream and french fries no longer drive me. i no longer romanticize these products; absence removed desire.
in the real world, bud light beer consumers, unhappy with the company, chose to break their purchasing habit of what is considered one of the most popular beers in the united states. breaking the habit was simple. reaching into a different part of their store’s refrigerator to task competitor’s similar testing alcoholic product was not difficult. these customers, after a few visits to the liquor store choosing something else, have place bud light’s parent company in a panic with sales plummeting. they see the millions of dollars they invested in commercials rapidly going down the drain with their product; decades of good will were almost instantaneously destroyed.
habits are neutral. exercising or reading are positive habits while substance abuse and smoking go the other way. habits, however, share the notion that they are created and changed by emotionality. my diet habits were changed by fear of becoming fully diabetic. bud light customers are angry. a bud light marketing person arguably came forward to say that the brand was dying and that they need to find new customers. impliedly, old customers were told that they were a dying breed and were to be replaced. as such, customers’ upset fueled the emotionality required to break their habit.
emotionality plays a role with addicts in recovery. i have attended many alcoholics anonymous-like meetings and listening to individual’s testimonials. many of these testimonials describe a bottoming out experience- a low; a moment evoking extreme emotionality; they were shook. this moment brought them their current commitment to recovery.
in sum, can emotions be harnessed to change habits? can happiness be a ploy to bring on positive habits?
be well!!
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