Humans are creatures of habit. Repeat something over a period of time and it quickly becomes a routine. Some of them, like most diets and training plans, are easy to break and require a fair amount of will power to keep going. Other become a reflex and simply stick — most of the time those are by nature distructive and lead to decrease in productivity and health.
It is impossible (and maybe even unwanted) to become a flawless human being — after all those small vices and imperfections make us human. But we surely don’t want to become mindless zombies who just scroll through social media and gossip columns.
Not all bad habits have been created equal. Some are just guilty pleasures — even though they are not good for us in a broader sense, they sure as hell feel good. A cup of coffee before breakfast, a piece of chocolate after lunch, a cold beer after a long summer hike, hours wasted watching your favourite comedian on Youtube, even a cigarette on a night out… You might do them out of habit, but at least you get something out of it.
But there are also things we keep on doing that bring us absolutely nothing, browsing social media lacks even short term boost. You just get used to doing it and since the alternative requires taking action, you just continue that same easy way. There is nothing strange in that, since they are designed this way. But surely we can do something about it?
To me the strategy that works best is to replace bad habits with slightly less bad habits... If you catch yourself losing hours on social media, try to replace it with reading news. If you watch a lot of tv series, maybe try watching an actual movie instead, and maybe even a documentary that can help you learn something. Or just do nothing. Waste time. Stare at the ceiling.
Most importantly, be aware of what your addictions are. And try to choose the ones which at least bring you some joy.
