Bad habits always have an enormous impact on our everyday lives. No matter how we are diligent and observant, addictions often win us over. As Mark Twain once said: “Quitting smoking is easy, I’ve done it hundreds of times”, and he was right. Only our wish is not enough to dispose of the annoying habits, we need the well-designed program. One of my bad habits is starting a day with checking social networks, email, and surfing on The Internet. Smartphone addiction, sometimes colloquially known as “nomophobia” (fear of being without a mobile phone), is often fueled by an Internet overuse problem or Internet addiction disorder (Smith, Melinda, Lawrence Robinson, and Jeanne Segal, "Smartphone Addiction.").
Morning is the time when perception is clear and I am very sensitive to the environment. Every morning I read good and bad news, so such absorbing of information frequently spoils my mood and takes away my energy.
I assume that I response in such way to the different internal and external stimuli, for example, the external stimuli are 1) phone location is near my bed; 2) usage phone as alarm clock in the morning; 3) interesting apps. The internal stimuli are 1) intention to hide from the unpredictable real world; 2) anxiety; 3) laziness; 4) refusal to take responsibility for own life.
My ultimate goal is to replace my bad habit with sports exercises in the morning. I’ll try to replace my morning behavior with the good useful habit. I rely not only on my wish, but also on supporting tools. I put sports mat and clothes near my bed, so in the morning I will need only wear my clothes and start. I downloaded an app, which blocks phone use for one hour.
I suppose it will be convenient to conduct visual statistics on my self-modification program according to use of time and my achievements. I can measure the progress of the program by my psychological condition. Do I feel freedom and pride or melancholy and anxiety? Also, I can use online psychological tests. I need to take into consideration duration of my efforts, most people believe that habits are formed by completing a task for 21 days in a row. The 21-day myth began as a misinterpretation of Dr. Maxwell Maltz’s work on self-image (Jason Selk, "Habit Formation: The 21-Day Myth."). The duration of breaking the bad habit depends on personality and level of the motivation; however, this process is divided into several phases.
Very important to celebrate my achievements, for example, with attractive breakfast and tasty deserts. I assure that schedule must be comfortable, without moral pressure. The best punishment for me is to look at the consequences of my failure, it’s good motivation for me. I must remember about my needs and their satisfaction. It is necessary to create action-to-results connection. When action-to-results connections are low, you have little control over the results produced (Robert Prichard, 26).
The greatest potential problem is a low level of my motivation. Thank God, I know myself well. I like diversity, so I need to have an everyday amazing schedule and the invention of the interesting attainable goals. Motivation, once established, never lasts so it requires a goal (Richard Denny, 29).
I trust the words of the professionals as Carl Jung, that once said: “Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic is alcohol or morphine or idealism.” The more good habits you develop, the less you will have to fight with bad ones (Joyce Meyer, 77). So the most important traits are sanity and a middle way.
Works cited :
Denny, Richard. Motivate to Win: How to Motivate Yourself and Others. London: Kogan Page, 2006. Print.
Meyer, Joyce. Making Good Habits, Breaking Bad Habits: 14 New Behaviors That Will Energize Your Life. New York: Faith Words, 2013. Print.
Pritchard, Robert D., and Elissa Ashwood. Managing Motivation: A Manager's Guide to Diagnosing and Improving Motivation. New York: Psychology, 2008. Print.
Selk, Jason . "Habit Formation: The 21-Day Myth." http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonselk/2013/04/15/habit-formation-the-21-day-myth/#510f259f6fed. 15 Apr. 2013. 13 Apr. 2016. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonselk/2013/04/15/habit-formation-the-21-day-myth/#2d3ef8676fed>.
Smith, Melinda, Lawrence Robinson, and Jeanne Segal. "Smartphone Addiction." Helpguide.com. Apr. 2016. 13 Apr. 2016. <http://www.helpguide.org/articles/addiction/smartphone-and-internet-addiction.htm>.
