Typically, I despise saving resolutions for January first.
Why not just start now?
However, that’s just because too many of us use it as an excuse to put off change.
If you’ve got an addiction you’d like to quit indulging, start now. Or tomorrow. Don’t wait four months to make the change. If you wait too long, you set an insane amount of anxiety and pressure around it. The result? You never actually do it – or you fall off faster than you got on that fragile wagon. All that said… I will make an exception. But just for now. Why? Well, seeing as our New Year is nearly here (just next week, actually), I’ll allow it. We can place the first of the next 365 as our start date to stop that bad habit. But this time, we’re gonna stick with it. How? By planning it all out. Nobody wings recovery successfully. If they try, they end up miserable – and often return to their bad habit (or a new one).
So, here we go.
First? Set that start date. We already mentioned this above – and while this is geared toward a “new year; new you” audience, this goes for anyone. Choose a start date – one that’s no later than a week or two away – and make that your definite jumping off point. Second? Have a plan. The only reason you should give yourself any amount of time between right now and that start date – is to spend it designing a quitting plan. (Not talking yourself out of it.) And what should that plan include? Literally everything. First, you want to identify triggers. (They even have an app called “trigger tracker” to help keep you aware.) If the smell of smoke makes you want a cigarette, deodorize your home, car, and remove any reminders of it. If being around alcohol makes you want to drink, avoid those situations. If dining out at restaurants makes you want to fall off your healthy diet, maybe choose non-food dates with friends, fam, and sig others.
(“I’m totally demolishing a whole Dairy Queen with my face after this gateway burger…”)
Next? Have a replacement system on deck.
Sure, this goes for chemical weaning (everything from nicotine replacement therapy to suboxone); however, the replacement system goes much farther. Most people who are addicted to a bad habit don’t just quit it without reaching for something new and latching on. Be aware of that and ready with new and fulfilling activities to replace that former habit. You may find that, without your fixation of choice, you suddenly have massive anxiety. Consider channeling it into activities that help redirect it. Running, mixed martial arts, and yoga are some that I used in early recovery. However, I’d find that once the adrenaline wore off, it wasn’t enough. My brain was still anxious when my body was tired. That’s where the creative outlets came in. Writing, painting, and cartooning helped significantly. This initially all began as a distraction. However, as I cultivated these hobbies, I grew a social circle (oxytocin from positive human connection), creative fulfillment (serotonin), and the rush of a good workout (dopamine). I had literally replaced external chemicals with my own internal pharmacy. Not to mention, I was making money from the writing and the yoga – so I was getting paid for my high. (Not a bad tradeoff, seeing as it’s the exact opposite in active addiction.) And all of this led to the next thing that’s insanely important in quitting an obsession:
Generating a new identity.
Keep reading to see why identity is crucial to your recovery.