I get a donut every time I go to the doctor. I blame society.
How is it “society’s” fault?
Conditioning! I’ve been conditioned from the time I was little that a trip to the doctor (or the dentist) meant a treat. My dentist had an actual treasure box you got to open after your appointment. It never occurred to me how lame it was that the treasure box was full of new toothbrushes. It was treasure and that’s all that mattered.
Not all conditioning is bad. You’re conditioned to expect a paycheck at the end of the week (or every other week). You say “thank you” when someone does something for you. It’s part of how society functions.
The problems come when we’ve conditioned ourselves to make bad choices. Stress? Cake will fix that. Depression? A 40 (or two) can take the edge off. Bad day at work? I know just where to go…
We’ve responded a certain way so many times that we are conditioned to a certain response. It becomes a habit and, as we all know, bad habits are hard to break.
Hard or not, it’s time for us to break some habits.
They say the only way to really break a habit is to replace it with a good one. So the next time you’re stressed, instead of reaching for some cake, you go to the gym. The stimulus (stress) remains the same but the response (exercise instead of cake) changes. Do this long enough and a new habit is formed.
Isn’t it hilarious how easy it is to type that out but how hard it can be to do it in real life?
I know. I get it. There’s so much more I could say about finding friends to help you establish new habits, setting goals, avoiding triggers (the stimulus that starts the habit) etc etc. The internet is full of great advice. Go get some. Change your life.
Me? I’m making good habits but I’m still getting that donut. (Remember: not all conditioning is bad!) The doctor took my blood, weighed me, and did all sorts of poking and prodding. You better believe I went to the treasure chest when it was over and this time I made sure it wast stocked with pastries. (I’ve already got a tooth brush at home.)