By Olivia Wong

We know what you’re thinking. Not you too, Research Hive – haven’t we all had to stop enough of our lives already in this pandemic? ……and now you’re trying to ruin October by shamelessly renaming it ‘Stoptober’? Are you sure you don’t secretly work for the government?

Hold your horses for we’re not trying to be a Halloween Scrooge. Au contraire, we want to inspire you to turn your vices into positive things that will make for a happier and healthier you. Perhaps you want to kick your coffee or cigarette habit or Netflix binge-watching fix? Maybe you need to salvage your bank account from the clutches of addictive Amazon? Or are you a social media junkie who can lose yourself for hours scrolling through Instagram? Whatever it is, we’re here to help you transform your addictions into winning habits! 

Let me ‘fess up first – I’ve been ‘struggling’ with a popcorn-snacking addiction of late (despite having been nowhere near a cinema). This was not helped by the half-price discount applied, first by Sainsbury’s and then, I discovered – to my delight – by Asda (conveniently right after the Sainsbury’s one ended). You’d be forgiven for thinking I’ve been panic-buying popcorn. I ignore the well-intentioned info about the pack containing 3-4 servings and devour half a pack in one go, munching my way through while I write this blog post. Maybe the underlying addiction is not so much to popcorn itself but to discounts in general (I’m a student after all, and don’t we students love seeing crossed-off numbers in supermarkets?). A quick glance around the kitchen seems to confirm this theory: a bargain multi-pack of KitKats, a discounted pack of Gu salted caramel cheesecakes and half-price Cadbury ice cream tubs…. Or maybe it’s an addiction to sugar and all things sweet? Perhaps I’m just an addiction junkie and need help.    

Why do we get addicted to things? 

We are creatures of habit, which is what addictions essentially are. 43% of our daily actions are habits and there are good reasons for this. Habits help our brains to automate certain aspects and processes of our lives, freeing up mental resources for more important tasks. Addictions have essentially hijacked the mechanism by which the brain takes shortcuts in order to streamline our lives. 

In ‘The Power of Habit’, Charles Duhigg suggests there are 3 parts to every addiction:  

• Cue (the trigger for the habit) 
• Routine (the habit itself) 
• Reward (benefit associated with the behaviour) 

Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that is responsible for the pleasurable feeling that a reward brings. The feeling of craving produced is why it’s easier to replace habits than to break them.  

Replacing habits is a 3-step process: 

1. Identify the cue (for example, when you feel the that urge for another pack of crisps creeping up on you, ask yourself): 

• How are you feeling? 
• Where are you? 
• What time is it? 
• Who is with you or around you? 
• What did you just do? 

Noting these things down will allow you to identify environmental patterns that may be triggering your habit.  

2. Identify the reward (what craving does your scrolling through your Facebook feed satisfy? Experiment by substituting in a different reward until you find something that makes the craving subside.)  

3. Plan a new routine (one that is triggered by the old cue and delivers the old reward, for example going for a walk and getting some fresh air), then put in a visible place in your home and stick to the plan for a week (the key is to re-direct your craving rather than resisting it). 

Examples of applying new routines to stop addictions in their tracks: 

1) You’re sitting at your desk, beavering away at your thesis perhaps and getting into the flow, when your phone suddenly ‘pings’ (cue). You know it’s probably nothing important or so earth-shattering that it demands your immediate attention, but you can’t help but look anyway because you need to indulge your FOMO (reward). Rinse and repeat…… Story of your life? You’re not alone. How about using that notification sound as an excuse to get away from your desk and go for a brisk walk? You’ve been sitting at your desk for an hour after all. While on your walk, you could phone a friend to catch up on what’s going on and assuage that FOMO. If you did this every time your phone pinged, you’d probably never get any work done but be very fit (and possibly have very irritated friends)! So, after returning from your walk, turn off the phone notifications which produce the sound but set up an identical ping every hour which will remind you to take a break and stretch your legs (new routine) ….and see if you feel better. 

2) You’re working on some data analysis and start to feel anxious (cue), so you start eating a cake or brownie. The sweet snack reminds you of the new café that you’ve been meaning to try out but haven’t got round to yet. The next thing you know, you’re on TripAdvisor, browsing the menu and reading reviews of not only that café but other new ones in your neighbourhood, and planning a café crawl (please note, the author is not speaking from experience at all…). This act soothes your anxiety (at least temporarily – reward).  

Firstly, ask yourself what’s producing the craving – is it for the sweet treat itself (if so, is it due to hunger and a need for energy?) or is the treat (and subsequent behaviour) just a disguise for wanting to distract yourself from the discomfort of anxiety? Experiment with substituting the cake or brownie with a healthier food that you love, and which will still give you that sensation of reward (new routine – then you’ll know if it’s a hunger problem or not). To make this transition easier, add this new food in at first and you’ll eventually be able to replace and ‘crowd out’ the sweet food craving entirely……ah, the benefits of classical conditioning! If the craving still persists, consider whether the source of your anxiety might be negative thinking habits (in which case, a new routine of mindfulness or meditation may help) or is it simply because you’ve been working too long and need a break? If the latter, your new routine may be to take a break and stretch your legs! You’ll come back feeling refreshed and maybe even figure out how to solve your analysis problem (or at least have a clearer head about what to do if you can’t solve it). 

Other strategies 

• Prime your environment to work in your favour – better still, reduce the need for willpower by removing the cues. For example, if you want to eat more healthily, don’t bring temptation (junk food) into your house and fill your cupboards with tasty, healthy snacks instead. Want to stop procrastinating? Make your workspace tidy and turn off email and phone notifications. By removing obstacles, you’re creating an environment which will encourage your new habit rather than your old ones.  

• Let someone in on your habit-changing mission or even consider seeking a support group. Surrounding yourself with supportive friends is also part of priming your environment, specifically your social one so that someone can hold you accountable to your actions. Research shows that involving a close other (such as a friend, ideally one who inspires you or who you look up to) in your goals increases your success of achieving them.  

Most importantly of all, remember that change doesn’t happen overnight; it’s very difficult to go cold-turkey on something. Go for small wins – progress builds belief. Change is a very gradual process that involves a lot of ups and downs. So, cut yourself some slack if you have lapses and indulge your addictions every now and then.

It may be a gradual process but that doesn’t have to mean it has to be a joyless one. Remember that you’re making good choices to become a healthier, happier you by blending new habits into your life. Variety is the spice of life as they say! The exciting thing is that you can experiment with different rewards and see what gives you that little dopamine hit. You might have to try many different things to find something that works but isn’t that a familiar story already? 😉  

Tips from our very own editorial team 

• “Reserve alcohol only for social drinking. In a normal world, this would be in pubs but in this brave new Covid world, consider having a beer together with friends over Zoom.” – Jason (Editor-in-chief) 
• “Switch off phone notifications for social media (don’t build temptation!). Or at least decide on certain times to look at your phone e.g. during lunch break or at the end of the working day.” – Jason  
• “I try to leave my phone upstairs when working downstairs (or vice versa) and then I’m less likely to take loads of little breaks to scroll when I get bored. I also try not to start my day on social media, so I’ll avoid checking it as soon as I’ve woken up and will leave it until after getting ready / breakfast.” – Chloe (Science Communication sub-editor) 
• “Make good use of apps! I’ve been trying to spend less time on social media by setting time limits on apps and dedicated time without my phone each evening. Also, I’ve been trying to cut out junk food by using ‘myfitnesspal’, an app which works as a food diary and tracks calories etc., so it makes you more conscious about what you’re eating.” – Tarnjit (Editor-in-chief) 
• “To cut down on junk and fatty foods, don’t shop on an empty stomach! I have the fridge fully stocked so that I’m encouraged to cook with what I have. Also, I try to stick to strict budgets.” – Nadine (Science Communication sub-editor) 
• “Replace bad habits with better ones. For example, stop Netflix binging and take up a creative hobby instead, or delete fast food apps and write a healthy recipe book.” – Rob (Science Communication writer) 
• “Make addictive things or triggers a special occasion, then you enjoy it like Christmas. Video gaming and binge-eating at ridiculous hours was a problem (I can proudly claim mantle to trying all fried chicken on Curry Mile). Instead, any gaming I do is only on the odd Sunday and buying sweets/fast foods is now a monthly treat. I’ve also replaced any snacking foods for fruit and protein/nut bars. Oh, and going vegetarian was an extreme way to cut out fast food but worked for me!” – Jack (Wellbeing sub-editor)