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Monitoring is the best way to change a strong bad habit

Written by Tarja, Nokia Wellness Diary team

Psychological research suggests bad habits can be controlled by vigilant monitoring. New research published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin by Quinn et al. (2010) suggests a different strategy for changing a bad habit than for resisting a temptation. Stimulus control – out of sight, out of mind - was effective at inhibiting responses to temptations, but not enough when it comes to strong bad habits. Habits very easily bypass our conscious thought processes and we just do many things repeatedly without thinking.

Don’t do it!

Vigilant monitoring - watching out for slip-ups and saying "Don't do it!" to yourself – is according to research the most effective method.  Distraction – trying to think something else - was in second place. I have now evidenced the same thing with my goodies eating, which I have to say is a very strong bad habit for me. If I only ate them when having a strong desire, I would eat far fewer than I do. As I told you last week I made a New Year’s resolution to change this habit, to stop eating chocolate and other sweets in January and after that define a target how much I am allowed to eat them using Wellness Diary.

Don’t eat those sweets!

I have been successful so far. I know that it has only been less than a week, but I have managed to tell myself over and over again: “Don’t eat those sweets. Even when they are calling you irresistibly, you do not have to grasp and eat them.” And I haven’t eaten any – not a single one. I am actually quite proud of myself.

What about February?

Now you are probably thinking that of course she can do it for a while (actually she has been doing it only less than a week), but what happens when she allows herself to eat some of them in February. It is so much easier to quit doing something totally than do it less than before. I must say I agree with you. And I have to admit I am a bit nervous how it will succeed. But I certainly shall try my best. Earlier I did not do any daily monitoring, which would have told me that I already have eaten my weekly maximum.

Let’s see how it goes. Stay tuned and I shall tell you.

- Tarja

P.S. those sweets in the picture were the ones I did not eat.