Attention! Stop Priming Your Reward System…
How Short-Term Rewards Will Mess With Your Life
Recently I’ve gotten into a bad habit of vaping. Even though my concentration becomes cloudy following a pull and I swore I’d never smoke — given the fact my father died of lung cancer and my mother is a long-term smoker —, we are here.
I don’t vape consistently through the day and rarely have one on me, but when my stress levels rise I can feel an all-too-familiar urge to reach for my friend’s vape. As many addictions go, it’s not so much the feeling that vaping gives me — as it doesn’t feel too great at all — but the relief found in calming the feelings of desires and accompanying thoughts that fill my brain prior.
I’m also aware that in my inability to tell myself NO to the urge, I’m only priming myself for future sabotage as I’m essentially saying to myself, “You can’t stop yourself from doing it”.
It's not a great pattern to be in.
One thing I’ve noticed when taking that nicotine-filled hit is how my perception changes. It’s like engaging in a habit that is built around a short-term reward then creates a desire for me to engage in other like-minded reward-seeking. For example, I’ll find it easier to laze around listening to music, procrastinate, entertain fleeting connections, or…
