To Change Habits, Try Replacement Instead
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and if you are suffering emotionally/mentally please seek professional help.<p>----<p>My anecdote:<p>I used to frequently suffer from (undiagnosed) anxiety and depression.<p>For about a year, I would respond to sudden anxiety by seeking comfort in various forms of isolation/depressed behavior (watch TV as a distraction, try to take a "nap", etc.). The most insidious thing about this was how it seemed to happen so quickly that it was practically subconscious. Days would disappear.<p>It took me about a year to recognize this pattern, but eventually I learned to catch myself whenever I was seeking this form of comfort, and instead chose to do one session of push-ups, instead (when possible).<p>This worked really well for me for two reasons:<p>1. It caused me to stop myself short of falling into any kind of depressive spiral -- physical exertion is a great distraction!<p>2. Needless to say, I did a LOT of push ups, which are a great form of full-body exercise. The benefits are well known.<p>These days, I don't need the push-ups as a distraction; most of the "bad habits" I used to have don't appear nearly as much (although I still need to exercise regularly to avoid depression).