Everybody has to deal with vices at some point in life. Some were able to give them up; others are still battling with them every single day.
A lot of us use vices to hide something, and most of the time, I think that something might be pain. Speaking for others, I dare say that they pick up vices because they have too much free time and they can’t figure out how to fill it with something else.
People may use their vices as a reward, while others feel like they can’t function without them. There are people who wake up a few hours before going to work so they can have some alcohol to prepare them for the day ahead.
Others will use that alcohol as a reward, justifying it by saying "I deserve this after a hard day at work." They may indeed deserve it, but they transform this into a vice, getting addicted to it.
Some addictions are not safe to instantly quit, but you can do the following:
Begin rationing:
Instead of smoking ten cigarettes per day, force yourself to smoke seven, then five, and so on. It may take months, but if you have some degree of discipline, you will be able to overcome it.
You can use rationing for all these addictions. Even if it’s video games, just set your alarm for one hour later and stop. Make no excuses for continuing to play; simply force yourself to stop. You understand that you are more than a game; you own it. You may even use a calendar for your weekly hours so that you can allow for gaming.
Reduce access:
If it’s not something that you have at hand, it’s going to become more difficult to get it. Sometimes you may even be too tired or it may be too late to go to a shop and buy it.
Or if it’s an addiction like video games, first try uninstalling them. You may install them again, then when you have enough, uninstall them. At some point, it will just become too much work.
Add more limits:
Once you get comfortable with the reduction of vices, make more rules. You can have rules like not drinking at certain hours, not drinking on certain days, not smoking in certain places, and so on.
Try replacing:
This usually can’t be implemented right away, but let’s say if you drink too much alcohol, you can try to replace it with soda or sprinkle water.
Even though soda is not a healthy alternative, if it helps you, I think I can take the liberty to say that if you can use soda for a short period of time as a replacement, then move to something healthier, then it’s worth it. And even if you get addicted to soda, it will be easier to quit it later using the same steps.
Try to reduce stress:
We give in to our addictions because we’re stressed and also not happy. If we’re able to build a life that we’re genuinely happy with, then the need for vices will disappear.
As a bonus, you may even keep a journal about your vices and be sure that you can tick the boxes that will lead to your goal.
You won’t need to keep that journal forever, because at some point, it will become normal for you to not give into those vices. And if you write down some insights and feelings, you may even find out interesting things, such as what triggers your vices or what the deeper layers of your addictions are.
Conclusion
Make rules for yourself, set limits and be sure you have enough discipline built in so you can respect them. Make a realistic goal. If you have had a vice for a decade, don’t expect to quit it in a week. It is possible, but you must understand yourself.
It may be a slow process, but three months, six months, or one year from now, you will be more than thankful for what you did.
Cheers!
