You're stuck in a habit loop of going onto the next thing. Maybe it's a new series, maybe it's a box of donuts. You're going onto the next one when you've finished and you can't seem to stop it. Maybe you don't want to, maybe you do. It feels good at first, really good. That's why your brain wants you to continue. It doesn't care if the thing itself is destructive in the long run, you're feeling good right now and that's all your brain cares about. Self preservation.
Where did it start?
Talking in terms of evolution it started right at the start. Cells were grouping together and forming new life forms. Life forms need a little more to survive than a singular cell, they needed food and water among other things. They needed things. The main objective was to survive.
The difference between now and all the way back then is the abundance of things. We're far less endangered than we used to be millions of years ago. We're physically so much more comfortable than ever in history. Our world is far from perfect but in comparison to how it used to be, we're practically our own only threat.
Our brains are still wired to get as much resources as possible to be able to survive. Thing is, we don't need as much as we're able to get nowadays. We don't need more than a certain amount of calories. There's so much, entertainment and otherwise, that our brains and bodies get overloaded.
Why is it bad to want more?
It isn't bad to want more. That's were all growth comes from. That's how we built civilizations and got where we are now. It gets bad when it takes over our lives. When big chunks of our days are spent doing the things we don't need or want to be doing. It gets bad when we get physically unhealthy and feel the effects of it. It gets bad when it affects us in a negative way.
We get desensitized to the things that were fun in the beginning. We don't get as much joy out of it. We keep wanting more and never be happy enough with what we have. The shows we watch don't stick as much when we watch ten episodes in a row as if we were to watch one a day or maybe one a week.
How can you stop?
It's not easy to flip the switch and change your habits. It does take time. It won't give you the instant pleasure you'll get from binging whether it's food, series, dates or anything like it.
Keep being consistent. It doesn't matter if you fuck up a couple of times. It doesn't matter if you fuck up when you've gone a long time without it. The most important thing is starting again. Don't trip yourself out about it. You have one life, but you can start any time. Starting right now is better than starting later.
Be patient. It takes 60 days for a habit to become routine, 90 days before it's a habit. What's three months in the grand scheme of things? You'll age no matter what. Do you want to spend that time making excuses and living a life you don't want or actually helping yourself?
Lose the temptation. Make it as hard as possible to get to the thing you want to get rid of. Get it as far away of you as possible.
Uninstall some apps if you're addicted to your phone. Check which ones have the highest screen time and delete them.
Let someone change the password to your Netflix account and let them open it only on the times you've scheduled it in (movie night with friends or such).
Lock the cabinet with snacks and let someone keep the key. Get a time lock and put it on a certain time.
Don't walk the supermarket isles with the foods you want to avoid or go to a specialized store like a baker or greengrocer to get the different things because they won't have those tempting foods or drinks.
Uninstall tinder or other dating apps if you're a serial dater.
Get them away from you.
Have someone to keep you to it. Put some stakes on it. Having someone to help you with it increases your chances of sticking with it a shit ton. It works. It's tried and tested.
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