Below is a thought provoking article.

 
Habits are the Solution, Not the Problem

by

Dr. Amy Johnson Ph.D.

There’s something quite intuitive about the fact that the more attention we pay something the more a part of our experience it becomes.

Shower your plants, children, hobbies, or relationships with attention and they not only thrive, they become a bigger part of your life.

Stare at–or even just think about–that cut on your leg and suddenly you feel the pain. It’s been there as long as it’s been there, but it becomes real for you when you look. Your attention brings it to life.
 
So, it’s ironic that we also tend to stare at and focus on our unwanted habits in the name of making them better. We track them. We monitor how we’re doing. We hone in on “I did it again”, or “three days habit-free!”
 
It looks like the unwanted habit—the part of it that we see–is the problem. If you shop, smoke, or gamble, shopping, smoking, or gambling is the thing affecting your life. Those are the specific behaviors that are wrecking your finances, relationships, and health. They are clearly the problem, so they are clearly the thing to focus on and change.
 
Except they aren’t.
 
They are actually the solution.

The “problem” (which the quotes indicate is not actually a problem), is that we aren’t feeling like ourselves. We’re feeling off base and in our cloudy-minded state, our habit appears to take the edge off our discomfort.
 
Our mind instantly suggests (sometimes demands) your habit as a solution. Feeling something you’d rather not? Eat this! It’ll take your mind off of your problems (and it does, for a minute). Feeling weighed down by urges to do your habit? Do that habit! That will make those urges go away (and it does, temporarily).
 
Our habits get us a tiny bit closer to home. Habits are solutions to the “problem” of not feeling well.
 
Not being at home is not actually a problem at all because we’re always moving in and out of feelings states. Our minds are always filli...