Habit Advice

[ArtyJ]

Hello!

I'm new to this website and was wondering if I could ask you all for advice on a habit I am trying to implement. It's kind of an experiment and based around Atomic Habits

So basically, I learned that habits are made up of four different processes. Cue, Craving, Response, and Reward.

Now I used to be a big user of focus drugs like addy, but I wanted to see that if I could possibly replicate the feeling of these focus drugs through the power of habit.

My proposition is to utilize Altoid mints as both a trigger and a reward for focus when I want to work.

So it would go along something like this:

1. Cue: Eating a mint and tasting the freshness and crunchiness of it.
2. Craving: Wanting to eat another mint due to an uncomfortable mouth
3. Response: Focusing or working on something and creating a baseline to reward myself
4. Reward: Eat another mint and repeat the whole process again

Eventually, when I am satisfied with my work, I'll just brush my teeth or drink some water to remove that uncomfortable mouth feeling after eating a mint.

So what do you all think? Do you think what I am trying to do will adhere to the habit formula? Or can you see another way to better do this?

 

Thanks,

~Art

[RobertZ]

Interesting idea.  I am not familiar with research on sublimation, and I have no idea whether it would work for you  

A random idea: if you just start downing the mints (I would probably just eat the whole package because I am concentrating on the work), you could try eating them on a timer—like one every 30 minutes (+ a second mint 5 minutes later?). That way, you dont have to think about it, and any reinforcing positivity would be passive.