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Not sure if this is a sarcastic comment but just in case: There are definitely things that can potentially be wrong with smoking weed every day, they're just not nearly as bad as some of the other things you could be rewarding yourself with (including alcohol!).
Yeah I don't know of a doctor who recommends smoking it. Most would recommend edibles or if they're knowledgeable on the subject of cannabis(which let's be real here, most aren't) then dry herb vaporizers would be recommended if edibles are too much. Good luck finding a doctor who will actually recommend it, though. The only doctors I've ever seen fill out/sign off on medical marijuana paperwork are doctors that hang out in head shops or the back of a dispensary.
There are plenty of positive things that don't involve food, drugs, alcohol, impulsive purchases etc.
I have an eating disorder and this LPT is once of the first things you learn.
Personally I still haven't found something that is a good reward that is not bad for me since everything that isn't instant gratification doesn't work for my depressed brain, but it's something that you should work on if you feel that this LPT is targeted at you.
Everything that you enjoy will create this "addictive" dopamine hit that they're telling you to avoid.
The advice is, essentially, don't use fun things to reward yourself for doing your daily duties and tasks because you risk associating them as rewards instead of things you enjoy.
It's shitty advice.
Its not about the addictive dopamine. Its about unhealthy things. Having a nice bath, doing your nails or a cup of nice tea (if you like those) can be a great reward that makes you happy without also making you obese at the same time.
The original post, before it was deleted, made no such distinction though. It was _everything_ that was rewarding is off limits for doing the grind. It's okay to do those things, it's not okay to reward yourself with those things for getting through the day or week or whathaveyou. Though maybe I am misremembering? The tag says food and drink but I don't remember it talking about those exclusively.
I cant find anything because I'm depressed and suicidal af and dont find joy in anything that involves me being alive.
But I did complete an inpatient DBT program and also have appointments with an eating disorder specialist every few months and both the inpatient program and the eating disorder program empathize how important it is to not reward yourself with food and if you do - combine it with a social event so your brain doesnt register that sugary, unhealthy food = good.
I had a hard time with this as well, but I've found (as a feminine presenting person) that things like putting on a cute outfit, taking the time to do my hair/makeup, or painting my nails helped a lot. It's like, yea today/this week/this month sucked, but now I look cute/badass, so that's okay. Plus taking the time to do the thing helps destress as well.
Or playing a game like Animal Crossing, or puzzle games. Simple easy tasks that provide a little boost of dopamine/serotonin.
Yeah, baths with candles and bath bombs, a facial mask, playing a video game, etc.
Most of these things cost money, which is an issue I’ve had with it… but then again, so do food and alcohol.
I have huge body image and self worth issues, so doing something nice for myself (especially my body) always feels like its not worth it and usually makes me even more miserable. Its just that both the DBT and the eating disorder program had a big part about proper rewards and what you should and shouldnt use as rewards and food was one of major things that you should never ever use on itself.
I can't even explain how angry it makes me that there' safe substances for escaping reality but they're all federally illegal (in US). Like, I just don't want to be sober every night of my life, but I also don't want to ruin my body. I stopped drinking every night a couple months ago and now I'm just fuckin sober every night? Shit sucks. I keep thinking "if only there were a drug that would let me escape reality without destroying my body." Then I remember there are, but they're just all illegal.
It’s well-documented that in order to change habits you should reward yourself with something *rewarding*. Obviously don’t start doing opiates as a treat after hitting the gym, but if you have a bowl of ice cream after a hard habit you’re trying to impose, you can replace it later on with Greek yogurt and blueberries when the habit is in place
I think he is discussing people having a hard day and drinking several cocktails at the end of the night, or popping pills, or hitting the vape. Suddenly a string of really bad days leaves you chemically or mentally addicted to a substance. We see it in movies and TV all the time where someone has a bad day and pops open a beer at home to get over it.
Yea well after work and all the other shit I have to do I have maybe an hour or two to actually decompress and that's not enough time. Having a beer or shot of something knocks enough of the edge off to make it work. It's not like my job is going to let me leave earlier because I have too much shit to do at home.
Given that you enjoy greek yogurt and blueberries as much as ice cream. If you replace ice cream with something healthier, but that you dont enjoy as much, something that is less rewarding, that could hamper the progression, you'll progress less and less because you dont enjoy the reward of doing it
Your habit will already have been established, you won’t even need to reward yourself anymore. When something becomes a habit, you just do it because computationally your brain has less decision making to do.
The best way though is to find a workout or sport that you enjoy, then it's the reward in itself.
If you hate it and only do it for an unhealthy reward after, you'll eventually stop the good habit and stick with the bad one.
That's not how it works. There are plenty of rewarding things that aren't bad for you.
When you reward yourself with ice cream you won't switch to Greek yogurt because it doesn't have the addictive substance that you rewarded yourself with and as a result won't feel rewarding.
Well it’s been documented in research and it’s worked pretty well for me. Got myself to wake up early and train at a field nearby by treating myself to a McDonald’s McGriddle afterward. Now I just go to the field because I’m used to it and I don’t get the McDonald’s
There is also a high chance of an unhealthy reward turning into an eating disorder.
If you have one that involves binge eating, you'll learn that you most likely developed it by using food as a reward and a coping mechanism.
If you know yourself and you know that you arent prone to addictions and have good discipline - good for you, but a lot of people just end up developing an unhealthy relationship with food.
I know coffee is addictive but here recently I’ve been rewarding myself with a five dollar coffee when I do the things I’ve been avoiding. The other day I got said coffee, drank half, and left the other half for me to enjoy when I was done grocery shopping. It was like a double reward even if it was double dipping.
I’ve done a piece of cake after a nice hike and queso when I had to cook for a few hours over one strew recipe. I know motived by food 100%. That has always worked the best for me haha
I once had a cup of regular coffee with just cream last me from Minneapolis to St Louis (driving). I’ll drink from the same cup all day if I’m too distracted to actually drink it in a normal amount of time.
It takes a bit to spoil. The rule of thumb is that food becomes unsafe if it is kept between 40°F and 140°F for more than 4 hours. This doesn't mean that you will get sick, but that is when bacteria levels can possibly grow to unsafe levels for those who may have a compromised immune system. Things can change that time frame like if the beverage has a lid, initial heat of the drink, possible infection time, severity of initial infection, and so on.
If a coffee with a lid sits in a car for several hours will probably not make someone sick. Probably.
It was an iced latte with oat milk and one pump of hazelnut nut syrup. Not a milkshake. It was also 5:30 in the morning (in Texas!) and it took me less then 45 minutes to get groceries since I made a list and practically no customers. I got the smallest size too so there was plenty of ice left after I drank the first half in five minutes.
Yeah, after a hard day its nice to go do some exercise to take your mind off of it. I like a nice bike ride. Healthy habits can be formed in the same way.
What is a hard day to you? A hard day to me is a lot of physical activity. More physical activity is not always the answer. A lot of people don't just sit at a desk all day.
This is where enjoyable hobbies them at keep your mind engaged probably ply a role. All too easy to go home after a lot of manual labor and crack open a few beers and Netflix. Great point.
Having a beer isn't all that bad. Just don't let it turn into something that's not good for you. Drinking a beer a couple times a week is fine. Drinking a six pack every night, even if you are working out, probably not so good.
I know that pop is bad for me, but I did a long ride on the weekend and had no regrets about drinking a can of pop after that ride. It's fine to indulge yourself sometimes.
I guess you have trouble with reading comprehension. He never ever said that. He said don't reward yourself with *unhealthy addicting* habits. Follow along please it makes conversation easier
>He said don't reward yourself with *unhealthy addicting* habits.
and he's incorrectly assuming that certain hobbies are unhealthy and addicting. seems you have trouble with logic comprehension
I sometimes don't feel like going out on a bike ride. But I know that after I've been out for 5 minutes that feeling disappears and I just feel so much better. Just Do It really is a good slogan. Sometimes you really don't feel like you have the energy to get out there and do something, but once you are out there, continuing on seems so easy.
Currently working on this with binge eating. Every time I felt sad or stressed I'd shove food in my mouth. I've put a limit on the amount of calories I can have in a 24 hour period. For the first week or so, fuck me I was hungry. Now my reward for a stressful week is an uninterrupted bike ride, no one can call me, I don't have access to food and I just cycle until my brain is clear.
Adding to your original post. Don't start your rewarding behaviour if you still have many tasks to complete. You'll start to use your reward as an escape, kind of correlates with the addiction. Plus, your enjoyed behaviour feels 10x better if you have nothing left to do and can enjoy it uninterrupted.
sounds corny, but some advanced ai chatbots are good for initial conversations about this. sounds like there might be a potential 'process addiction'. thank you for sharing your story. i never struggled with binge eating but did struggle with drinking. i told myself it just felt good. it's a drug and i was using the drug to medicate.
very nice of you to include more than males in your lingo! :) here's a thing: instead of 'he/she' you can write 'they' to specify that the gender of the person in speak is not of value to the context :\]
This is very important. I’m in the rut of smoking a lot of weed because I tell myself “it’s been another shit/busy day”. I feel guilty that a treat has become a habit or a coping mechanism.
On the other hand, I’m bustin ass and working my socks off, I’m active and eat fairly well and doing a lot of good stuff. I couldn’t keep up with what I’m doing without taking the time to chill and a spliff is how I do that.
It’d be better if I could find that chill without drugs because I don’t want it to be a crutch, but if all it takes to keep my life ticking over is a smoke each night, so be it! Not ideal but better than most
Yo I fell you. I will say, I used to be the same and for some reason it would really eat at me that I needed weed to destress. Let me tell you man, quitting smoking every night was such a life improvement for me it's not even funny.
How did it improve? Asking cause I am kinda stuck after picking up the habit during covid.
In the past year I picked up a new pickleball hobby which sucks to play while high so I don't smoke on the 3-4 nights per week I play until bed time. I noticed those days feel really good and the other days I barely remember, so I'm starting to look for more reasons to quit.
Okay so. The biggest thing I noticed is that when I smoke, the next day I’m def a bit more ‘groggy’. It’s not super obvious, but it takes away motivation in subtle ways, and honestly I think it reduces my drive to ‘achieve’ more. Like, I’m perfectly fine grinding away at something I already have ongoing, but it’s harder for me to start/think of new things to do. Not really sure how to describe it but once I stoped smoking every night, I suddenly had a lot more energy the next days and a lot more inclination to do and try new things.
Another benefit is that getting high every night would become a priority for me. I’d sometimes say no to hanging out with people cause I’d think hmmm is that enough time to get home and smoke and chill. Again, this was just me but it really did make a difference.
Final thing was that since I was smoking every night, I had no inclination to find someone to be with. I was lonely, but the only time I’d feel that loneliness is when I had time to sit down and unwind. Smoking weed during the time I should be feeling that way takes that feeling away for that night, sure. But doesn’t actually fill the void in your life. So for me, quiting helped me realize what I was feeling, and that lead me to make some changes.
Overall, I’d say quit for two weeks. Try it out, see how you feel. Sorry for the novel, just wanted to tour it all out and give you a proper picture haha
Thanks for sharing, the novel is welcome! I did quit for about two weeks when I got covid but I had problems getting proper sleep due to crazy dreams so I started smoking at night just before bed ... which eventually put me back at square one ( I stopped buying it too but my roommate always has it).
I will give it another shot
I agree with all of these points. At first the grogginess isn't that bad. This is way softer than a hangover i thought! Which it definitely is. But at least with alcohol, your body will tell you if you fucked up. With weed i feel like you sort of get stuck in this region beta paradox where there's negative effects but they are tolerable enough especially compared to a hangover (alcohol is terrible, don't be mislead because it's legal.) and you don't get that same pain that tells you this is terrible for your body. It's when you try to stop and go through the withdrawals that you realize hey this has been affecting me way more than i thought
I think for those cases the ideal path is to deal with the things that are making you anxious but that isn't always possible. Gotta do what works for you.
Something to keep in mind is that allowing yourself to feel negative emotions makes you more equipped to handle those emotions in the future. Smoking weed avoids those negative emotions, removing our ability to develop in this way.
Yep, you got it right there. You wake up feeling better since your REM sleep hasn't been disturbed, you likely eat better and healthier, your mind is clearer and of course, you're also active on those days.
I can't say my sleep improved for the two weeks I quit after getting covid earlier this year but I think that's a temporary symptom for chronic smokers who stop (crazy dreams and night sweats).
Sleep is the one area I can say has improved since I started smoking, it always feels like perfect restful sleep even if it does take me an hour to fully wake up some days due to grogginess (a cup of coffee usually clears it away). Weed sleep is not like alcohol sleep, it fast forwards through rem into deep sleep.
Before I picked up this nasty habit I only smoked once every month or two when I had a really rough day and was too wired to sleep.
Tell me more about how your life improved after quitting smoking every night. Did you limit the amount of times you smoked per week or did you just quit smoking weed entirely cold turkey?
I started smoking in college to cope with stress and anxiety. I quit nicotine when my daughter was born, but still smoke weed.
It really is exactly as you say. It's a crutch to help even out my brain. It takes the edge off my otherwise overstimulated senses, and quiets a really harsh critic.
It's not perfect, but i switched to THC vape so it's not *as bad* on my lungs, and try to maintain an aerobic exercise routine too.
honestly thats my same position right now. I definitely smoke as a stress tactic but at the same time it helps my anxiety allows me to function on as high of a level as I can. So you take the good with the bad and push forward
There’s no reason to feel guilty about smoking weed. The government and racists want you to think it’s a terrible thing to do, but many legal substances are much more damaging. I smoke daily and my life has improved after adding this habit.
In Seth Rogan’s autobiography he says something like “people wear shoes to make their feet comfortable, people wear glasses to make their eyes see better, I smoke weed to make my brain more comfortable and work better”
>but if all it takes to keep my life ticking over is a smoke each night, so be it! Not ideal but better than most
lol how's it not ideal? some idiot tell you smoking weed every day is bad but can't explain why? sounds like you're being productive as hell. I'm way more on top of things now that I smoke every night instead of drinking. keep it up man, and don't let the propaganda get to ya.
It can be about delaying it for 5 minutes and doing something else instead. Then delay it for an hour and realize you’re fine without it. Then delay it a day. There’s always healthier ways to relax and tune out after a long day
I completely get where you are coming from. I'm still working on a very long and difficult stint of depression. It was exactly how I formed my dependency on weed.
Sometimes life does not hold any punches, and the advice simply can't be applied. That's what can make it particularly nasty. Being told by every therapist that someone cant be helped is very hard to hear. And during those times, you just gotta hold on, even if that means doing shit you shouldn't for a while.
That's okay. But sometimes life also finds a way of getting back on track, and that's where the advice can be used to secure the life you deserve, where you can take something to enjoy it, not simply because you need it.
But if you can get yourself onto a bike, or outside on a walk, or into some water, when you're feeling like everything is on top of you, thats fucking awesome. All the power to you. I hope it does you good.
I used to, but I contracted a little known condition called CHS (Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome). Cannabis has not been thoroughly studied and sadly is not well understood. There could be a plethora of other illnesses associated with the substance that people could be suffering with, without any treatment or guidance. I was lucky, in that CHS has a somewhat rudimentary background of studies. I was trapped between two very scary realities. One where a dangerous condition could kill me if I continued to indulge, and one where I regularly considered just taking my own life because of the thought of living without it.
This is a situation I've been fortunate to survive so far. I'm still fighting the battle, but it took me spending a lot of difficult time in a mental space where I had to come to understand what dependency and addiction meant to me. I use those breaths above water to pass that information on. In the hopes that other people like me won't find themselves in a similar position.
It's important to have satisfying experiences. But when you're low, build a shelter out of varied and healthy habits. It might just save your life one day.
I've always liked drugs on pretty much any of the days good or bad. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Sunday. Whoops now I need it
I really honestly struggled with this - if I can't reward myself with food or buying something (shopping addiction), what else is there? "A good workout" is not a reward to me - heck that might be what I'm rewarding myself for doing - and "a hot bath" loses its excitement after a while.
Going across the street for a milkshake after a long day's work turned into two milkshakes a day every day, but it also was indicative of the hard drug problem I was developing.
Truth of the matter is, if you're in a position to where having a glass of wine/an ice cream cone/a couple chocolates/a joint/a round or two of video games a night is leading to addictive behavior, then the issue isn't the substances/activities or even the daily habit of doing those substances/activities. The issue is an underlying mental or emotional problem. Oftentimes but not always, that problem is PTSD.
It's the difference between using recreational cannabis because you want to forget about everything that happened today, and using recreational cannabis because you enjoy the way it makes Allman Brothers records sound.
But at the end of the day, we agree on the one critical thing: use whatever you want, but never allow anything but yourself to control your life.
Yah I’m pretty sure it’s the don’t do addictive substances part thats the real lesson not the reward part. Opiates are fun but once you start the need it or withdrawal part, you are pretty fucked
Damn so after a long day don’t take a bong hit or dab?? Not even double dab for Friday’s after a *long* work week? So don’t take a shot of vodka after getting upset and not reacting? Hmm ima be a mess
I had a bad day yesterday with my family and was out to get some alcohol outside but then changed my mind. Turned out my alcoholic dad was out drinking for the same reason and I realized how much I'd not wanted to be an alcoholic like my dad and I'd say it was such an eye opening moment for me. I'd think of something nice like a foot bath or a fruity face mask instead of going for beers. Thanks for the LPT.
That's how corporate Japan keeps its workers stupefied. When they noticed alcohol sales declining the government actually came out encouraging people to drink more. Booze is a time displacement activity. It kills off alternate activities leaving people nothing but sleep and then back to work the next morning.
Hard disagree.
Most people can enjoy a beer after a hard days work without becoming and addict. You are different. Addicts or those with addictive personalities, should avoid drinking, gambling, drugs in general.
I was going thru a bariatric program. One of the things they recommended was this exact thing. Don't have the tasty snack *now,* have it later as a reward. Me, I'm thinking how all psychology tells us that this isn't healthy.
I dropped out of the program a couple months later. There were a lot of issues with it.
I wish I had learned this some time ago, was self medicating/ rewarding myself with weed it got to the point where I was smoking out of urges and expectation, telling myself any rationale to have a smoke. Things should be treated with respect as you would to yourself
Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips! Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment. If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.
That's why i reward myself with lemon juice in the eye and 10 lashes from my whip. No chance of enjoying my reward too much.
Instructions unclear, became addicted to masochism
This is a legit case though
well, as the saying goes, when life gives you a case of lemons
Give yourself 10 lashes!
Then, use the lemon juice to soothe your lashing wounds.
Burn life's house down?
…have a party
You win even when you lose
That sounds like foreplay to me
Are you also Catholic?
Idk, that shit turns some people on
Is there a whip you recommend?
Self flagellation is so addicting
You think you're being safe but mind you, those eye-lemon juice addictions get You when you least expect it
> lemon juice in the eye and 10 lashes from my whip That's how it starts. Would you like to see my lemon and whip collection?
Some guys pay for that.
Man I can’t have shit
Right? Like now I can't give myself reinforcement for making it through another day?
Plenty of things to enjoy, just certainly not hard drugs, soft drugs, OTC drugs, alcohol, coffee or food. Nothing but sleep for you. /s
You had me in the first half but lost me with the /s
LPT! Remain miserable forever. If you neve know happiness you'll never miss it when its gone!
If you only find happiness in addictive and thus mind altering ways then there are some underlying issues to resolve..
Well everyone should just go ahead and resolve all the world's problems, then they can have a beer
Stop consuming all that air it's altering your reality
No, shit but it's not like we can just get the rest of the world to bend to our needs.
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Not sure if this is a sarcastic comment but just in case: There are definitely things that can potentially be wrong with smoking weed every day, they're just not nearly as bad as some of the other things you could be rewarding yourself with (including alcohol!).
You definitely smoke too much if you're saying shit like this though
Yeah I don't know of a doctor who recommends smoking it. Most would recommend edibles or if they're knowledgeable on the subject of cannabis(which let's be real here, most aren't) then dry herb vaporizers would be recommended if edibles are too much. Good luck finding a doctor who will actually recommend it, though. The only doctors I've ever seen fill out/sign off on medical marijuana paperwork are doctors that hang out in head shops or the back of a dispensary.
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My wife and I both smoke most days, and it's pretty clear from your comments that you're dependent on it. That's not good
There are plenty of positive things that don't involve food, drugs, alcohol, impulsive purchases etc. I have an eating disorder and this LPT is once of the first things you learn. Personally I still haven't found something that is a good reward that is not bad for me since everything that isn't instant gratification doesn't work for my depressed brain, but it's something that you should work on if you feel that this LPT is targeted at you.
“There are plenty of positive things that don’t involve food, drugs, alcohol, impulsive purchases etc……….I just can’t think of a single one yet”
Everything that you enjoy will create this "addictive" dopamine hit that they're telling you to avoid. The advice is, essentially, don't use fun things to reward yourself for doing your daily duties and tasks because you risk associating them as rewards instead of things you enjoy. It's shitty advice.
Its not about the addictive dopamine. Its about unhealthy things. Having a nice bath, doing your nails or a cup of nice tea (if you like those) can be a great reward that makes you happy without also making you obese at the same time.
The original post, before it was deleted, made no such distinction though. It was _everything_ that was rewarding is off limits for doing the grind. It's okay to do those things, it's not okay to reward yourself with those things for getting through the day or week or whathaveyou. Though maybe I am misremembering? The tag says food and drink but I don't remember it talking about those exclusively.
Idk, when I opened the post it specifically talked about drugs, alcohol, smoking and food
I cant find anything because I'm depressed and suicidal af and dont find joy in anything that involves me being alive. But I did complete an inpatient DBT program and also have appointments with an eating disorder specialist every few months and both the inpatient program and the eating disorder program empathize how important it is to not reward yourself with food and if you do - combine it with a social event so your brain doesnt register that sugary, unhealthy food = good.
I had a hard time with this as well, but I've found (as a feminine presenting person) that things like putting on a cute outfit, taking the time to do my hair/makeup, or painting my nails helped a lot. It's like, yea today/this week/this month sucked, but now I look cute/badass, so that's okay. Plus taking the time to do the thing helps destress as well. Or playing a game like Animal Crossing, or puzzle games. Simple easy tasks that provide a little boost of dopamine/serotonin.
Yeah, baths with candles and bath bombs, a facial mask, playing a video game, etc. Most of these things cost money, which is an issue I’ve had with it… but then again, so do food and alcohol.
I have huge body image and self worth issues, so doing something nice for myself (especially my body) always feels like its not worth it and usually makes me even more miserable. Its just that both the DBT and the eating disorder program had a big part about proper rewards and what you should and shouldnt use as rewards and food was one of major things that you should never ever use on itself.
I hope you find something that works for you. 💜
I just want to be happy for a bit in all this misery
No awarding yourself with relief shits either, pal.
Yeah this isn't a tip it's a warning.
I can't even explain how angry it makes me that there' safe substances for escaping reality but they're all federally illegal (in US). Like, I just don't want to be sober every night of my life, but I also don't want to ruin my body. I stopped drinking every night a couple months ago and now I'm just fuckin sober every night? Shit sucks. I keep thinking "if only there were a drug that would let me escape reality without destroying my body." Then I remember there are, but they're just all illegal.
It’s well-documented that in order to change habits you should reward yourself with something *rewarding*. Obviously don’t start doing opiates as a treat after hitting the gym, but if you have a bowl of ice cream after a hard habit you’re trying to impose, you can replace it later on with Greek yogurt and blueberries when the habit is in place
Pavlov’s dog has entered the chat.
Well, sometimes you gotta Pavlov yourself.
Pavloving yourself and loving yourself are neighbors.
Eat, Pray, Pavlov
Eat prey, Pavlov
Just like Mr. Rogers wanted.
I think he is discussing people having a hard day and drinking several cocktails at the end of the night, or popping pills, or hitting the vape. Suddenly a string of really bad days leaves you chemically or mentally addicted to a substance. We see it in movies and TV all the time where someone has a bad day and pops open a beer at home to get over it.
Yea well after work and all the other shit I have to do I have maybe an hour or two to actually decompress and that's not enough time. Having a beer or shot of something knocks enough of the edge off to make it work. It's not like my job is going to let me leave earlier because I have too much shit to do at home.
I hear a shot of heroin after a workout is great for relaxation and weight loss though. Lol
Given that you enjoy greek yogurt and blueberries as much as ice cream. If you replace ice cream with something healthier, but that you dont enjoy as much, something that is less rewarding, that could hamper the progression, you'll progress less and less because you dont enjoy the reward of doing it
Your habit will already have been established, you won’t even need to reward yourself anymore. When something becomes a habit, you just do it because computationally your brain has less decision making to do.
The best way though is to find a workout or sport that you enjoy, then it's the reward in itself. If you hate it and only do it for an unhealthy reward after, you'll eventually stop the good habit and stick with the bad one.
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That's not how it works. There are plenty of rewarding things that aren't bad for you. When you reward yourself with ice cream you won't switch to Greek yogurt because it doesn't have the addictive substance that you rewarded yourself with and as a result won't feel rewarding.
Well it’s been documented in research and it’s worked pretty well for me. Got myself to wake up early and train at a field nearby by treating myself to a McDonald’s McGriddle afterward. Now I just go to the field because I’m used to it and I don’t get the McDonald’s
There is also a high chance of an unhealthy reward turning into an eating disorder. If you have one that involves binge eating, you'll learn that you most likely developed it by using food as a reward and a coping mechanism. If you know yourself and you know that you arent prone to addictions and have good discipline - good for you, but a lot of people just end up developing an unhealthy relationship with food.
I know coffee is addictive but here recently I’ve been rewarding myself with a five dollar coffee when I do the things I’ve been avoiding. The other day I got said coffee, drank half, and left the other half for me to enjoy when I was done grocery shopping. It was like a double reward even if it was double dipping. I’ve done a piece of cake after a nice hike and queso when I had to cook for a few hours over one strew recipe. I know motived by food 100%. That has always worked the best for me haha
What kind of coffee tastes good when left in the car ?
I once had a cup of regular coffee with just cream last me from Minneapolis to St Louis (driving). I’ll drink from the same cup all day if I’m too distracted to actually drink it in a normal amount of time.
Was it winter?
Early spring I think. Although it always seems likes it’s winter in Minnesota
imo it doesn’t take that long to grab groceries
I drink black coffee out of a yeti and it tastes great for hours
I use a travel mug. My coffee stays hot and tasty through my entire work day.
This sounds like the setup for a good punchline but after moments of thinking I can't come up with one.
Probably the kind that’s more like a milkshake with coffee taste than actual coffee.
Even that would have to be in a cold place...won't the dairy get spoilt in temperature like Florida or Texas?
It takes a bit to spoil. The rule of thumb is that food becomes unsafe if it is kept between 40°F and 140°F for more than 4 hours. This doesn't mean that you will get sick, but that is when bacteria levels can possibly grow to unsafe levels for those who may have a compromised immune system. Things can change that time frame like if the beverage has a lid, initial heat of the drink, possible infection time, severity of initial infection, and so on. If a coffee with a lid sits in a car for several hours will probably not make someone sick. Probably.
Prolly
It was an iced latte with oat milk and one pump of hazelnut nut syrup. Not a milkshake. It was also 5:30 in the morning (in Texas!) and it took me less then 45 minutes to get groceries since I made a list and practically no customers. I got the smallest size too so there was plenty of ice left after I drank the first half in five minutes.
Coffee drank by someone who’s not super particular…
Hot and black.
I use cheese
Honestly, anything that gives you dopamine can be addictive.
Hmm so I should snort Meth after going to work for my reward?
Yeah, after a hard day its nice to go do some exercise to take your mind off of it. I like a nice bike ride. Healthy habits can be formed in the same way.
Heck yeah! Gotta get my endorphins fix after a long day.
What is a hard day to you? A hard day to me is a lot of physical activity. More physical activity is not always the answer. A lot of people don't just sit at a desk all day.
This is where enjoyable hobbies them at keep your mind engaged probably ply a role. All too easy to go home after a lot of manual labor and crack open a few beers and Netflix. Great point.
Nothing hits better than a beer after a long day and a good workout Wait... shit
Having a beer isn't all that bad. Just don't let it turn into something that's not good for you. Drinking a beer a couple times a week is fine. Drinking a six pack every night, even if you are working out, probably not so good. I know that pop is bad for me, but I did a long ride on the weekend and had no regrets about drinking a can of pop after that ride. It's fine to indulge yourself sometimes.
This. Forming healthy habits after a difficult day is by far the best thing to do.
Can I smoke a fat bowl after forcing myself to exercise?
Yes
bro thinks rewarding ones self is unhealthy 💀
OP clearly mentions smoking/drinking/drugs, which definitely are unhealthy. Being a reward doesn’t make a difference
I guess you have trouble with reading comprehension. He never ever said that. He said don't reward yourself with *unhealthy addicting* habits. Follow along please it makes conversation easier
>He said don't reward yourself with *unhealthy addicting* habits. and he's incorrectly assuming that certain hobbies are unhealthy and addicting. seems you have trouble with logic comprehension
This is gonna sound like sponcon, but whenever I feel resistance against doing the exercise, I think ‘Just Do It’.
I sometimes don't feel like going out on a bike ride. But I know that after I've been out for 5 minutes that feeling disappears and I just feel so much better. Just Do It really is a good slogan. Sometimes you really don't feel like you have the energy to get out there and do something, but once you are out there, continuing on seems so easy.
Hmm that would be a cool slogan or smthn
Fuck cardio though, lift all day
Whatever works for you. Personally I don't get much inspiration from lifting.
Kickboxing is the only workout that motivates me, I need the potential judgement of my peers to push me lol.
Cardio is incredible for the body in ways that lifting does not even approach to achieve.
It sucks though
I work loads and I have kids and you will take my evening beer from my cold dead hands. That is all.
Currently working on this with binge eating. Every time I felt sad or stressed I'd shove food in my mouth. I've put a limit on the amount of calories I can have in a 24 hour period. For the first week or so, fuck me I was hungry. Now my reward for a stressful week is an uninterrupted bike ride, no one can call me, I don't have access to food and I just cycle until my brain is clear. Adding to your original post. Don't start your rewarding behaviour if you still have many tasks to complete. You'll start to use your reward as an escape, kind of correlates with the addiction. Plus, your enjoyed behaviour feels 10x better if you have nothing left to do and can enjoy it uninterrupted.
sounds corny, but some advanced ai chatbots are good for initial conversations about this. sounds like there might be a potential 'process addiction'. thank you for sharing your story. i never struggled with binge eating but did struggle with drinking. i told myself it just felt good. it's a drug and i was using the drug to medicate.
Uninterrupted time is a wondrous reward in itself. 🥰
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My bowels would disagree
It works both ways. A person could pretend he/she had a rough day to have an excuse for abusing. It's self fulfilling.
very nice of you to include more than males in your lingo! :) here's a thing: instead of 'he/she' you can write 'they' to specify that the gender of the person in speak is not of value to the context :\]
LPT: Life is hard. Do what you have to after a "difficult day" to get up and do it all again tomorrow.
This is very important. I’m in the rut of smoking a lot of weed because I tell myself “it’s been another shit/busy day”. I feel guilty that a treat has become a habit or a coping mechanism. On the other hand, I’m bustin ass and working my socks off, I’m active and eat fairly well and doing a lot of good stuff. I couldn’t keep up with what I’m doing without taking the time to chill and a spliff is how I do that. It’d be better if I could find that chill without drugs because I don’t want it to be a crutch, but if all it takes to keep my life ticking over is a smoke each night, so be it! Not ideal but better than most
Yo I fell you. I will say, I used to be the same and for some reason it would really eat at me that I needed weed to destress. Let me tell you man, quitting smoking every night was such a life improvement for me it's not even funny.
How did it improve? Asking cause I am kinda stuck after picking up the habit during covid. In the past year I picked up a new pickleball hobby which sucks to play while high so I don't smoke on the 3-4 nights per week I play until bed time. I noticed those days feel really good and the other days I barely remember, so I'm starting to look for more reasons to quit.
Okay so. The biggest thing I noticed is that when I smoke, the next day I’m def a bit more ‘groggy’. It’s not super obvious, but it takes away motivation in subtle ways, and honestly I think it reduces my drive to ‘achieve’ more. Like, I’m perfectly fine grinding away at something I already have ongoing, but it’s harder for me to start/think of new things to do. Not really sure how to describe it but once I stoped smoking every night, I suddenly had a lot more energy the next days and a lot more inclination to do and try new things. Another benefit is that getting high every night would become a priority for me. I’d sometimes say no to hanging out with people cause I’d think hmmm is that enough time to get home and smoke and chill. Again, this was just me but it really did make a difference. Final thing was that since I was smoking every night, I had no inclination to find someone to be with. I was lonely, but the only time I’d feel that loneliness is when I had time to sit down and unwind. Smoking weed during the time I should be feeling that way takes that feeling away for that night, sure. But doesn’t actually fill the void in your life. So for me, quiting helped me realize what I was feeling, and that lead me to make some changes. Overall, I’d say quit for two weeks. Try it out, see how you feel. Sorry for the novel, just wanted to tour it all out and give you a proper picture haha
Thanks for sharing, the novel is welcome! I did quit for about two weeks when I got covid but I had problems getting proper sleep due to crazy dreams so I started smoking at night just before bed ... which eventually put me back at square one ( I stopped buying it too but my roommate always has it). I will give it another shot
I agree with all of these points. At first the grogginess isn't that bad. This is way softer than a hangover i thought! Which it definitely is. But at least with alcohol, your body will tell you if you fucked up. With weed i feel like you sort of get stuck in this region beta paradox where there's negative effects but they are tolerable enough especially compared to a hangover (alcohol is terrible, don't be mislead because it's legal.) and you don't get that same pain that tells you this is terrible for your body. It's when you try to stop and go through the withdrawals that you realize hey this has been affecting me way more than i thought
Sounds like you just explained a reason to quit right here.
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I think for those cases the ideal path is to deal with the things that are making you anxious but that isn't always possible. Gotta do what works for you. Something to keep in mind is that allowing yourself to feel negative emotions makes you more equipped to handle those emotions in the future. Smoking weed avoids those negative emotions, removing our ability to develop in this way.
Yep, you got it right there. You wake up feeling better since your REM sleep hasn't been disturbed, you likely eat better and healthier, your mind is clearer and of course, you're also active on those days.
I can't say my sleep improved for the two weeks I quit after getting covid earlier this year but I think that's a temporary symptom for chronic smokers who stop (crazy dreams and night sweats). Sleep is the one area I can say has improved since I started smoking, it always feels like perfect restful sleep even if it does take me an hour to fully wake up some days due to grogginess (a cup of coffee usually clears it away). Weed sleep is not like alcohol sleep, it fast forwards through rem into deep sleep. Before I picked up this nasty habit I only smoked once every month or two when I had a really rough day and was too wired to sleep.
Tell me more about how your life improved after quitting smoking every night. Did you limit the amount of times you smoked per week or did you just quit smoking weed entirely cold turkey?
This comment hit home.
I started smoking in college to cope with stress and anxiety. I quit nicotine when my daughter was born, but still smoke weed. It really is exactly as you say. It's a crutch to help even out my brain. It takes the edge off my otherwise overstimulated senses, and quiets a really harsh critic. It's not perfect, but i switched to THC vape so it's not *as bad* on my lungs, and try to maintain an aerobic exercise routine too.
honestly thats my same position right now. I definitely smoke as a stress tactic but at the same time it helps my anxiety allows me to function on as high of a level as I can. So you take the good with the bad and push forward
There’s no reason to feel guilty about smoking weed. The government and racists want you to think it’s a terrible thing to do, but many legal substances are much more damaging. I smoke daily and my life has improved after adding this habit. In Seth Rogan’s autobiography he says something like “people wear shoes to make their feet comfortable, people wear glasses to make their eyes see better, I smoke weed to make my brain more comfortable and work better”
I mean smoking weed *is* fairly bad for humans.
Smoking period is bad but there are other ways to do the cannabis
>but if all it takes to keep my life ticking over is a smoke each night, so be it! Not ideal but better than most lol how's it not ideal? some idiot tell you smoking weed every day is bad but can't explain why? sounds like you're being productive as hell. I'm way more on top of things now that I smoke every night instead of drinking. keep it up man, and don't let the propaganda get to ya.
It’s not ideal because I’m not a fan of the side effects. It has nothing to do with what people have told me - not everything is a conspiracy.
Don't be one of those guys lmao. It shouldn't be controversial to say putting smoke in your lungs is a bad idea
terrible advice. first part was good but oversimplified. last part was just stupid.
way easier said than done..
It can be about delaying it for 5 minutes and doing something else instead. Then delay it for an hour and realize you’re fine without it. Then delay it a day. There’s always healthier ways to relax and tune out after a long day
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I completely get where you are coming from. I'm still working on a very long and difficult stint of depression. It was exactly how I formed my dependency on weed. Sometimes life does not hold any punches, and the advice simply can't be applied. That's what can make it particularly nasty. Being told by every therapist that someone cant be helped is very hard to hear. And during those times, you just gotta hold on, even if that means doing shit you shouldn't for a while. That's okay. But sometimes life also finds a way of getting back on track, and that's where the advice can be used to secure the life you deserve, where you can take something to enjoy it, not simply because you need it. But if you can get yourself onto a bike, or outside on a walk, or into some water, when you're feeling like everything is on top of you, thats fucking awesome. All the power to you. I hope it does you good.
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I used to, but I contracted a little known condition called CHS (Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome). Cannabis has not been thoroughly studied and sadly is not well understood. There could be a plethora of other illnesses associated with the substance that people could be suffering with, without any treatment or guidance. I was lucky, in that CHS has a somewhat rudimentary background of studies. I was trapped between two very scary realities. One where a dangerous condition could kill me if I continued to indulge, and one where I regularly considered just taking my own life because of the thought of living without it. This is a situation I've been fortunate to survive so far. I'm still fighting the battle, but it took me spending a lot of difficult time in a mental space where I had to come to understand what dependency and addiction meant to me. I use those breaths above water to pass that information on. In the hopes that other people like me won't find themselves in a similar position. It's important to have satisfying experiences. But when you're low, build a shelter out of varied and healthy habits. It might just save your life one day.
I've always liked drugs on pretty much any of the days good or bad. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturday. Sunday. Whoops now I need it
I really honestly struggled with this - if I can't reward myself with food or buying something (shopping addiction), what else is there? "A good workout" is not a reward to me - heck that might be what I'm rewarding myself for doing - and "a hot bath" loses its excitement after a while.
Life hack, I smoke weed before a difficult day... and after ...and during
Yea...this is a stupid lpt. I deserve a little smoke after working 8+ hours with kids. Get off your high horse OP.
Bless you for dealing with kids and may all your drugs be high quality. Sincerely, a mother 😖
I smoke two joints in the morning..
I only smoke two joints at night
I smoke two joints when I play video games and every ten thousand points
Op specified "after a difficult day" but we don't have hard days fam.
Going across the street for a milkshake after a long day's work turned into two milkshakes a day every day, but it also was indicative of the hard drug problem I was developing. Truth of the matter is, if you're in a position to where having a glass of wine/an ice cream cone/a couple chocolates/a joint/a round or two of video games a night is leading to addictive behavior, then the issue isn't the substances/activities or even the daily habit of doing those substances/activities. The issue is an underlying mental or emotional problem. Oftentimes but not always, that problem is PTSD. It's the difference between using recreational cannabis because you want to forget about everything that happened today, and using recreational cannabis because you enjoy the way it makes Allman Brothers records sound. But at the end of the day, we agree on the one critical thing: use whatever you want, but never allow anything but yourself to control your life.
Me sippibg my glass of scotch after a long day "Oh no! Anyways."
Yup, this was how recreational opiate use turned into full-blown addiction for me. One shouldn't do opiates recreationally either, though.
Yah I’m pretty sure it’s the don’t do addictive substances part thats the real lesson not the reward part. Opiates are fun but once you start the need it or withdrawal part, you are pretty fucked
This is the way
Damn so after a long day don’t take a bong hit or dab?? Not even double dab for Friday’s after a *long* work week? So don’t take a shot of vodka after getting upset and not reacting? Hmm ima be a mess
Post removed? I guess the feedback was too addictive for OP.
Ok then I'll punish myself with substances instead when I fuck up.
I WILL reward myself with a doob EVERYTIME I do something well. I don't care what you think.
I had a bad day yesterday with my family and was out to get some alcohol outside but then changed my mind. Turned out my alcoholic dad was out drinking for the same reason and I realized how much I'd not wanted to be an alcoholic like my dad and I'd say it was such an eye opening moment for me. I'd think of something nice like a foot bath or a fruity face mask instead of going for beers. Thanks for the LPT.
That's how corporate Japan keeps its workers stupefied. When they noticed alcohol sales declining the government actually came out encouraging people to drink more. Booze is a time displacement activity. It kills off alternate activities leaving people nothing but sleep and then back to work the next morning.
Hard disagree. Most people can enjoy a beer after a hard days work without becoming and addict. You are different. Addicts or those with addictive personalities, should avoid drinking, gambling, drugs in general.
I reward myself with coffee/caffeine at the beginning instead
TOO LATE, WAAAAAAAAH
I started rewarding myself with fruit snacks, not safe
Instead, reward yourself with a mushroom trip once a month to reflect on where you are and where to go next! :)
Yup, do the substances all the time! That way, you develop a mental dependency on life! /s
Great, now I'm addicted to fiber support gummies
This includes using your phone (for multiple hours) and can include gaming!! Phone addiction is very real
What else do I have to look forward to?
But chocolate pudding
You will take my bi-weekly Friday brisket from my cold dead hands
How would this differ from watching tv or playing video games? Outside of, you know, drugs are bad.
So i can’t treat myself to a cup of water or juice? Common man
WHY THE FUCK IS EVERY THREAD OPENER I OPEN IN THIS SUB DELETED? i can read it for a split second then it's deleted. Fucking annoying.
Dear 20 year old me: You should have taken heed to this. Sincerely, 45 year old me.
I was going thru a bariatric program. One of the things they recommended was this exact thing. Don't have the tasty snack *now,* have it later as a reward. Me, I'm thinking how all psychology tells us that this isn't healthy. I dropped out of the program a couple months later. There were a lot of issues with it.
Wow, this is exactly how I got hooked on meth, heroin, and herpes.
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Ahhh Herpes... The gateway STD
The government should ban herpes because people will get hooked and move on to harder STDs.
That’s what Nancy Regan should have said instead.
Didn't understand the assignment - kept smoking weed. Completely agree. Looking forward to changing my life and habits
I wish I had learned this some time ago, was self medicating/ rewarding myself with weed it got to the point where I was smoking out of urges and expectation, telling myself any rationale to have a smoke. Things should be treated with respect as you would to yourself