I tried to quit Reddit cold turkey once. Wanna guess how long that lasted? Less than a day. The same is true with quitting Snapchat, video games, and many other things. The problem I’ve found is that when you just subtract something, there’s an uncomfortable void remaining, and the silence is a siren call for the familiar and comfortable habit we want to quit.

What works much better for me is habit replacement. Simple idea, but it keeps our mind busy instead of constantly returning to the thing we’re trying not to think about. Here are a few examples:

• Instead of browsing Reddit every time I go to the bathroom or have time between meetings, I take geography quizzes with the Seterra app. It feels like a game and I’ve gotten way better at geography. There are tons of countries and regions and rivers and flags so it’s a healthy and deep rabbit hole to go down.
• Instead of chemical escapism, I’ve gone deeper into meditation. Not only has mindfulness helped me with my anxiety, it’s gotten me into the local Buddhist community which is incredibly kind and welcoming. And of course, there’s plenty of research on how healthy meditation is for stress levels and focus. Sam Harris’ Waking Up app is my favorite.
• Instead of sitting alone in my apartment in unhealthy mental loops, I’ve started going on more walks and listening to podcasts. There are a trillion great podcasts out there, and exercise/being outside is healthy, so many benefits can be found. Audiobooks are also an option if there are a bunch of books you’ve always wanted to read.
• Instead of playing on my phone in the morning as I drink my coffee, I’ve started reading physical books. Physical books have a certain charm that audiobooks don’t, and I also like it also because there are some books I can’t get on Audible. It also feels very rewarding to have finished a long book and feel its weight in your hands.

Clearly, there are a thousand other habit substitutions you could seek, but I hope I’ve made the case that this is easier than simply quitting something. We don’t have to sit there miserably daydreaming wistfully about all the sins yesteryear. That’s just tempting yourself. Immerse yourself in something positive instead and I think you’ll find the change sticks a lot longer.

The point is good decisions don’t always require a lot of willpower. Having a plan and following a routine requires very little willpower, actually, you just need to make that plan ahead of time. What habits do you currently have that you want to do less of? What could you replace those with and get a lot more out of your day? Might as well start now, don’t you think?