Yesterday, I asked my colleagues — “Which app do you find most distracting or addicted to?”
And I heard a surprising answer: Swiggy.
One team member candidly admitted that around 12:30 pm, when the Swiggy offers start pouring in, she can’t help scrolling through them even when she has no intention of ordering food.
But even this isn’t the craziest addiction I have heard of.
One of our bootcamp participants once said that his most distracting app was IRCTC (the train booking app).
Since he had removed all social media and messaging apps from his phone, when his mind was looking for some distraction, the only remaining app was IRCTC. And though he had no travel plans, he would still check the app!
What’s going on here?
Our mind craves novelty because it causes dopamine release in our brain, which makes us feel good. And with repetition, any action that causes dopamine release will become a habit even if it is not a fun thing.
That is why we get addicted to checking our messages and emails.
Habits are like grooves in our brain, formed by repetition. We can’t eliminate the old grooves. But as we build newer grooves of good habits, when they become deep enough, they outcompete the old grooves.
That is how you break bad habits.
– Rajan