Word: behaviors
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...Theoretically, there are very good reasons to take a break from a behavior, totally," says Reid Hester, director of research at Behavior Therapy Associates, explaining that an initial period of complete abstinence can make it easier for people to moderate behavior by eliminating the habitual, automatic aspect of the unwanted activity. (See America's health checkup...
...best way to stay on course is frequent self-monitoring; use as many behavior-modification tools, support groups and programs as you can. In October, Hester and colleagues published a randomized controlled trial in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment comparing heavy drinkers who used MM's website to help them quit with those who used the MM site plus another online tool that teaches behavior-control tactics and helps chart drinking. While both groups significantly reduced their drinking and alcohol-related problems, the group that used the additional tool had more days abstinent and drank less when they drank...
Being mindful may involve traditional meditation, in which you sit quietly and observe your thoughts and breathing without judgment. But here, it is also used to focus awareness on thoughts and feelings that lead to unwanted behavior. Simply recognizing the triggers to relapse can help you choose not to give into them. "When there's a fork in the road, craving is pulling you one way. Well, what's the other way? You have to look down the other road and see where it takes you. Then you have a choice, instead of being on autopilot," says Marlatt...
...some people, trying to moderate bad habits is not achievable or takes more effort than abstaining altogether - as the philosopher St. Augustine put it, "Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation." Recognizing this by trying and failing can also be a critical step toward behavior change...
Social support is critical to changing all kinds of behavior. Good friends can not only help you through slip-ups but also help keep your New Year's resolutions from taking over your life. Rather than obsessing about what you shouldn't be doing, think about things you should, experts say. The distraction will help you curb bad habits. "Focus on your higher goals and positive activities, things that both sustain you and fill your life," says Peele. If you regularly engage in meaningful activities that give you pleasure - whether it's visiting friends, picking up a hobby, taking...