I have a philosophy of addiction. I’ve never done drugs, been addicted to porn or video games, or struggled with alcohol or cigarettes. But I am prone to addiction.
My grandfather was an alcoholic. My uncle died of alcohol and pills.
The things that I am addicted to most people don’t think about (sugar) or consider healthy (exercise, fasting).
Over the last decade, I’ve developed a philosophy of addiction – pursue things that are hard, but leave you feeling good afterwards.
By contrast, most of what we define as addictions are easy to do, but leave you feeling bad afterwards. Nicotine, alcohol, heroin, porn. They feel good in the moment, but have consequences afterwards.
That’s my cue of things to avoid.
But there’s another category that is difficult to do while you are in the midst of it, but leaves you feeling good afterwards. These are what I term my “healthy addictions.”
Here are few of my vices:
- 2 minutes of cold plunging at 39 degrees each morning
- 2 hours of intense exercise every day
- 5 days of water-only fasting twice a year
Of course, the term “healthy addiction” is a misnomer. Just like alcohol or sugar aren’t necessarily harmful in small doses, exercise or fasting aren’t healthy in the extreme.
But these healthy addictions are also self-limiting. Sit in a very cold plunge for 2 minutes, and a third minute is more difficult. Day 6 of a water-only fast is more difficult than Day 3. The more you do, the harder it becomes to keep doing the activity.
Homework
So, that’s my prescription. Do something hard that leaves you feeling good afterwards.
It is that simple.
And it is that difficult.
Until next week,
Robin