Have you ever wondered why we sometimes enjoy things that aren’t good for us? We all know about bad habits like smoking, eating junk food, and not exercising enough. These are things we should avoid to stay healthy. But a study by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that these avoidable habits are responsible for nearly half of the deaths in the United States. Smoking alone causes 18.1% of deaths, while poor diet and inactivity account for 16.6%, and alcohol consumption is responsible for 3.5%.
If we know these habits are harmful, why do we keep doing them? The main reason is that bad habits make us feel comfortable. Our brains are wired to seek comfort, and they can’t tell the difference between what’s good or bad for us. Every action we take has a purpose, even if we don’t realize it, and that purpose is often comfort.
Our brains love rewards, and comfort is a big reward. When we do something that feels good, like eating a chocolate chip cookie or getting a like on social media, our brain releases dopamine, the “feel-good hormone.” This makes us want to repeat the action, linking good feelings with bad habits.
This is why it’s tough to stop bad habits. They make us feel safe and comfortable. For example, smoking during a break might make you feel relaxed, and drinking alcohol might seem like a way to unwind after a stressful week. Choosing to relax on the couch instead of exercising is another example of seeking comfort.
We also tend to justify our bad habits. If everyone else is doing it, we might think it’s okay for us too. This leads to excuses like “just one more won’t hurt” or “I’ll start being healthy next week.” But these justifications only provide a temporary escape from stress.
It’s important to remember that bad habits only offer temporary comfort. For instance, drinking alcohol might temporarily relieve stress, but once the effects wear off, the stress returns. Ironically, the long-term solution to breaking bad habits often involves discomfort. Growth happens when we step out of our comfort zone.
Think about exercise: the more you push yourself, the more tired you feel, but you also become stronger and healthier. Most people don’t change until the discomfort of staying the same becomes greater than the discomfort of change. Real transformation happens when you step out of your comfort zone. Familiar discomfort can feel like comfort, which is why some people stay in unhealthy relationships.
Ultimately, comfort is an illusion. There’s no such thing as real comfort; it’s just the idea of safety. This might be hard to accept, but it’s true that comfortable things don’t last. The most successful people often find comfort in discomfort. Discomfort can be your friend.
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Take a moment to reflect on your daily habits. Write down a list of activities you do regularly, both good and bad. Identify which habits are beneficial and which ones might be harmful. Discuss with a partner why you think you continue with the bad habits despite knowing their negative effects.
Keep a “Dopamine Diary” for a week. Note down every time you feel a sense of reward or pleasure from an activity, whether it’s eating a snack, playing a video game, or receiving a compliment. At the end of the week, analyze which activities are linked to bad habits and brainstorm healthier alternatives that could provide similar satisfaction.
Choose one small habit that you find comforting but know is not beneficial. Challenge yourself to replace it with a healthier alternative for one week. For example, if you usually watch TV instead of exercising, try going for a short walk each day. Share your experiences with the class and discuss how stepping out of your comfort zone felt.
In groups, create and act out short skits that depict common justifications for bad habits, such as “just one more won’t hurt.” After each skit, discuss as a class how these justifications can be challenged and what strategies could be used to overcome them.
Research a famous person who has overcome bad habits and achieved success. Prepare a short presentation on how they found comfort in discomfort and what strategies they used to break their bad habits. Share your findings with the class to inspire others.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
Why do we like things that are bad for us? We all know what bad habits are—smoking, eating unhealthy foods, and being inactive are just some behaviors we should avoid to improve our overall well-being. Yet, a recent study by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that avoidable behaviors such as poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption are underlying causes of nearly half of the deaths in the United States. Tobacco accounted for 18.1% of total deaths, inactivity and poor eating accounted for 16.6%, and alcohol consumption accounted for 3.5%.
If we know these habits are detrimental to our health, why do we continue to engage in them? Many of us indulge in behaviors that we know aren’t good for us, and the main reason is that bad habits provide comfort when making decisions. Our brains can’t differentiate between good and bad; they only recognize comfort and discomfort. Every action we take has a purpose, even if we’re not consciously aware of it. The most common hidden purpose is comfort.
Our brains are wired to seek rewards, and the reward we often seek is the feeling of comfort, which triggers the release of dopamine, known as the “feel-good hormone.” For example, when you enjoy a chocolate chip cookie or receive a like on social media, you get a hit of dopamine. This pleasurable feeling leads us to crave more, causing us to associate good feelings with bad habits.
This explains why we continue to indulge in bad habits and find it challenging to stop. They feel comfortable, allowing us to exist in our safe zone. For instance, smoking a cigarette during work breaks can make your brain associate that habit with freedom and relaxation. Drinking alcohol may seem like a way to relieve tension after a tough week. The thought of exercising is often overridden by the easier option of relaxing on the couch and binge-watching your favorite show.
We also tend to rationalize our bad behaviors. If society finds certain habits acceptable and many people engage in them, we may feel justified in doing the same. It’s easy to find socially acceptable bad habits, such as snacking, skipping exercise, or drinking excessively. This leads to rationalizations like “just one more won’t hurt” or “I’ll do better next week.” However, these justifications provide only a temporary escape from stress.
It’s important to remember that bad habits offer only temporary comfort. For example, an alcoholic beverage may numb you to stress, but once the effects wear off, the stressful reality returns. Ironically, the long-term solution to breaking bad habits is often discomfort. Growth occurs when we step into the unknown. This is why many people experience breakdowns before breakthroughs—the more discomfort you face, the greater the long-term benefits.
A simple analogy is exercise: the more you push yourself during a workout, the more sweat, fatigue, and exhaustion you feel, but you also gain strength, endurance, and longevity. Most people don’t change until the discomfort of not changing becomes greater than the discomfort of change. Powerful transformation happens when you truly step out of your comfort zone. Familiar discomfort can feel like comfort, which is why some people become addicted to toxic relationships.
Ultimately, comfort is an illusion. There’s no such thing as real comfort; there’s only the idea of safety. This is a challenging concept to accept, but it’s true that comfortable things don’t last, and the most well-adjusted individuals often find comfort in discomfort. Discomfort can be your ally.
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Bad Habits – Actions or behaviors that are repeated often and can have negative effects on health or well-being. – Skipping breakfast every day is one of the bad habits that can affect your energy levels.
Comfort – A state of physical ease and freedom from pain or stress. – Listening to music can provide comfort and help reduce anxiety during stressful times.
Dopamine – A chemical in the brain that affects mood, motivation, and feelings of pleasure. – Exercising regularly can increase dopamine levels, which may improve your mood.
Unhealthy – Not having or showing good health; harmful to one’s physical or mental well-being. – Eating too much junk food can lead to unhealthy weight gain and other health issues.
Smoking – The act of inhaling and exhaling the smoke of tobacco or a drug, which can be harmful to health. – Smoking is a major cause of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.
Alcohol – A substance found in drinks like beer and wine that can affect the brain and body, often leading to impaired judgment and coordination. – Consuming too much alcohol can lead to serious health problems, including liver disease.
Stress – A feeling of emotional or physical tension that can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. – Learning how to manage stress is important for maintaining good mental health.
Exercise – Physical activity that is done to improve health and fitness. – Regular exercise can help reduce stress and improve overall well-being.
Change – The act or process of becoming different, which can affect one’s mental or physical state. – Adapting to change can be challenging, but it is an important part of personal growth.
Safety – The condition of being protected from harm or other non-desirable outcomes. – Wearing a helmet while biking is important for your safety.
