Targeted Behavior: Smoking Cigarettes
I tracked the amount of cigarettes I smoked over the past three days (Saturday to Monday). I quickly noticed a big decline from my smoking habits prior to the start of this tiny study to when it actually started on Saturday. I attribute this pre-study change to a new critical awareness of my smoking and my change in environment. This new “focus” or “hyperawareness” I was putting on my smoking caused me to ask myself if I was being excessive and over indulgent with the number of cigarettes I smoked. I feel I was also more open to asking myself those questions because weather conditions made the act of smoking less enjoyable. My friends who smoked were also less likely to already be smoking or interested in smoking if the weather conditions were miserable. I saw myself smoking less but experiencing minor withdrawal symptoms like headaches more often. I got cravings more often so in the end I smoked less each time I went out to smoke but went out to smoke more often. Some of my results are represented in the below connection circle and feedback loop.
The feedback loop made me realize how nicotine addiction is living your life craving something that makes you feel less without it. Having a nicotine addiction makes cigarettes a subscription box to relief from a capitalistic disease. Next time, I would like to focus on how I feel while being mindful of how much I am smoking. I think centering myself and my feelings would help free me from the addiction cycle feedback loop.
