In this day and age, we want things to be easy, comfortable, and exactly what we want when we want it. Discomfort for many is associated with “bad” and that if you feel discomfort, then you must stop doing whatever is at the root of that discomfort.

Unfortunately, life does not fit nicely into this mold and discomfort inevitably arises. But we have gotten very good at avoiding the uncomfortable whether through our screens, isolating tendencies, or by simply by not ever opting in. Many clients I talk to think that being uncomfortable = bad. This comes up when talking about pain, anxiety, or stress. I often get the question; how can I get rid of it?

“How do I start doing this?” Is a question that I am often asked by clients. One client wants to start eating healthy foods again, another client wants to play her violin more – if we boil this down both are talking about habits. Why is starting a new habit so damn difficult? Well, I hope to answer this question here while also providing you with some suggestions on what you can do to begin that good habit you’ve been wanting to start. 

Most psychologists agree that the essential ingredients to habit formation are repetition, automaticity, and context. But what does this mean for you?

Let me start off by answering, yes, it does make a difference.

I was recently talking with a friend who mentioned that her husband was creating an AI Chatbot to help her sister struggling with depression. Initially, surprised by this, I asked whether she had reached out to a therapist as it sounded like she could use support from a licensed mental health professional. I was told, yes, rather matter-of-factly and that the sister had been placed on a waitlist. Since she needed help now this was in fact the best way to get it. On hearing this my gut reaction was to say “No, this is not the best way.” However, instead I shared with my friend some of my reservations as a Clinical Psychologist about using an AI Chatbot for mental health support.