Spotting a Chicken on the Internet. ☑️

WHY WE’LL DO ALMOST ANYTHING NOT TO MEDITATE

Oh, look! A Chicken! (Photo by Tina Xinia)

Spotting a chicken on the Internet. ☑️

We’ve all been there.

We meant to call up Calm or Ten-Percent Happier or some other meditation app, but somehow we find ourselves surfing the interwebs… and then it happens.

A CHICKEN! Or a kitten video…

Or an interesting article….or the thought of the dishes stacking up in the kitchen sink. Or, thinking “when was the last time I cleaned the bathroom?” 🧐

Reality: we’ll do anything to keep from meditating

When you opt for cleaning the toilet, instead of meditating, you know you have a problem (more on this later with a plot twist).

Why is this?

Surprise! I have a two-fold theory.

1. When we associate an activity with minimal immediate benefit, we’re less likely to engage in that activity.

2. Even if there is no immediate benefit associated with an action, if the long-term benefit is overwhelmingly obvious, we’re more likely to engage in it.

Examples of where these come into play