Soft Addictions: Are You Hooked?

Has the time you spend watching TV gotten out of hand? Do you find yourself spending hours surfing the Internet? Or, maybe you’re like many people who are addicted to shopping...even when they don’t have the money! These are “soft addictions”—activities that zap your energy, and keep you from living a purposeful and passionate life.

Soft addictions may not threaten your health or your job, like the big ones do. We all know that drugs, alcohol, and gambling can ruin lives. (Although excessive shopping can put you at financial risk.) But soft addictions can cause family and marital stresses, and leave you feeling disconnected.

How can you reconnect? First, turn off the TV, and unplug the Internet. If this sounds too painful, start by doing this for one day and build up to three days. If you are addicted to shopping, cut-up all but one credit card, and promise to use it only for emergencies. Try this for one week, you’ll be glad you did!