The Wrist Rubber Band Snap Method (Aversion Therapy for Procrastination)
You may have heard of the wrist rubber band snap method and wondered whether it’s really effective in curbing problematic behaviors.
Have you considered this method for your lack of discipline and impulsive habits?
Well, if you want to find out more, we suggest you read this article.
I’ve used the rubber band snap method before, so I can provide some feedback.
This article will give you a glimpse of aversion therapy, particularly self-administered rubber band snapping.
We will discuss how it can help with procrastination and unwanted habits and what science has to say about its effectiveness.
To find out more, keep reading.
Table of Contents
What is aversion therapy
Aversion therapy is a type of behavioral therapy that aims to decrease or prevent problematic behaviors by associating them with an undesirable or painful stimulus.
The main types of aversion techniques used in this type of therapy are electrical, chemical, and visual stimuli.
The goal is to make the person react negatively to the unpleasant stimulus and abandon their unwanted behavior, such as excessive drinking or drug use.
For example, a smoker going through aversion therapy may get an electric shock every time they see a picture of a cigarette.
Aversion therapy was first employed in 1930 to treat alcoholism, but by the 1950s and 1960s, it has become increasingly popular for “curing” sexual deviations, including homosexuality and transvestism, which were considered “mental illnesses” at the time.
What kinds of negative stimuli are used in aversion therapy?
Many types of negative and painful stimuli have been used in aversion therapy, including
Electrical shock: which is administered to a smoker, for example, each time they see an image of a cigarette, making them associate the stimulus (cigarette) with an unpleasant or painful feeling (electrical shock).
Chemical aversion: : usually employed for alcoholism by giving medication that makes chronic drinkers sick and nauseous when they drink alcohol.
This is usually done repeatedly until the person stops craving alcohol.Unpleasant smell or taste: for example, a foul-tasting nail polish is used to prevent the person from biting their nails.
- Negative imagery: visualization is sometimes employed in order to associate bad behavior with negative or repulsive mental images and visions.
What are the main indications of aversion therapy?
Aversion therapy has been used for decades to treat several mental and behavioral disorders, including:
- alcoholism and drug addiction
- smoking
- unwanted behaviors and habits
- Violence and anger issues
Much of the controversy surrounding aversion therapy stems from the fact that it was utilized as part of what is called “Gay Conversion Therapy” to change the sexual orientation of people who were supposedly distressed by their homosexuality.
Conversion therapy is now widely discredited and is banned in many countries around the world. It is considered cruel and inhuman and has been associated with long-lasting psychological and physical damage.
What is the wrist rubber band snap technique?
The wrist rubber band snap technique is a form of self-administered aversion therapy in which the unwanted behavior is linked to a painful snap of a rubber band. This makes the unwanted behavior associated with pain.
For instance, when you catch yourself engaging in thoughts related to procrastination or unhelpful habits, you snap the elastic band to produce a mildly unpleasant deterrent that would help stop these undesirable thoughts and behaviors.
Many sources suggest that the wrist rubber band method can be used to help stop smoking, drinking, eating junk food, or many other bad habit. It is also used to combat intrusive negative thoughts that cause anxiety and depression.
It is worth mentioning that this technique has an advantage over the classic aversion therapy in that the person does not need the therapist to provide the negative stimulus as they can do it themselves.
So, the negative stimulus is present as long as the rubber band is worn.
How can rubber band snaps help procrastinators (mechanism of action)?
In a nutshell, and for simplicity’s sake, we’ll go through the simple loop of habit formation, and particularly, the negative habit of delaying or avoiding tasks.
The cue: that is the first trigger of the negative habit. For a procrastinator, the stimulus could be an unwanted activity (going to the gym) or a negative thought, like: “I am too tired to go to the gym right now”.
The response: that is the way you respond to the stimulus, which is usually through maladaptive avoident behavior (not going to the gym), and favoring more comforting activities (watching your Netflix show while eating potato chips).
The reward: for a procrastinator, reward is the temporary relief provided by avoiding the daunting task (going to the gym) and replacing it by a more comforting and pleasurable activity (watching Netflix while eating potato chips).
And as the old adage says, “what is rewarded is repeated”. That’s exactly what reinforces the cycle of procrastination, and the loop feeds off itself.
Now the idea behind the administration of a rubber band snap is to break that loop by associating the cue (negative thoughts) and the response (avoident behavior) with a painful stimulus, making them less rewarding.
Over time, this association makes the unwanted habit (response) less desirable, which weakens the loop and reduces the unhelpful thoughts and actions.
How to use the wrist rubber band snap technique?
Some sources suggest keeping the rubber band on your wrist.
Every time you catch yourself ruminating over a task or an activity, which usually triggers worry, depression, self-doubt, and procrastination, pull the rubber band on your wrist and release it.
The painful snap must be felt, but it shouldn’t be very painful.
After that, you mentally confront the negative thoughts and say out loud, “if possible”, “STOP”, then take a deep breath.
Don’t try to suppress your thoughts; just let them roam free and focus on performing the task or activity, one step at a time.
What does research say ?
There is conflicting evidence regarding the effectiveness of aversion therapy.
Some forms of aversion therapy have been proven to be ineffective, while others, such as chemical aversion, hold more potential for treating addictions.
Although research assessing the effectiveness of rubber band snapping in the management of procrastination is very limited, some studies examined aversion techniques in addressing behavioral problems related to impulse control (which is known to be closely connected to procrastination) such as binge eating, addictions, alcoholism, and hair pulling.
For weight loss, a 1981 paper suggests that self-administered rubber band snaps were more effective than placebo or no-treatment controls for overeating. The study warns that the findings have limitations and that more research into this technique is needed.
For alcoholism, research provides some evidence that chemical aversive agents may be beneficial for chronic alcoholism and may help substantially reduce alcohol cravings.
A 2017 study on the efficacy of chemical aversion for alcoholism revealed that 69% of alcoholic patients were still sober a year after finishing therapy. These patients also exhibited alcohol aversion following treatment.
Regarding smoking, the evidence for the efficiency of aversion therapy from the available trials is insufficient.
Rapid smoking, which is when someone smoke quickly to cause a bad syndrome, is an unproven method, but it has shown enough promise to be worth studying with more rigorous methods.
Although many aversion methods hold some promise, alternative therapies are usually preferred over aversion therapy, which is currently rarely used as a first-line treatment.
Potential side effects
Aversion therapy is controversial and has been largely criticized for its potential side effects.
It is reported that this therapy can cause anxiety, distress, and even anger and hostility issues, which may interfere with the treatment outcome.
These side effects are typically associated with shock therapy.
My personal experience
I used the rubber band technique to overcome my procrastination and stop task avoidance along with other problematic habits, such as excessive rumination and perfectionism.
The results were quite inconsistent for me. The main drawback, in my opinion, is that the rubber band is self-administered, and it comes a time when you are not willing to punish yourself.
Usually, when I didn’t have the motivation to get things done, I was not willing to self-inflict pain which, at times, rendered the whole process useless for me.
But I think there could be some benefit for some people who want to overcome bad habits and be more productive.
For me, it was useful in certain situations, as it served as both a deterrent and a reminder, especially when I was caught in the cycle of rumination and procrastination, as it helped me snap out of my autopilot mode.
In my opinion, the wrist rubber band snap method should not be the only technique in your anti-procrastination toolbox but can be a valuable adjuvant tool in your productivity arsenal.
Takeaways
Wrist rubber band snap is a type of aversion therapy. The goal of aversion therapy is to stop or reduce bad behaviors by linking them with a negative or painful stimulus.
Many types of negative and painful stimuli have been used in aversion therapy, mainly electrical shocks, chemical agents, unpleasant odors or tastes, and negative imagery.
Aversion therapy, although highly controversial, has been utilized for decades to treat several mental and behavioral disorders, particularly alcoholism and drug addiction.
Regarding procrastination, there is insufficient scientific evidence for the effectiveness of the rubber band snap technique, but some studies suggest the effectiveness of aversion therapy and rubber band snapping for some problematic behaviors, although more research is needed to confirm the findings.
Although self-administered aversive stimulus may not be the most effective approach against procrastination, especially as a stand-alone method, some people report positive outcomes of this technique for certain problematic habits, such as impulsive eating and smoking.
The wrist rubber band snap method can be a useful adjuvant tool in your productivity toolbox, but it shouldn’t be your primary or only strategy.
SHARE
◉ Stop Negative Thoughts Using The Rubber Band Snap
https://anxietycontrolcenter.com/stop-negative-thoughts-using-rubber-band-snap/
◉ What’s Aversion Therapy and Does It Work? (2019)
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/aversion-therapy#how-it-works
◉ How Does Aversion Therapy Work? (2022)
https://www.regain.us/advice/therapist/how-does-aversion-therapy-work/
◉ Aversion Therapy Uses and Effectiveness (2020)
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-aversion-therapy-2796001#:~:text=Aversion%20therapy%20is%20a%20type,an%20image%20of%20a%20cigarette.
◉ Aversion Therapy (2017)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/aversion-therapy#:~:text=Electrical%20aversion%20therapy%20(EAT)%20is,the%20behaviors%20(operant%20conditioning).
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About the author
My name is Sam David. I am the founder of "Proactivity Lab," a website that provides comprehensive strategies and resources for understanding and overcoming procrastination.
The website's resources are the culmination of more than 20 years of research and experience, during which I embarked on a long and gruelling journey of study and self-discovery.
Being a former procrastinator myself, it took me years of investigation and numerous trials and errors to gain a clear understanding of the underlying causes of procrastination and the most effective and scientifically supported strategies to permanently conquer the vicious cycle of procrastination.
I would like to share my knowledge with you, for free.
