Are there any learned behaviors that you can't let go of?

Vent/Rant [Mon]

During my 11th/12th jee preperation, my father used to put me on a very strict schedule. I had to wake up at a certain time, no sleeping or napping the entire day, I didn't have a phone but I wasn't even allowed to look at my mom's phone even for a little bit, no friends, it was crazy. The thing is, I adapted listening for my father's footsteps and being attuned to his presence nearby so I won't disappoint him. He used to get really angry, violent even and stopped talking to me for months if my grades slipped or he caught me doing anything like that.

And I'm realizing that I never really let go of some of my habits even after all these years.

I was taking a nap the other day and as soon as I sensed my father nearby my heart started beating so fast, I actually sat up fully awake because I was scared about napping in front of him. But then I told myself it's over and that was years ago. Only then I could calm down. It's so weird how deeply that fear is ingrained in me.

Do you guys have any such habits that took time unlearning even though the environment had changed? How did you do it?

Posted Jul 27, 2026, 7:00 AM UTC · locked

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