← Building blocks
Relief reward
Why avoiding feels good and keeps you stuck.
Avoiding something unpleasant feels good right away. That relief works like a reward, so your brain learns to avoid it again. (Research by Sirois and Pychyl; a meta-analysis by Steel.)
Example
You open your tax forms, feel a knot in your stomach, and grab your phone instead. The knot goes away, so next time you grab the phone sooner.