The Top Worst Habits and Ways to Beat Them
Are You Guilty Of These Bad Habits? Here’s How To Beat Them!
The problem with us as humans, is that we’re creatures of habit. We all have our little rituals, vices, routines and obsessions. Some of these things are just annoying (for us, and for other people!) but others can be a serious health issue. Some habits can even consume people’s lives and massively affect their happiness. Are you guilty of any of these bad habits? Here’s how to go about putting them right.
Procrastinating
Constantly find yourself wasting time, and avoiding important jobs on your to-do list until the last minute? While some people might argue that they work better under pressure, all this really achieves is causing stress and rushing the task. Whether it’s for a presentation at work, exam revision or something else- getting organised is key. Try setting yourself a schedule and sticking to it. If you’re working to a deadline, split the work up into doable chunks and just do a little at a time. It gives you time to plan, think, and means you don’t need to rush. Rushing leads to sloppiness and that’s when mistakes happen.
Nail Biting
Nail biting can cause pain and infection to the nail beds and fingers, and it’s also incredibly unhygienic. It makes you prone to warts and diseases, and is generally an unpleasant habit that is well worth breaking. Distraction techniques have been shown to be effective, you can also buy products to put on your nails that taste bad as a preventative measure. Nail biting is often a symptom of anxiety, and so addressing the underlying anxiety can help in many cases too. Speaking to your doctor could be a good way to go.
Binge Drinking
Always end up completely trollied on nights out? It’s important to learn your limits, and practice self control. You could decide on a certain number of drinks that you’re going to have through the night, and then alternate them with glasses of water. Asking a friend (preferably a sober one!) to act as the angel on your shoulder can be useful, so they can remind you if you start going off course. If you’re not able drink in moderation, the safest thing would be to stop drinking completely. When you’re blind drunk you’re more at risk of injury (either accidental or from someone else) and are more likely to make poor decisions that could put you at risk. Plus large amounts of alcohol will have a detrimental effect on your body- even if you’re only binge drinking occasionally. You don’t have to be physically dependent on alcohol to have a problem with it. If you find yourself binge drinking at parties or social occasions due to insecurity or other issues, speaking to a professional to get to the route of the problem might help.
Taking Drugs
Taking drugs isn’t just a bad habit, but in some cases can be a physical addiction too. While legal substances such as alcohol and nicotine can still cause problems, illegal drugs are even worse as they’re unregulated and could contain just about anything. Addressing your lifestyle could be useful here. As with drinking, if you take drugs recreationally at parties due to insecurity then try getting to the route of this. For more serious issues such as drug dependency, the safest method is to detox under medical supervision. This is because the side effects of withdrawal can be so severe, they can even be fatal in some cases. You could speak to your GP or nurse for advice, or in the case of opiate addiction visit a rapid detox clinic.
Smoking
Again, you don’t just have to break the bad habit here but also the physical addiction too. This double whammy is the reason why so many people find it difficult to give up. You could go it alone with sheer willpower, or buy over the counter nicotine products such as patches and chewing gum. Hypnosis has been shown to be effective in some people. You can buy apps for your phone, or CDs to listen to in order to attempt these techniques at home. Alternatively you could visit a qualified hypnosis expert, although you will have to pay for this from your own pocket. Most GP offices will have nurses who can assist and advise you when it comes to quitting smoking too.
Hitting The Snooze Button
If you groan ‘just five more minutes!’ every morning when your alarm goes off, chances are you’re not getting enough sleep. A lack of sleep is incredibly damaging to health, and so if you’re a serial snoozer it’s time to listen up! Getting into a good bedtime routine where you’re going to sleep at the same time each evening is highly beneficial. Avoiding technology for at least an hour or two before bed each night can also help. This is because the light is one of the biggest signals to the brain for waking up. This artificial light from screens will have the same kind of effect.
What are your worst habits? Do you do any of these things?
Tia, and TipsfromTia.com is trying to keep you looking good and
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