Everyone has bad habits. We know about some and try to fight them, but we don’t even know about others. Some practically do not interfere with us, while others can seriously complicate life. And fighting them is often not so easy. Together with psychologist Nadezhda Pozharova
We find out how to properly get rid of bad habits once and for all, and analyze the most common mistakes.
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An impetus for those who want to quit smoking and stop being late.
Each of us has bad habits. Some irritate (both us and those around us), others take up precious time, others harm people, and others do all of the above. Fortunately, there are working methods that help nip vices in the bud.
Of course, breaking years of serious habits can take years. And in some cases, even a couple of sessions with a professional psychiatrist. But it is absolutely possible: psychiatrists, psychologists, and cognitive therapists agree that the first step to getting rid of any bad habit is recognizing it.
So, if you notice a repetitive behavior that you would like to change, consider yourself on the right path to good posture (instead of slouching), neat manicure (instead of bitten nails) and strong friendships (no gossip).
Types of bad habits
The variety of bad habits is quite large. Here are the most common of them:
- consumption of alcoholic beverages;
- use of narcotic and stimulant substances;
- smoking tobacco products, smoking mixtures (including: hookah, vaping, electronic cigarettes);
- gambling addiction;
- excess in eating.
- promiscuity.
There are also many other bad habits that cause a lot of problems that initially seem harmless:
- insatiable craving for shopping;
- addiction to social networks;
- workaholism;
- foul language, deceit;
- passion for hoarding;
- craving for extreme sports;
- coffee addiction, consumption of energy drinks, etc.
This list can be continued for a long time, but it is important to understand the main reason for all these human reactions in order to get rid of bad habits ourselves, and, if possible, help others. Because the consequences of such ingrained addictions can be quite frightening.
Habit #1: Constantly being late
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Reason: You want to please everyone and try to look good by taking too long to get ready. There is also a not-so-nice explanation: deep down, you may think that your time is more important than the time of others (or at least those whom you always keep waiting think so). In any case, you clearly lack the time management skills that are so necessary today.
How to get rid of it: When someone asks you to do something, don’t agree right away. Say what you need to think about, and then decide if you have time for it. Also, find out which tasks always make you late. Maybe it's drying your hair in the morning. Then track how long it takes, and then allocate the necessary period (read: more time) to it.
There are a couple of tricks: set your clock back 5 minutes and always account for potential unexpected delays. One more thing: call ahead if you feel like you're running late. This is not only kind of you, but the embarrassment of repeated calls can become an incentive to be a little more punctual.
Habit #2: Procrastinate
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Reason: This is a unique strategy for managing anxiety associated with the need to complete a task. Avoiding it gives you temporary relief. But in the long run it's terrible.
How to get rid of it: Understand that when you procrastinate, others may think that you don't care about the overall task - this is worse than doing a task poorly.
A trick to get you started: take on some responsibility and make a friend a witness.
For example, prepare a donation to an organization that you do not support, and give the amount to a friend for safekeeping. If you don't complete a task you set by a certain date, ask a friend to send a donation. When you take responsibility for the consequences, it will force you to complete what you start on time. see also
19 bad habits of many people that you should give up to change your life
Bottom line
Children absorb everything that surrounds them. The susceptibility to developing bad habits depends on the environment in which a teenager lives, how his loved ones treat him, and how he evaluates himself.
Adolescent children are especially susceptible to negative influences. This is explained primarily by the fact that the environment, interests, living conditions, and values change. The goal of parents is to monitor the correct change of guidelines, trust their children, understand them and talk as much as possible about problems, thoughts, desires, dreams. This will help eliminate the main causes of bad habits in adolescents.
Habit #3: Throwing things around
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Reason: You enjoy being around clutter because it stimulates you—it reminds you to get your work done. But this backfires as you waste time looking for things. In addition, it can aggravate anxiety: chaos in space can develop into chaos in the mind.
How to get rid of it: Place the documents in two different piles. Those that cannot wait - in one, those that can wait - in another.
And use folders or boxes of different colors.
“One of my clients has 12 tablets in her office: 6 for current projects and 6 for those she might come back to later,” said coach Lynne Cutts. “Visual space is still a motivating factor for her.” But at the same time, her things are perfectly organized.” Set up a system that works for you and start with basic steps, like putting your keys in the same place every day.
Habit #4: Fidgeting
Monsrer.ca
Reason: you have an excess of energy. Possibly due to the adrenaline rush caused by consuming too much caffeine or sugar, which requires it to come out somehow. Ask the pen you click endlessly.
How to get rid of it: If you are used to taking a large triple latte, slow down. To control your energy peaks and valleys, you need to monitor not only your coffee consumption, but also your sleep and physical activity.
And try one isometric exercise: lower your hands to your knees and focus on gently bringing your palms together. As for the legs, placing two feet parallel to each other, begin to press them into the floor. Do these exercises until you no longer have the need to constantly fidget.
Control your habits
Sometimes it takes a lot of focus to overcome bad habits. Control your actions so that you stop in time and do not fiddle with your jacket or adjust your hair. During the conversation, pay attention to avoid filler words. Before speaking or negotiating, memorize your speech or sketch out a plan of what to express to your interlocutor.
Prepare a suit and hairstyle to look perfect. This will create a feeling of confidence and freedom. This way you will worry less about your appearance and pay more attention to your habits. Occupy your hands with the piece of paper with the speech, place your legs so that they cannot be pulled. Think through and rehearse the movements so that they become ingrained in your mind. Control your habits at home by hanging reminder sheets: on the drawers in the bedroom “put away clothes”, on the refrigerator “eating after 21.00 - obesity.”
Habit #5: Chew gum loudly
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Reason: It's a habit that serves as a kind of security blanket when you're nervous or worried about something.
How to get rid of it: A really quick and effective solution is to switch to lozenges (though let's not lie: it's not very good for your teeth).
If you really don't want to give up chewing gum, ask a friend to stop you every time he/she hears you doing it. If someone points out the slurping, keep doing it until you hear yourself and understand how loud and annoying it is.
Imagine being the one who has to listen (and watch) as you chew your gum. Not very cool, right? You may be too excited to stop.
When you hear your own sounds, stop and record this moment in your memory. Every time you stop, your brain will rewire itself. Eventually, with a little effort, you'll stop doing it altogether.
see also
25 Habits That Will Help You Make Your Life More Productive and Happier
Bad habits and their impact on human life
Nature has endowed man with a sound mind, a balanced, self-sufficient organism and inexhaustible physical and emotional capabilities. However, not everyone knows how to manage this priceless gift called health. Every day, without noticing it, we undermine it with many wrong actions, some of which gradually turn into bad habits. And we are talking here not only about the most dangerous of them: drug addiction, alcoholism and smoking. Of course, these addictions occupy a leading position in the list of the main methods of self-destruction, capable of completely changing a personality, destroying health in a short time, and possibly taking life.
In psychology, habit
called a regularly repeated action, without which a person can no longer (or thinks that he cannot) do without.
It is believed that to form a particular habit, you need to repeat the same action for 21 days. However, practice shows that this rule applies mainly to good habits, and bad ones, unfortunately, form much faster. Sometimes just one time is enough for the body to develop a persistent craving to repeat a destructive act that artificially brought temporary satisfaction. This is precisely where the main danger of the negative impact of bad habits on the body lies: a strong psychological or physiological dependence develops unreasonably quickly, but getting rid of it is much more difficult than it seems at first glance.
Let's look at the most common of them “under a microscope” to figure out how dangerous they are.
Bad habits - smoking
The influence of bad habits on the cardiovascular system is great, especially if it is smoking. On the one hand, tobacco smoke has become so commonplace and everyday that it is not always subconsciously perceived as a toxic poison.
The negative impact on the body does not manifest itself overnight, but gradually accumulates and aggravates the problem. This is why smoking is extremely dangerous - when the consequences begin to be felt, as a rule, the habit is already deeply formed. At the same time, the statistics are not at all reassuring: about 5 million people die every year from the consequences of smoking, and this figure is steadily growing every year. Moreover, the greatest harm to the body is caused not even by nicotine itself, but by the tars and carcinogens contained in cigarettes, of which there are about 300 varieties. Each cigarette is a cocktail of cyanide, arsenic, hydrocyanic acid, lead, polonium and hundreds of other dangerous poisons that the smoker and his loved ones inhale every day.
Smoking causes the greatest harm to the respiratory system. Toxic smog settles on the lungs and gradually causes irreversible destructive processes in the lung tissue. This can cause or worsen existing asthma, obstructive diseases and other problems with the respiratory system.
Bad habits - alcohol
When discussing bad habits and their impact on health, it is impossible not to mention the pathological craving for alcohol. Despite the active struggle, all kinds of prohibitions and formal restrictions, this problem not only remains relevant, but is also gaining momentum, perhaps due to the availability of “liquid poison”, and perhaps due to the stereotype of “safe moderation”.
Once in the body, alcohol primarily affects the human brain. Memory lapses that appear during the consumption of strong drinks are the “first bell” of brain destruction, because, according to research, each glass consumed takes approximately 1000–2000 brain cells. However, the effect of alcohol on the body is not limited to brain tissue - the symptoms of regular alcohol consumption affect the entire body.
At first, drinking causes slight euphoria and relaxation; over time, these same processes become the cause of inhibition of the functions of the nervous system, and therefore the functioning of the body as a whole.
Psychological instability coupled with nervous disorders leads to a loss of a person’s social appearance. Uncontrolled behavior, outbursts of aggression, absolute inadequacy and loss of reality of what is happening are classic symptoms of alcoholism.
Decaying ethyl alcohol is excreted from the body mainly by the liver. The high loads that fall on this organ cause various diseases, from physiological jaundice to cirrhosis.
Bad habits - drugs
Perhaps the most talked about, serious and deadly bad habit is drug addiction. The pursuit of new sensations, “chemical” happiness and a pseudo-sense of freedom pushes a person to try prohibited drugs “just once”, and this is the main trick. Unfortunately, “just 1 time” most often ends in a persistent craving for psychotropics, which is almost impossible to overcome without outside help.
The chemical composition of drugs of this kind artificially stimulates the release of dopamine, as a result of which the mood temporarily improves, stress is relieved and all problems and worries fade into the background. However, after the drug is removed from the body, a stage of compensation begins, when blues and despondency roll in with renewed vigor. At this moment, an algorithm is formed in the subconscious: “Drugs = pleasure.”
The self-deception of beginning drug addicts lies in the fact that in most cases they deny the existence of a problem as such and do not seek help, believing that they can safely refuse the next dose at any time. If awareness of the problem comes, which, however, does not always happen, the person needs long-term rehabilitation in order to give up the addiction and restore lost health. And even qualified medical care is not always effective, because the damage caused to health by drugs can reach enormous proportions.
The brain is the first to suffer - it is the brain that is affected by the substance that enters the body. Gray matter cells can no longer adequately perceive reality and form cause-and-effect relationships, which is why drug addicts think that psychotropics are not a problem, but rather a solution.
It takes very little time for the destruction of the brain to affect the condition of the internal organs. Since neural circuits regulate the activity of the entire body, the appearance of an addiction will affect all systems without exception: cardiovascular, respiratory, genitourinary, endocrine, etc.
As a rule, it takes a drug addict from 1 to 10 years for complete destruction of the body with a fatal outcome. However, the main cause of mortality is not even multiple organ failure, since many simply do not live to see it - blurred reality and the constant desire to feel a “high” sooner or later lead to overdoses.
That is why we should not forget that there are no harmless drugs - any substance that alters consciousness is poison, and even one time can be enough to permanently lose your human appearance!
Bad habit - overeating
Overeating, as a bad habit, began to appear quite recently. This is due to an oversupply of food. That is why this problem is not relevant throughout the world, but only in developed countries with a sufficient level of economy. The causes of food addiction are most often psychological factors, stress, and nervous system disorders. Overeating has its consequences. The primary result is excess weight, and therefore the development of complexes. Eating too much food can lead to dangerous health problems. Hypertension, liver disease, hormonal disorders, and joint problems may appear, so this phenomenon requires mandatory treatment.
Bad habit - gambling addiction
A person’s bad habits are very dangerous both for himself and for society, and gambling addiction is no exception. An addicted person is capable of developing mental and nervous system disorders, completely disconnecting from the outside world and living in virtual reality, and is able to transfer the actions of the game into his life. Computer games often contain elements of violence or cruelty. Therefore, the patient has to be isolated from society during treatment. It's even worse when it comes to gambling.
Bad habits - internet addiction
With the advent of the Internet, bad habits and their consequences have become increasingly common. We cannot imagine our life without news on social networks. Books used to be looked for in libraries, but now on popular websites. The spelling and meaning of words is no longer looked for in dictionaries, but searched for on the Internet. All this leads to population degradation.
The presence of gadgets and Internet addiction have replaced children's football fields, hockey rinks, theaters, dance clubs, and games on playgrounds. Unfortunately, this problem has no age limits.
What are the consequences of bad habits?
The influence of bad habits on the human body is so great that even modern medicine is not always able to find a way out of this situation. Psychological dependence on any factors cannot be treated with surgery or medications. We need the work of a psychologist who can distract a person from his problem.
Harmful weakness can be direct - for example, when alcohol enters the human body. Or the impact will be indirect, when a person develops a mental disorder due to Internet addiction. The patient cannot live for a minute without a mobile device and reacts to any extraneous noise, similar to vibration or a ringing phone.
Without timely intervention, the consequences of any addiction can be dire:
- sleep disturbance;
- loss of appetite;
- slowing down of mental activity;
- lack of adaptation in society;
- family and academic problems;
- irreversible changes in the human body.
Bad habits and how to combat them
Methods of dealing with bad habits are quite radical: complete rejection of psychological dependence. This requires the willpower of a person and the professional approach of a doctor. As a rule, loved ones play a big role in giving up addictions. They know the patient and can provide alternative activities and interests. Methods for dealing with addiction will vary depending on the problem and its severity.
Some measures need to be implemented immediately, while others need to be introduced gradually into the patient's regimen. The most popular methods are psychological training, changing the field of activity, place of residence or environment, or, in extreme cases, medical intervention. You need to eliminate bad habits from your life, and their impact on health will be reduced to zero.
Bibliography:
- https://kak-bog.ru/vrednye-privychki-i-ih-vliyanie-na-zdorove
- https://www.oum.ru/literature/zdorovje/vrednye-privychki-i-ikh-vliyanie-na-zdorove/
Habit #6: Slouching
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Reason: As a child, you may have slouched because you were embarrassed by your height or breasts, which appeared earlier than those of your peers. As a result, you get used to the incorrect position of your back. Another possible reason is that you are simply tired and very nervous (for obvious reasons).
How to get rid of it : Take up dancing, Pilates or yoga to strengthen your deep abdominal muscles and upper back (these muscle groups can become weak if not exercised enough, but are essential for maintaining healthy posture).
Start with a very simple anti-slouching exercise: the shoulder shrug. There is nothing complicated about it - just touch your shoulders to your earlobes.
Move your shoulders forward 10 times and back 10 times to engage your back and remind yourself to stand and sit up straight. Regular exercise can really help combat mental and physical fatigue, which can also be the cause of your slouching.
Habit No. 7. Always be on your phone
tenor.com
Reason: Smartphones are specifically designed to distract our attention and keep us all hooked. We all start from a severe disadvantage. But in fact, attachment to the phone can also have deeper roots: for example, in the form of anxiety due to the inability to check texts, mail, news, social networks and generally access the Internet.
You are afraid of missing out on something important. Or you've simply fallen victim to the temptation of instant and endless entertainment, information and online communication - you forget to look up and forward from time to time, make real connections and be in the moment.
How to get rid of it: Giving up your smartphone forever is, of course, not an option. But there are a couple of workable ways to manage your screen time.
Set rules for yourself: for example, do not use your phone while eating (even if you are dining alone); keep your phone away from your bed; keep track of the time you spend on certain applications; show willpower and not look at the screen at those moments when you receive another notification. If necessary, turn off signals for the most distracting and addictive applications.
Also, think about how frustrating it is to be around someone who would rather be on their phone than look at you, listen and talk.
Harmless
It is clear that the list of bad habits will be incomplete even without fairly safe things that do not cause any particular harm - but are sufficiently unnecessary and unpleasant to also be considered “harmful”. For example, a person may like to crack their fingers. This irritates others, but, as studies show, it does not cause any noticeable damage. The same with the habits of chewing the pen, clicking the power button, and so on. The worst that can happen is that people around you will get angry and ask you to stop. Usually such things arise out of nervousness - or because of an obsessive desire to do something with your hands. Which, however, also applies to the “nervous” sphere.
Other safe habits are purely ritualistic. People tend to come up with various rituals of varying degrees of meaningfulness for their everyday life. And bad habits emerge, such as the desire not to step on cracks in the asphalt, or to always choose only even or, conversely, odd numbers. This is also not always good, because a person can get carried away and turn a harmless habit into something obsessive - which, of course, is not very good. But if people only had such habits, there would be no problems in principle.
Habit #8: Nail biting
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Reason: This behavior often occurs during times of anxiety and stress.
How to get rid of it: first, note when you bite your nails and what circumstances make you want to do it, and then try to replace the habit with another action.
An easy way is to keep an anti-stress ball on hand that you can play with when you feel another attack of anxiety. Well, watch your hands - your nails should be short and well filed.
You can also try painting them with a special bitter varnish that “repels” nail biters. Or wear gloves (we're serious). Do not spare money on a good manicure, so as not only to avoid chewing on bitter varnish, but also to be afraid of ruining the high-quality coating and neat cuticles.
Habit No. 9. Constantly whining
psychologytoday.com
Reason: You are not sure that you have the right to ask for something or change something. Chances are, you whined constantly as a child when you didn't get what you wanted, and it paid off. But you are no longer a child.
How to get rid of it: You will be very disappointed if you were sure that constant complaints will lead to positive changes.
If your partner or friends say anything about your whining, take note. Instead of nagging like a teenager, say what you want by making a direct (but polite) request.
For example, instead of ruining your evening by complaining about being seated at a table near the kitchen, politely ask the waiter to move you. If you can't do anything about it (or just don't want to), then don't cling to it.
Choosing a new habit
Once a firm decision has been made, move on to the next action: adopt a new habit to replace the old one. Using thoughtful actions, choose something that will replace past habits and will bring positive emotions. If you decide to get up every day at 7.00, you will have to go to bed no later than 23.00 and have dinner no later than 19.00. But do the math, and every day note what result you get:
more completed tasks; healthy sleep and excellent health; weight loss due to early dinner.
Instead of biting your nails or a pencil, try drawing on paper; instead of smoking, drink a cup of aromatic tea that you chose and bought in advance. The main thing is to develop certain actions and stick to them constantly so that they turn into a new program of the subconscious.
Habit #10: Gossiping
quickanddirtytips.com
Reason: You are trying to distract from your own shortcomings by exposing the shortcomings of others. But a person who gossips out of habit does not actually believe that he is good enough in himself. Sometimes gossip helps us express an opinion about someone or something, strengthen connections with friends or colleagues, and make us feel better.
How to get rid of it: Watch what you want to say. Use your conversations to share your experiences - about a new restaurant opening or your latest vacation. Brush up on current events, the latest in music, TV shows or sports to discuss something other than other people.
If the topic shifts towards talking about people you know, try to say only good things about them (or neutral things if you can’t think of anything better).
Remember one stop sign: you never know who else might hear your conversation. If you're complaining about a co-worker, keep in mind that her best friend might be the woman sitting right behind you on the bus. Constant gossip makes you an unreliable person in the eyes of others.
You may even lose friends and professional contacts when people realize you're a gossip.
see also
27 bad habits you need to give up
Preventive measures
To prevent harmful habits from taking over the child, you need to adhere to certain methods of education.
Measures to prevent bad habits in adolescents and children consist of the following steps:
- Foster self-awareness in your child. Help him to be different from others in some way, to stand out. When a child feels self-sufficient, he does not need other methods to attract attention, to appear more mature or better in the eyes of his peers and the environment.
- Build self-confidence. Let the child know that he has something to love himself for. He must feel love for parents, friends, teachers, animals. Ask how he treats himself and others. Anyone who has been taught to respect others is not subject to outside influences that push them to form bad habits.
- Show that you lead a healthy lifestyle. Please note that your example is a basic one. This is not to say that smoking is very harmful when smoking another cigarette.
- Take your child's time with something interesting. Send to the section, make sure that there is little free time. This will significantly reduce the chances that your teenager will become addicted to alcohol.
Don't forget that you are not only parents, but also friends for your child. Share his interests, gain trust, learn to understand.
Habit #11: Striving to do everything perfectly
1Gai.Ru / artworkarchive.com / reluctantentertainer.com
Reason: Most likely, your perfectionist parents had high expectations for you. You define yourself by what you do and how well you do it. But you can't shake the feeling that nothing is working out.
How to get rid of it: train yourself to steam less. Yes, you heard right. Deliberately perform carelessly minor work that is not related to your profession and you personally.
For example, making the bed or washing the dishes. Over time, you will realize that the consequences are not so dire. Set time limits for tasks and use an alarm. There won't be room in your schedule for "one more perfect thing."
Finally, do something that doesn't come naturally to you, just for fun. Take drawing lessons, even if your maximum is a primitive house and the sun. Play ping pong even though you have never picked up a racket before. Don't keep score, just discover something new. It's nice to take the pressure off when no one (especially you) expects you to be perfect.
Psychological addictions
There are also habits that are built on the fact that a person becomes attached to something and begins to depend very much on it. A striking example is gambling addiction. A person begins to devote all his free time to games, even if this goes against his social life and social integration. Simply put, he becomes a real hermit. Things get even worse when the hobby is not ordinary games, but gambling. Then a person not only spends time, but also spends all his money, which has a particularly negative impact on his financial condition.
Another option is oniomania or, as people more often call it, shopaholism. This is when a person gets hooked on frequent, one might even say, constant purchases - and cannot stop. As a result, he spends all his free and not only money, and the things he buys, in fact, he doesn’t need.
This category also includes the thirst for adrenaline - a person constantly wants to experience the feeling that arises during some kind of extreme entertainment. As a result, he constantly tries to do something that goes beyond the ordinary. Within reasonable limits, this would be normal, but, unfortunately, it is not worth talking about reasonableness - a person exposes his life to real danger.
The only truly effective way out of such addiction may be an attempt to gradually occupy them with something else that can captivate them no less - but will carry no less meaning and interest.
