You, me and everyone around us has some bad habit that we want to get rid of. If you tried restraining yourself, but eventually went back to that habit, fret not. These are some very effective ways to shun those habits forever.
A word of advice: You must be patient. Breaking a habit that is deep-rooted is going to take time. How much time? 21 days! Swap those bad habits with these alternatives for at least 21 days.
Nail Biting
I cannot even begin with the long list of why nail biting is a bad habit. It is not only unhygienic but also socially repelling, causes dental problems, potentially leads to stomachache, and can permanently deform nails.
One good way to stop biting nails, is to see what triggers this behavior. For most people, it is nervousness or anxiety.
How to fix this: Next time you are stressed, instead of going for your nails, calm yourself down with some good soothing music. Music is a great way to relax and de-stress. This way you are not only breaking a bad habit but also building a healthy way to deal with stress.
Eating When You’re Not Hungry
Do you binge eat while binge-watching something? Or have the urge to constantly nibble on something while working? While snacking is not bad, reaching out to food even when you are not hungry is. And more often, these foods are processed or junk, which eventually serves no good to the body.
Pay attention to your hunger signals and switch to healthy snacks.
How to fix this: Eat only and only when you are hungry, not when you are stressed, sad, angry, or bored. Secondly, avoid keeping unhealthy snacks at home or on your office desk. When you choose to snack, look for healthy alternatives. Lastly, when you feel like indulging in those fatty treats, don’t sit with the whole packet. Take it out in a plate or a bowl, which will not only control proportion but also make you mindful of how much you eat.
Spending too much time watching TV
‘Netflix addiction’ a legit thing today. This makes us re-think the amount of time we spend watching TV or online streaming platforms. An average Indian watches TV for about 3 hours 44 minutes every day. Before we even realise, we’ve already spent hours watching episode after episode of a show. I’m sure a lot of us are guilty of this. Well-written dramas, shows, or movies are indeed a great way to unwind, but remember that TV isn’t your life.
This habit only adds to the idle time in our already sedentary lifestyle, which leads to the odds of being overweight, developing type 2 diabetes, and being purely lazy. So, what’s the middle ground here? Of course, you don’t want to give up watching your favourite show.
How to fix this: Reduce your watching time to 2 hours every day. You can start by reducing 15 minutes from your regular watch-time. To combat the idle time, get the best of both worlds by doing some light workouts, like walking in place or doing sit-ups while you’re watching. You can also finish your household chores in that time. And keep those chips and cookies packets at bay. Remember – we don’t eat when we aren’t hungry.
Overspending
Who doesn’t love spending money buying things they love? It is the first thing we do after we get our paychecks. But just like the ocean, our wishes don’t know any bounds. We often go all out and keep buying stuff to make ourselves happy. There is a red flag right there. We literally overspend our way into debt, which puts us into serious money crunch by the end of every month. And let’s not forget about the money stress that tags along.
The key is to find a balance and manage your finances better. The results will be amazing, and you’ll also lead a stress-free lifestyle.
How to fix this: You can start by educating yourself on the basic rules of personal finances – credit cards, budgeting, and investing. Keep track of how much money is coming in every month, and where do you spend it. Try and keep a budget, it should be realistic. Prioritize your expenditure and gauge for yourself what you really ‘need’ and what you ‘want.’
Being Late
This might not sound like a ‘bad habit’ per se, since we don’t do it on purpose, or consciously. But, when we think about it, this does become a part of our innate behavior. When you hear people say, “Oh, he’s always late, that’s just him,” this opinion is formed over multiple incidents. So, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that somewhere we are responsible every time we are late, due to whatever reason.
On the other hand, being on time gives out the message that you value your time, and other’s time as well.
So, stop playing catch-up in your agenda, and having to apologize to every person you meet.
How to fix this: If you know you have to be somewhere at 10, set the target for 9:45. That 15 minutes of buffer time will make sure you are on time, even if you get late. Just start early, wake up early, plan your day well, set realistic timelines for yourself, and get going. Change your attitude towards time, you’ll only come to know that you can get a lot more done in the same 24 hours, that once seemed impossible.
The start will be slow, boring and you’ll want to bounce back to your bad ol’ habits, but you’re better than that. Set your mind, and just go for it. You’ll be happy you did it.
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