6 Notoriously Bad Habits And How To Break Them (For Good)
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From smoking to waking up late every morning and biting your nails whenever you’re stressed (which is a lot) – there are plenty of wildly varying things that fall under the umbrella of bad habits. And everybody is riddled by them. Everybody knows that they are. And yet there’s this unwillingness to give up on them because of the “I am just too set in my ways to change now!” mentality.
University of Massachusetts’ neuroscientist, Judson Brewer, says we encourage our bad habits because indulging in them feels like getting a reward and hence, there’s this urge to repeat (1). This is what makes getting out of the bad habit extremely hard! But still, not impossible. A neuroscientist from the University of California, Adam Gazzaley says that the brain is amazingly adaptive and perfectly capable of modifying itself whenever necessary (2).
So, basically, the excuses you have for not giving up on your bad habits are not going to work! However, we know you need a little bit of a nudge before you can finally call it quits. Ergo, we present to you 6 bad habits and ways to break them permanently!
1. Spending Too Much
The habit: There’s no doubt that shopping beyond your means is a bad habit. But triggers like anxiety or the wish to own shiny new things can push you to spend much more than you set out to. Add to that the web spun by online shopping retailers and you’ve got yourself the perfect recipe for disaster, says Golden Gate University professor, Kit Yarrow (3).
The cure: It might be hard to break from this habit but you can do it. Start by uninstalling all kinds of shopping apps from your phone. Also, make sure you unsubscribe to promotional emails. Moreover, start exercising gratitude for everything you have. Every time you feel the need to reward yourself, focus on being thankful.
2. Smartphone Addiction
The habit: Do you know people touch their phones 2,617 times each day (4)? That’s a lot! Notifications tempt you into clicking impulsively, and viewing that piece of information makes you feel rewarded, says Gazzaley.
The cure: There’s only one cure for a smartphone addiction – eliminate the trigger. Which means whenever you’re doing something, put your phone where you cannot get access to it easily. This’ll help you control the urge to check notifications constantly. You can also switch off your phone or turn off notifications, whichever works for you.
3. Twirling Your Hair
The habit: An innocent habit at face value, excessively twirling or playing with your hair can lead to serious problems. Take trichotillomania, for example (5). It’s a disorder in which you pull your hair out, explains Houston-based psychologist, Suzanne Mouton-Odum (6). Hair loss as a result of twirling or similar habits can be deeply traumatizing.
The cure: Whether you’re bored or nervous, twirling your hair should be actively discouraged. Whenever you feel like touching your hair and playing with it, get your hands busy by giving them something else, like a fidget cube or a stress ball. You could even apply sticky lotion on your hands to prevent yourself from touching your hair.
4. Biting Nails
The habit: A type of body-focused repetitive behavior (i.e. the kind of behavior that makes you self-inflict damage on your body), nail biting is a serious cause for concern (7). Not only do your nails end up obnoxiously small, you may suffer from stomach issues as well due to the ingestion of harmful bacteria while chewing nails.
The cure: Mindfulness is a permanent solution to your nail biting problem. Mindfulness tricks help you become consciously aware of what you’re doing so you can control and stop your impulses before they get out of control.
5. Snapping Your Chewing Gum
The habit: Though not a pathological behavior in itself, this habit can be quite annoying for those who have to witness it, says Mouton-Odum. She also states that those who snap their chewing gum tend to desire auditory and movement stimulation more than others. Hence, the habit.
The cure: Ellen Hendriksen, a Boston-based clinical psychologist, says that if you want to break this habit, you’ll have to notice it first (8). Simply watching your behavior and keeping yourself from snapping gum can be enough to get rid of this habit, she says.
6. Being Forever Late
The habit: Chronic lateness is a big problem as many people are always running late to work or school, etc. Always being late can impair your sense of time, causing you to take longer than normal to do things.
The cure: Begin by analyzing how much time you actually take to do a certain task. You can also break this habit by timing everything you do, so you feel the rush to complete things on time rather than going slow. Planning your day is also an effective way to get things done on time.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Don’t worry if your bad habits seem overpowering. You can still defeat them with patience, perseverance, and a strong will.
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