Unhealthy habits .. we all have them. Some are less serious than others. On the one of the spectrum, it’s something small that you refuse to give up. On the other end of the spectrum, some unhealthy habits could severely damage your health. So what can you do to kick the smoking habit or the over-spending habit? Here as some practical tips to help us overcome our unhealthy habits and set things straight for the year.
photo credit – by Ferran
The 10 top unhealthy habits to try and overcome this year are:
1. SNACKING
Ah, snacking in itself is not a bad thing. What you end up snacking on, might be. When we do get a little peckish, we tend to reach for sugary cookies or salty snacks like potato chips that are really unhealthy. Try snacking on nuts instead. Walnuts and almonds taste great and are by no means as boring as snacking on a celery stick. Also, don’t forget to eat a good breakfast at the start of the day – it keeps you from getting hunger cravings for snacks. Another way is to simple not have snacks in your house. That reduces the chances of snacking completely.
2. LIVING ON THE INTERNET
If you find your internet use becoming an unhealthy habit, break that habit by limiting your online time, just as you would with children, and by finding activities that take you out of the house. There is life outside of the computer! Also, you bum will get big and flabby sitting all day – go outside, move and walk about. Go up to your friend and tell them you appreciate and like them, rather than just hitting the “LIKE” button!
3. SMOKING
If only people realised how bad this is. Not only are you burning money, you’re burning up your lung’s lifespan as well. There’s no easy way to do it, but you have to. Give up smoking for the sake of your future. Your life. There really is not two ways about it.
4. GOSSIPING
My mum used to tell us as kids, idol chatter and idol hands, nothing worse than it. Get busy with activities, social work and other out-doorsy sports. You will be so knackered and satisfied with you work by the end of the day, you will have no time to b**** about your neighbour;)
5. GAMBLING
Like smoking, this will insidiously kill you. I know families that have broken up now because one of the members had been a victim of gambling. If you’re tempted, just throw away the keys and don’t go near a casino. Tell someone about your problem (preferable someone not in the family but more like a strong mentor) so that you are accountable to this person. Ideally, this person should be bigger and stronger than you, so that they can physically knock some sense into you should you feel the itch to throw the dice.
6. BINGE DRINKING
Many bingers think that they don’t actually have a problem. They’re just going out for ‘a few drinks’, right? Trouble is, it’s not just a few, and they’re getting through much more than they realise. Also, nights out so often revolve around alcohol – people love you this way as you are the life of the party, and the pressure to keep being so, will just burn you out. What can you do? You need to stick to your limits. Again be accountable to someone in your group so they can help keep an eye on you. If the case is more serious, you need to get professional help like joining a support group such as AA.
7. DESPERATELY DISORGANISED
If you’re constantly stressed at work because your desk is piled high with work that you can’t seem to start on, or you come home to a messy house and can’t relax, it’s not good for your health. So, get your home organised by dedicating time to sorting and cleaning (ask friends for help if it needs a major clear-out). As for work, prioritise the most important tasks, ask for assistance if you have too much to reasonably deal with, and put paperwork in an order that you can work through methodically.
8. PROCRASTINATION
Oh, I’ll do it tomorrow! How many of us are guilty of saying these words? I know I am. “Do not tomorrow, what you can do today”. Yes, now.. do it now.. Tomorrow will have another set of problems of its own, trust me!
9. HIGHEST HEELS
Haha.. this on is for the ladies! Being fashionable is so important, and these days, you either wear 5 inch heals or flats – nothing in between. Fashion dictates and it’s really that drastic! Wearing high heels constantly can cause considerable damage to your feet, lower back and spine. Is it worth damaging them for the sake of beauty? So, if you can’t give up your heel habit, at least limit the time you spend wearing them, and alternate with flatter shoes and lower heels.
10. INCREDIBLE OVERSPENDING
It’s very easy to get in trouble through buying unnecessary purchases. So if you find that your shopping habit is getting out of hand and the credit card bills are mounting up, act before you get in trouble. Cut up your cards, keeping one for emergencies, pay in cash and train yourself not to buy everything you want.
These are the list of 10 unhealthy habits to stop, that I can think of, off the top of my head. What are yours?
Great list girl! And you are so right about the “screen time”, TV included. As they say, “Sitting is the new smoking.” Don’t be couch potatos people! 🙂
Thanks! LOL