Bad habits! We all have them, and as indicated by the word ‘bad,’ none of them are conducive to good health. From eating junk to drinking an excess of alcohol, it’s time to break free from those things that are harmful to us, and into a better way of living that will prosper our long-term health.
We haven’t listed every bad habit here. There are too many of them to count, and you may be indulging in something that even we haven’t heard of. However, we have listed some of the more common bad habits, and you may find that some of our tips on overcoming them may still apply to any habit that we haven’t covered.
Bad Habit #1: Watching too much television
With hundreds of free channels on our television screens and countless subscription services, we are spoiled for choice when it comes to knowing what to watch. And therein lies the problem. With so much good stuff to watch, including Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, we may be prone to sitting on our living room thrones a little too much, staring at our screens in zombie-like fashion. And the longer we sit on our butts, the less physical exercise we are getting, and that can result in some of the health problems listed at www.everydayhealth.com. It’s time to shift from our sofas and into more physical exercise before our health takes a downward turn.
Breaking Free: It’s all about creating a balance. You deserve your downtime, but you need to mix up your free time with more physical activity. Rather than getting into the habit of only watching the box when you’re looking to fill your time outside of work, find other things to do, be that going for a walk, doing a spot of gardening, or taking part in one of the sports we advocated here, www.motleyhealth.com. Any one of these ideas will grant you enjoyment and improve your health.
And when you can’t drag yourself away from the television, you might still do something active during the commercial breaks, such as taking a walk around the room. You might also consider watching the box while sat on your exercise bike or pacing yourself on a treadmill, instead of being forever slumped into your sofa.
Bad Habit #2: Snacking throughout the day
Partly due to the previous bad habit, we can all be guilty of snacking a little too much. We eat while we are sat on the sofa. We eat when we can’t find anything better to do with our time. We eat because we get tempted by the snacks in our cupboards. And we eat because we get stressed, angry, sad, and any other reason that causes us to reach for a little comfort food. But here’s the thing. Quite often, we eat snacks that are bad for us, such as opting for potato chips instead of a piece of fruit. And because we might eat a little too much outside of meal times, we might be less prone to preparing and eating a healthier meal at those times when our bodies should be naturally craving food. It’s time to break this cycle of unhealthy eating.
Breaking Free: Only eat when your body is actually hungry, instead of scoffing on something just because it’s readily available to you. Create a meal schedule and try to stick to it to get yourself back into a healthier routine. And if and when you do get the urge to munch on something, perhaps because you are bored or stressed, try and find something to distract you, or at the very least, eat something that is nutritious, such as one of the healthy snacks found at www.rd.com.
If you don’t eat foods that are good for you, and if you do break out of a proper eating routine, you will both damage your overall health and find it harder to resist cravings, as your bad eating habit may become an addiction. Be warned!
Bad Habit #3: Smoking cigarettes
Do we really need to tell you that smoking is bad for you? Cigarette smoking is directly responsible for causing the majority of cancers, as well as heart disease, high blood pressure, and breathing difficulties. Oh, and it also causes your breath to smell, stains your teeth, AND it puts other people at risk of health problems, as your second-hand smoke can cause cancer and respiratory problems in the people who may spend their days with you. For your sake and for their sake, you need to kick this deadly habit into touch.
Breaking Free: Smoking is a serious addiction, and giving up is not easy to do. To increase your chances of success, you might take up the e-cigarette options available to you at www.ecigwizard.com you try and give up your addiction. You might also enlist your friends and family to help you overcome the habit, asking them to distract you and lead you away from temptation whenever the craving strikes. See your doctor too, as there are prescribed medications such as Varenicline, as well as such things as nicotine patches, that can help you manage the difficult process of giving up.
Think about your family too, especially where passive smoking is concerned. If you ever needed an incentive to give up the habit, let their health be the impetus to quit, even when you are desperate to pick up a cig. There are further tips at www.allencarr.com that you should find helpful.
Bad Habit #4: Drinking too much alcohol
The occasional glass of alcohol is fine, but if you overindulge on a regular basis, then like smoking, this may become an addiction. You are putting yourself at risk of liver damage, various cancers, high blood pressure, and depression. You are also putting other people at risk, as you may behave irresponsibly when drunk, be that through violent behavior, or by getting behind the wheel of your car. This is another bad habit that needs to be driven out of your life, as if it takes control, you are severely restricting your life chances, and quite possibly, the life chances of those around you.
Breaking Free: The sooner you give up drinking excessively, the better. You will feel and look better, you will reduce the chances of you being in a car accident, and you are less likely to look like an idiot on other people’s Facebook photos. If you think you are addicted (or if other people have told you that you are), seek help. See your doctor, and then book yourself into a group such as AA, for help and support.
If you aren’t at the stage where drinking has become too much of a problem, you might start cutting down now. According to www.moderation.org, this should be two a day for men and one for women, but if you can manage a day without any alcohol, then opt for healthy fruit drinks or mocktails as safer replacements. You might also do something to distract yourself when cravings hit, especially if you are prone to drinking as a coping mechanism. Go for a walk, take part in a new hobby, or socialise with non-drinking members of your friends and family to give yourself a fighting chance of giving up this life-risking bad habit.
Finally
When it comes to a habit that puts your life at risk, you need to think not only of yourself, but also those people who depend on you, and who love and care for you. While we have offered a few tips on overcoming those habits that may hinder your life, you might want to think about the important people in your life as an added impetus to help you kick your bad habits. Not only will you become a burden to them if your health takes a turn for the worse, but you may disappear from their lives forever if you don’t change your ways.
So, for your sake, and for the sake of the people around you, get on top of your bad habits today. You know it makes sense, so don’t delay, follow our tips, and get any help you might need going forward. Take care, and thanks for reading.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
