10 Surprising Bad Habits And How To Stop Them – Untangle Your Life

No two people are the same and may require different approaches to deal with their unique bad habits.  Here are few simple ways to stopping or breaking these surprising 10 everyday bad habits that people can have.

1. Snacking Non-Stop, Even When Not Hungry

Many people suffer from binge eating, especially junk food, without even really feeling hungry. 

This could be due to stress, temptation or failure to resist the craving for food or drink.

Many people also cannot resist the lure of a taste, and some may be suffering from the nocturnal snacking condition, which is ingrained subconsciously.

Caption: Binge Eating Often Induces Weight Gain, Obesity, Depression (facebook)

The ideal cure for this bad habit is to stay far away from food unless really, really hungry. Here are some mantras to protect you from over-eating:

- Eat only when physically hungry.

- Don't fill up the stomach when you eat. Leave a little room.

- Ban unhealthy junk food from home that can induce mindless eating.

- Eat to alleviate your hunger, not stress, boredom, anger or sadness, as doing so can lead to depression later.  

- Replace and replenish junk food with healthy ones like fruits, veggies, nuts, and low-fat, whole-grain products.

2. Spending Too Much Time On Couch 

When you get too tired, your couch can be a comfy place to find refuge for relaxation. However, with a TV in front, your lounge can also be a permanent fixture for work and eating.

Comfy Couch With TV, Bad Combination (rd.com)

We should never underestimate the power of TV to addict the viewers. But here are some pointers to help you in stopping or breaking this bad habit:

- Exercise while watching TV.

- Keep TV at a distance from the couch.  

- Watch only specific programmes without surfing channels aimlessly.  

- Snacking while watching TV is a strict no-no since it could induce overeating. 

- Decrease TV viewing to a maximum of 2 hours a day followed by 30 minutes of exercise.

- Do domestic chores daily such as cleaning, vacuuming, laundry, ironing or shoe-shining during commercial breaks.

- Take a walk on the terrace and garden. Go out of your home for grocery shopping or catching up with friends on a daily basis to stimulate your mind. 

3. Overspending Your Way Into Debt

Some tend to indulge in binge shopping to alleviate stress and depression, while others have a habit of spending more than their monthly income on their addictions, especially on gambling and clubbing.

Likewise, some may be overspending to show-off their prestige or status in their friend's circle. Nevertheless, it can also be a way of life for some.

Binge Shopping Ruins Personal Finance (rd.com)

In addition to that, eBay giants like Amazon and Alibaba have their marketing blitzkrieg to induce ludicrous spending habits in people.

But let us help you cope with that!

Take a look at some excellent ideas to help you in stopping or breaking this bad habit:

- Stick to window shopping without actually buying stuff that you might use once a year.

- Don't carry credit cards and take as little money as possible for a coffee, water or a sandwich. 

- Prioritize your finance for essentials including grocery, rent, home, car, insurance, future savings, and others. 

- Know your income and match this with your spending, always keeping aside a bit for saving funds. 

4. Eating Excessive Fast Foods

Fast food can be a cultural manifestation for many people; it can also be a convenience for some.

Fast Food Excessive Consumption Ruins Your Health (Photo credit: rd.com)

However, eating excessive fast foods can bring in a host of diseases including heart problem, obesity, high blood pressure, blood sugar, and more. 

So stay away from the fast foods using these tips:

- Cut back slowly on fast food. 

- Be aware of what havoc fast food can play on our body. 

- Try hanging out with healthy minded people most of the times.

- Carry a water bottle wherever you go. You may think you are hungry when you are dehydrated. 

- Pack a lunch to your office, or carry your food if possible if you are planning a trip or a short visit.

- Replace fast food and sodas with healthier food such as grilled chicken, salad, coffee, and water. 

- Eat at home, cooking fresh food. With all the automation available, healthy fresh food is just a switch away.

- Try to carry healthy snacks wherever you go. Be creative - mix berries, almonds, dried fruits together, its a party.

- Resist the temptation to stop by or drive to a fast food joint. Instead, buy a meal from grocery stores or try other healthier alternatives. 

- Replenish stock in the kitchen with plenty of fruits, vegetables, healthy nuts, fresh fish and meat that can be cooked quickly while getting ready for work. 

- Try looking at the calorie and fat contents written on the packets of fast food. Extremely high calories mean you have to do lots of exercises to burn all the calories you receive from one single intake of the fast food.  

5. Getting Sunburned Every Summer

Sunbathing is a fad, and a good tan can be a color to show off with pride. However, overexposure to sunlight can also be a precursor to skin cancer.

Caption: Getting Sunburned, Cancer-Causing Bad Habits (Photo credit: sofeminine.co.uk)

However, certain diseases stemming from vitamin D deficiency require doses of sunlight in moderation for some time a day and take note, sunburn can happen to anyone!

But here are some tips to safeguard your skin to prevent the sunburn:

- Install high SPF sunscreens near all exists. 

- Apply sunless self-tanners instead for a bronzed look. 

- Visit dermatologists at least once a year for a checkup. 

- Don't walk in the sun without applying sunscreen on the face and hands.

- Drink green tea. It has properties to protect from cancer-causing sun damage.

- Don a shade, a hat, sunglasses, long sleeves shirts and pants during peak sunburn hours. 

- Check your body skin in the mirror regularly or have someone check for spots and signs of cancer 

6. Anger, Worryness, Stress Causing Behaviors

Exercise, will-power or take a lesson on controlling stress. Whenever stressed or angry, make attempts to stay calm. With practice, it is possible to remain calm and relaxed even in the face of adversity.

Bad Behavior: Sleeping On Job (Photo credit: Shutterstock.com)

Here are a few tips that may help you achieve relief from stress:

- Pick up a hobby. 

- Excercise, exercise, and exercise.

- Try yoga, meditation or deep breathing. 

- Early to bed and early to rise is a healthy lifestyle.

- Be always practical and optimistic while fight off stress. 

7. Skipping Breakfast

Breakfast is said to be the most important meal that keeps you charged throughout a day. 

Skipping Breakfast Isn't Cool (Photo credit: journal.thriveglobal.com)

Japanese people who are most probably the world's most busy people take their breakfast first thing in the morning followed by a vial or a bottle of vitamin supplements. 

Some easy breakfast tips may include:

- Get a quick smoothie.

- Get a cup of yogurt with some fruits.

- Eat sandwich, soup, eggs or cooked leftovers.

- Get some toast, cheese, coffee, salad tossed in olive oil for those on the run. 

- It is possible to have breakfast ready and consumed within less than 30 minutes.

8. Drinking Too Much Alcohol

Unfortunately, today's high-stress lifestyle does not offer an escape from alcohol.

Photo: Alcohol Damages Your Kidney (Photo credit: womendailymagazine.com)

But here are some of the best ways that help beat the drinking habit:

- Drink plenty of water as resistance from drinks. 

- Drink with a proper meal to slow down the intake. 

- Men stick to maximum two drinks per day and women only one.

- If having difficulty in beating drinking habit, see a doctor or a support group.

- Enjoy taste and smell of drink rather than drinking. Drinking does not solve problems.

- Go for regular checkup to ensure that alcohol has not damaged vital organs or caused cancer.

9. Smoking Cigarettes

Smoking cigarettes is a habit that can be acquired due to the demonstration effect.

Smoking Can Cause Cancer (Photo credit: servingjoy.com)

After seeing the advert of the Marlboro Man, Camel and others in the films and TV, it is often difficult to resist smoking.

Quitting smoking is easier said than done and requires strong willpower or other motivations. Smoking can later become an addiction from a casual, playful smoking regime.

Here are the ways to break the habit and stop it:

- Chew gum.

- Keep on trying until success.

- Enlist help from friends, family, counselors, hotlines, and support groups.

- Plan for quitting during the most favorable period like when there is no problem. 

- Quitting smoking can be difficult. Seek doctor's help and medications such as bupropion and varenicline that are known to help stop smoking. 

10. Overusing Painkillers, Sedatives

Bodily pain can consume your mind and body.

Caption: Overusing Painkillers Causes Long-Term Health Issues (Photo credit: allaboutvision.com)

However, thanks to advanced medicines and therapies, it is possible to relief from the pain, but overuse the medications, and you'll be physically dependent on them in the long-term.   Some best tips for the proper usage might be:

- Use tranquilizers with caution.

- Use safe drugs like acetaminophen

- See doctor for medication for migraines

- Stay clear of habit-forming drugs.

- Consult doctors for alternate pain relief such as weight loss, exercise, yoga, meditation, etc. 

These are the 10 habits that one must break and stop to enjoy a happy, stress-free life. 

Success in doing so will vary from people to people, their commitments, and the duration - some may have reached the point of no return which might require constant supervision from medical professionals and an array of diagnosis.

But most of us can easily break free and kick most of these habits. After all, if we can imbibe the habits, we can shake them off as well.

It may take willpower, exercise, yoga, meditation, aerobics, doctor's assistance, and medications to conquer your bad habits. But it is not possible to do it unless someone does not want to do it.  

Bad Habits Song 

We also need to know that there are thousand one bad habit other than above; even romance can be a bad habit for some, as American singer Gerald Maxwell Rivera sings in his song 'Bad Habits':

"You're my bad habit baby, you're my
You're taking my soul down to the letter O
Can't escape the way you got me locked out, baby
I gotta break from you, break from you, break from you"

Another serious bad habit is related to the sexual perversion that has ruined actors like Kevin Spacey and American Film producer Harvey Weinstein. Theft and embezzlement are also serious ones that have caused the downfall of Sepp Blatter.

Unless one has seriously destructive habits, it should not be too difficult to shake off personal habits like smoking, drinking, and skipping breakfast.