Do you feel as though you have a lot of old habits that you need to break? Maybe you know that you are impacting your health through your daily rituals, but you don’t know where to start. Either way, there are things that you can do to try and change things around for yourself.
Bad Habits Most People Have
Here are some of the top bad habits that most people have.
Smoking
Smoking is another habit that is very, very bad for you. If you smoke, then you will be putting yourself at a higher risk of heart and lung conditions. You will also be lowering your immunity and discolouring your teeth. Smoking can lead to a lot of oral health issues as well, besides tooth decay, so you need to make sure that you try and quit this habit as soon as possible. There are many ways that you can do this, but a reliable online pharmacy should be able to give you some advice regarding the best method for you. This could include patches, vaping or even chewing gum. Either way, it doesn’t matter how bad your smoking habit is, or how long you have had it for, because if you can take a step towards quitting today, then you may find that a lot of the health issues that accompany smoking can be reversed.
Lack of Vegetables
If you don’t eat enough vegetables then you may find that you have digestive issues, as well as other health issues. Changing your unhealthy diet habits can help you to get back on track, so try and make sure that you add healthier ingredients when you can. Asparagus and bell peppers are packed full of folate and Vitamin B6. This helps to lower homocysteine, which is linked to heart disease. Carrots and tomatoes are full of carotenoids, which helps to limit free radicals. Free radicals are associated with heart disease. Next up, onions. Onions are ideal for reducing your cholesterol levels. Keeping your cholesterol under control can help you to prevent or sometimes reverse heart disease. So as you can see the benefits of eating more vegetables are truly outstanding, and if you simply take the time to add more into your diet, you will see the benefits in no time at all.
Eating on the Go
Another bad habit that most people have is eating on the go. In this day and age, it’s not uncommon to fall into this food trap. You may find that you end up eating out because you are late to work or that you order a drive-through meal because you have hungry kids in the car and your stress levels are through the roof. Unfortunately, food like this is often full of sodium, trans fat and sugar. If you eat fast food on a regular basis, you may find that you have an increased risk of cancer and that you also put yourself at a higher risk of heart disease. High blood pressure is another symptom, along with increased inflammation. One way for you to combat this bad habit would be for you to get in the habit of meal planning. Do this for yourself, as well as for your family. Cook and then freeze healthy meals, as this will save you time and it will also help you to know that you are giving your whole family the nutrients they need to get through the day. Packing lunches that consist of whole grains, yoghurt and other fats will also help you.
Not Sleeping Enough
There are so many reasons why people don’t get enough sleep, whether it’s because you are stressed, or because you are working long hours. Either way, if you don’t sleep enough then you may find that you are at a higher risk of stress and heart-related conditions. You also have an increased risk of heart disease, heart failure and even high blood pressure too. Lack of sleep can lower your immunity as well, which is a major concern if you have underlying health issues. If you want to make sure that you’re sleeping enough during the day, then make sure that you are avoiding drinking caffeinated beverages later in the day and also make sure that you avoid napping. Going to bed at the same time every evening will help you to get a good night’s sleep as well.
Struggling to Break your Bad Habits? Here Are Some Tips
Habits have three main parts. You have a cue, a routine and finally, a reward. Cues are the context in which you begin to engage in the behaviour. Take smoking for example, the cue may be when you are stressed or when you are on a break from work. If you are trying to curb unhealthy eating, then browsing the dessert menu may be your trigger or cue. Either way, you’re far more likely to relapse if you put yourself in the position where you’ve triggered that habit before.
The trick is to know your triggers so that you can avoid them. Smokers tend to throw away their ashtrays because it makes them think of smoking. Other people try to avoid walking by the bar they visit at happy hour if they want to avoid drinking. If you can capitalise on a major life change, then this can help you to break your unhealthy habit. You may think that a new job or even a move across the country is not a good time for you to be making new changes to your life, but this is not the case. You’re going into a new situation with a new context, so you don’t have the same cues anymore.
Replacing your Bad Habit with a New One
Instead of trying to stop doing something entirely, you need to try and start something else instead. Humans are creatures of both habit and action. The more you try to suppress your thoughts, the more likely you will be to revert back to your bad habits. Studies have found in the past that smokers who tried to refrain from their thoughts about smoking ended up thinking about doing it even more. If you are a smoker, and you tell yourself not to smoke, all your brain hears is “smoke”. If you tell yourself to chew gum every time you want to smoke, you have a positive and concrete action to take.
It’s very easy to replace bad habits with good ones if you know the steps to take. By using this guide, you can be sure to make a positive change, starting today.
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