Bad habits are something that almost every average person can find in themselves! And many people prefer not to see this as a problem and simply do not notice their own harmful addictions. You can often hear the excuse: “I have everything under control, this is not a bad habit at all, but a momentary weakness.” In fact, a person often doesn’t even realize how much negativity bad habits bring into his life and how good it will be if he gets rid of them. In this article, let's look at the most common types of bad habits and try to figure out what can be done to get rid of them.
Definition of a bad habit
In the previous article we found out what a habit is. This is an automatic behavior pattern that occurs under certain conditions. It is consolidated as a result of constant repetition and does not require volitional or mental effort.
In turn, a bad habit is a type of habit and it has the same properties: specificity, regularity and automaticity. But with clarification. It negatively affects various areas of human life. It spoils health, negatively affects the psychological state, and poses a threat to other people or the environment.
There can be many reasons for the occurrence of undesirable habits. But the most popular of them are the following.
- Feelings of dissatisfaction, anxiety and stress
They force a person to look for a way to get rid of internal discomfort. Harmful actions temporarily make you forget about an alarming situation and bring relief. A habit loop is formed (trigger – action – reward), which the brain perceives as a surefire means of dealing with the problem.
- Imitation, interest in forbidden things
This cause is especially common in children and adolescents. Children learn from their parents their eating and living habits, their view of the world and their way of reacting to different events. The leading motive for actions among adolescents is the desire to find their place among their peers. Hence the fear of appearing cowardly, stupid or modest. Therefore, many people start smoking, drinking, and using drugs at this age, so as not to differ from those around them.
- Obsession
This condition occurs when a useful addiction turns into a manic attachment. Regular house cleaning is good. But when it transforms into daily cleaning with a huge amount of detergents, quartz treatment and disinfection of surfaces, then you shouldn’t expect anything good. Also, sports, proper nutrition, work (workaholism), and craving for extreme sports often turn into an obsession.
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It is known that unhealthy habits become more easily established than healthy ones. It is easily accessible, and the results are noticeable almost immediately. Whereas you will have to work on good habits.
Often the result of a habit is a persistent addiction, which is extremely difficult to get rid of. Often you have to resort to the help of specialists. Although the person himself usually does not recognize the problem, considering negative manifestations to be a momentary weakness that he can easily abandon.
The consequences of destructive addictions can vary and depend on the severity of the habit itself. But in any case, you shouldn’t expect good things:
- a person, realizing his imperfection, becomes unsure of himself;
- conflicts arise in the family;
- relationships with friends and colleagues deteriorate;
- health is failing;
- appearance changes: figure, complexion, posture, overall appearance;
- you have to spend money to realize your passions and their consequences.
Not all of these negative results necessarily manifest themselves. But some of the above exists in life and clearly does not decorate it.
Addiction
A person has bad habits that irritate people around or harm a person’s health, but it is drug addiction that more often leads to death than alcoholism or smoking. This habit causes severe forms of drug addiction. A person becomes inadequate, this leads to disastrous consequences (death from an overdose, incurable diseases, personality degradation, criminal acts). The government of the Russian Federation is actively fighting drug trafficking. There is criminal liability for drug distribution. So, if you are looking for an answer to the question, “What are the worst habits a person has?”, then now you know the answer: alcoholism, smoking and drug addiction.
Classification of bad habits
What you need to understand about the types of bad habits is that they are divided into relatively harmless and dangerous. Snapping fingers, of course, can irritate others and lead to joint disease, but its consequences are unlikely to be comparable to alcoholism or drug addiction. It’s hard to respect lazy people, but at least they don’t pose a direct threat, unlike those who like to drive fast, not paying attention to signs.
Those who want to better understand the classification will be interested to know that habits are also divided into:
- physiological - manifested in behavior, but do not have a strong effect on the body (picking the nose, chewing a pencil or fiddling with hair);
- psychological – aimed at satisfying internal needs (smoking, shopaholism, overeating).
It is also possible to collect types of inclinations depending on gender. Thus, girls are prone to dieting, overeating, and uncontrolled medication use. And men have a high desire for gambling and unnecessary risk. Although such a division is, of course, conditional. These problems occur in both sexes.
Smoking
Another bad habit that has a detrimental effect on human health (lung disease). Smoking is common among a huge number of people : men, women of different ages, teenagers and even children. To combat this bad habit, the state is promoting a healthy lifestyle, because it is important for people to know what consequences bad habits have for people (for example, smoking and alcohol). Measures are being taken to limit the sale of alcohol and cigarettes.
Smoking primarily has a detrimental effect on the respiratory system.
List of bad habits
The list of addictions is huge. In this collection, I decided to collect 25 basic and most common bad habits. We'll talk about how to deal with them in the next article.
Worst Possible
These tendencies easily develop into addictions. And it is almost impossible to cope with them without the help of a specialist.
Drugs
The most destructive of addictions. Addiction usually develops after a couple of doses. It all starts with seemingly harmless weed and ends with hard drugs. Drugs cause severe addiction - a person loses himself. He becomes inadequate, commits crimes and ruins his future.
If you do not come to your senses in time and do not start treatment, then personality destruction occurs and the likelihood of death is high. Drug addicts do not live to old age.
Alcohol
With alcohol, many are used to meeting joy and experiencing grief, filling inner emptiness and dealing with stress. But you should know that these small steps lead to the abyss. The habit of accompanying every event with alcohol lays the foundation for pathological dependence. The chances that this weakness will turn into something more increase if a person has relatives with a similar tendency.
Alcohol affects both psychological and physical health. Personal degradation occurs: the subject loses his family, his job, and descends to theft. Of course, this is the worst case scenario. But people balancing between a normal life and alcoholism can hardly be called happy. And their loved ones too.
gambling addiction
The most dangerous form is gambling addiction. This is a craving for gambling. They attract the opportunity to make easy money, but quickly turn into a way of relaxation. Experts even compare the player’s sensations with those of a drug addict. You can lose everything and sink below the baseboard in just 3–5 years.
Another form of gambling addiction, although not so terrible, is very dangerous. This is an addiction to computer games. It affects individuals who are not satisfied with themselves and their place in society. They go into the virtual world and realize themselves there. The sad thing is that the present is passing by, but gamers are not interested in this.
Bad for health and beauty
Continue to follow the habits from this list if you want to undermine your health and become worse.
Smoking
Even the state is struggling with this phenomenon. In recent years, many laws have been adopted to restrict smoking, bans on sales in certain places have been introduced, and a healthy lifestyle is actively promoted. And such efforts bring results. From 2009 to 2022, the number of smokers in Russia decreased by 19 million.
But a new scourge has appeared - vaping. Vapes are devices for inhaling vapor. There is evidence that they have no less effect on the body than cigarettes.
Overeating and poor nutrition
Food is one of the basic needs of a living organism. But when it is a goal, and not a way to maintain life, then this is a reason to be wary.
Overeating is a way to cope with shock or reduce stress levels. Fast food, flour and sweets contain carbohydrates and fats, and therefore they lift your mood, reduce anxiety and even slightly dull physical pain for a while.
This behavior leads to obesity and, as a result, to various diseases. The psyche also suffers. It is difficult for a person to accept himself and he falls deeper into depression.
Nail biting
People bite their nails out of excitement, boredom, and even hunger. This activity doesn’t look very nice, and therefore causes nothing but disgust among those around you. Manicure and hand skin suffer. She looks unkempt, and if you get too carried away, you can even get a wound, which can easily become infected and cause inflammation. In general, a lot of trouble because of a small weakness.
Squeezing pimples
The pursuit of perfection gives no rest. When you see a small (or large) pimple, your hands are tempted to squeeze it out. Although for some, this behavior takes completely unhealthy forms. They try to pick out even non-existent pimples.
This activity can lead to severe skin inflammation. It even goes as far as surgery. Those who think these are horror stories should read about Queen Catherine Pavlovna of Württemberg, who died in 1817 due to a squeezed pimple.
Snapping fingers
Crackling joints can cause dissatisfaction among those around you, but this is not the worst thing. What’s worse is that such a habit negatively affects the joints. They are constantly injured and lose mobility. And this is a direct road to arthrosis at a young age.
Lack of sleep
During sleep, the brain organizes the information it receives. And if there is not enough time for this, then it is absorbed worse. There is evidence that lack of sleep leads to obesity and provokes problems with the heart and blood pressure. Don't forget to add to this a tired appearance, dark circles under the eyes, premature aging and irritability.
Sedentary lifestyle
We mostly spend our time sitting. At school, at college, at work, and now at home in front of the TV or at the computer. Meanwhile, inactivity is the cause of an increase in the number of diseases of all organs.
No matter how busy you are, you can certainly find time for morning exercises and a half-hour walk in the fresh air. The body will thank you.
Excessive hygiene
On bathroom shelves there are rows of separate bottles for each body part. We generously water it every day, and for some, twice a day. So know that this is dangerous. We wash away the protective layer of natural oils, the skin becomes dry and more susceptible to infections.
I'm not encouraging you to give up your daily shower, but it's better to just wash with warm or cool water. Use soap or gel topically for particularly contaminated parts and a couple of times a week for the entire body.
Sitting cross-legged
A flirty pose that women adore. But it leads to poor circulation and stagnation in the pelvic organs. Sitting in this position for a long time causes an increase in blood pressure and increases the chances of developing varicose veins.
Damage relationships with others
It is unlikely that anyone will want to communicate with a subject who behaves this way.
Foul language and parasitic words
Swear words are perceived as an integral part of the Russian language. But using them with or without reason can hardly be called a healthy addiction. Foul language is off-putting and creates a bad reputation. In addition, such people have difficulties with the cultural expression of their thoughts: they simply cannot find normal words.
Parasitic words, of course, do not look so repulsive, but they also do not add charm to their bearer.
Habit of lying
We all embellish reality from time to time, but some people do it even when there is no need. Liars themselves lose their boundaries and often no longer understand what is truth and what is fiction. This inevitably leads to the fact that the liar is no longer trusted. Even family members have a hard time putting up with endless lies.
Rhinotillexomania
This beautiful name hides the usual nose picking. It looks disgusting. In addition, picking leads to serious damage to the mucous membrane and frequent nosebleeds.
Promiscuous sex life
This refers to behavior when a person does not care who he has sex with and whether he has feelings for his partner. These people usually suffer from well-hidden self-doubt, are selfish and indifferent to the problems of others. Not only can promiscuity lead to sexually transmitted diseases, but it is also impossible to build a normal family with such a tendency.
Perfectionism
At first glance, striving for perfection seems like a good habit. But in fact, it depletes a person’s resources and takes away his time. There is nothing ideal in the world, so it is very difficult for such people to enjoy life, because they always want to fix something, mend it, wash it, retrain and remake those around them. It is difficult to communicate with a perfectionist, and it is almost impossible to live.
Expensive
For the budget, such addictions are fraught with a huge hole and debts.
Shopaholism
The desire for unreasonable purchases arises from the need for love, loneliness and lack of attention. Such purchases are a reaction to a bad mood and troubles.
Spending damages the budget, drives you into debt, forces you to take out loans, and provokes you to lie. Shopaholics' home is littered with a bunch of unnecessary things that will never be useful to its owner.
Hoarding
The habit of not getting rid of unnecessary things and dragging all sorts of rubbish into your home creates discomfort for the owner himself, loved ones and even neighbors. When this takes a pathological form, the home becomes like a landfill. Remember Plyushkin from “Dead Souls”. This is a typical representative of hoarders, whose character trait has already turned into a disease.
Technomania
Here lies the irresistible desire to buy new equipment and gadgets. Particularly common in adolescents and young adults. The inability to satisfy one's needs leads to mental disorders and depression. A classic example that has long become a meme: I bought the latest iPhone, and now I’m forced to eat instant noodles.
Lack of control in finances
Here we are talking about the lack of skill to manage your financial flows. When a person doesn’t keep track of where he spends his money and on what. Often, even people with good salaries cannot form a safety net, are unable to save up for a vacation and are forced to take out loans. And the reason lies in the inability to manage your own money.
Not allowed to develop
Let's look at the habits that prevent us from becoming successful and rich.
Idle pastime
Many consider this a character trait, saying that an individual lives for today and enjoys every minute. In fact, this is simply infantilism, an attempt to hide from reality and an unwillingness to care about one’s future.
Procrastination
Procrastination is the habit of being lazy. Psychologists associate its occurrence with chronic anxiety. By hiding from one's responsibilities, shirking one's studies, and procrastinating, one is temporarily freed from worry. At these moments he feels free. But such people rarely become successful and respected.
TV addiction
Some people cannot imagine living at home without the TV on. They are used to listening to his mutterings even when they are doing other things. Free time is spent watching meaningless TV shows, series and switching channels.
TV is bad for your eyesight. When a person tries to simultaneously do business and watch what is happening on the screen, attention and concentration are scattered. Instead of watching stupid talk shows and pointless TV series, it is better to spend time with family, friends or read something.
Internet addiction
If you are haunted by a pathological desire to constantly be online and check your social network feeds, and are frightened by the possibility of leaving the house without a smartphone, then congratulations, because you are already in the clan of Internet slaves. This is a new phenomenon, widespread among people of all ages and professions.
In terms of its effect on the psyche, such a need is compared with alcohol and even drugs. It disrupts brain functions and changes consciousness. There are difficulties with communication in reality and a reluctance to leave the network. This is also bad for physical health: magnetic waves, strain on vision and the spine.
Binge eating
Overeating is a mental disorder associated with uncontrolled eating . Which leads to severe problems with excess weight. Overeating often occurs after experiencing shock or constant stress. More often, people who are already overweight face this problem. In a difficult life situation, there is only one joy left for them - food.
Overeating is a common bad habit nowadays.
Lateness
At school, for being late you can only be kicked out of class, but if you are late for work, you can be fired for violating labor discipline, and this is a big problem.
Even if constant lateness does not lead to serious problems, it may indicate that the person is disorganized and has an unprofessional attitude to work.
In everyday life, friends or relatives may be very offended that you are always late for events that are important to them.
Lateness may be a consequence of lack of discipline or the habit of living without plans. Also, some people are flattered by the fact that they are expected.
Interesting fact!
Some psychologists believe that chronic tardiness is a symptom of an underlying mood disorder such as depression. A recent study found that approximately 17% of people suffer from chronic tardiness.
But if you want, you can become punctual, for which you need to stop trusting your internal clock. It is important to learn how to correctly calculate the time you will spend traveling to the office or home.
If you are a busy person, then plan your day in advance, leave a reminder on your smartphone or laptop, write in a notepad, and everything will work out for you.
Bad habit of interrupting
Our lives are filled with constant noise and distractions: be it a cat meowing under the window, phone calls or the sounds of neighbors' renovations.
It is especially annoying when you are interrupted during a conversation, and repeatedly. The following conclusion suggests itself: the interrupter wants to say something that is much more important than what you said.
But still, from time to time, each of us interrupts someone, despite the fact that this is considered “bad form.”
Sometimes there is a need to interrupt someone's conversation. It is quite acceptable if you want to ask an important question that will be relevant at the moment (for example, this could be at a presentation or lecture). You just need to do this tactfully and politely.
Interrupting the monologue of your interlocutor can also indicate a person’s position in society (those who have power are often allowed to interrupt their interlocutor).
You are not shy about interrupting your subordinate or work colleague, but you would never dare to do the same with your boss.
Regardless of who you are talking to, you should remember ethics: no matter what your relationship is with the interlocutor, first wait until he finishes speaking and then express your thoughts.
Interesting fact!
According to some studies, men interrupt their interlocutors twice as often as women.
How can you learn to listen patiently? Try to focus on what your interlocutor is saying and formulate your answer in advance. If you can’t wait to interrupt, then imagine yourself in your opponent’s place.
You may need to take notes if you are afraid that you will forget what you wanted to say.
Criminal addiction: pathology or lifestyle?
It’s difficult to call the urge to commit crimes a bad habit, and yet, in some cases, that’s exactly what it is. Especially often, such dependence occurs among former prisoners who simply do not know how to live differently, how to solve their problems, acting within the framework of the law.
Lack of normal life experience, inability to build work and personal relationships, social inadaptability - all this is not at all a reason to take the path of a criminal. Following rules is much more difficult than breaking them, especially if you can’t find your place in life. But if you enlist support, take positive examples as a basis and clearly follow your goal, then gradually everything will get better, and a crime-free life will become fulfilling, interesting, and most importantly, free.
Snapping fingers
You will find people who like to snap their fingers anywhere. This habit begins in childhood. And over the years, it has a detrimental effect on the joints of the fingers (constant injury and loss of mobility occurs). This habit can lead to arthrosis , even at a young age.
Technomania - the habit of acquiring new gadgets
bubble gum
Blowing bubbles is a whole children's ritual that is taught like, for example, whistling or riding a bicycle.
But by the time we reach adulthood, we usually stop chewing gum for the sake of inflating bubbles, which make a specific sound (pop) when they burst.
Chronically chewing gum is a bad habit that helps some people relieve stress or get rid of boredom. However, there are also positive aspects to chewing gum.
Researchers have found that chewing gum helps people focus and concentrate their thinking abilities better, but only for the first twenty minutes.
Maybe that's why some people chew gum at work. Also, the chewing process trains the chewing muscles, not to mention improving blood circulation in the gums.
But!
The problem is that the endless clicking caused by the bursting of inflated bubbles can distract and annoy those around you, especially your work colleagues.
Besides!
It has been scientifically proven that chewing gum can have unpleasant consequences, including gastritis, malocclusion and loss of fillings.
The way out of this situation is simple: remember that the main purpose of chewing gum is to freshen your breath, and therefore you should not chew it for more than 15–20 minutes.
How the virtual world is displacing the real one
In the era of computerization, it is difficult to understand what is considered an Internet addiction. Many people work online, quite successfully, and it’s difficult to find a more convenient option for communication. But when very little of reality remains, and most of life is transferred to the Internet, it’s time to sound the alarm. Think about it, when was the last time you met with friends not in a chat, but in a cafe? When did you prefer an hour of playing with the notorious tanks to a walk? Maybe it’s time to plunge into reality, otherwise life will just pass in front of the monitor.
Gossip and rumors
If gossiping wasn't so fun and interesting, then there would be no TV shows, internet sites or magazines dedicated to popular and famous people who love to be the center of attention.
Many “stars” like their personal lives to be looked at “under a microscope.”
Some people cannot resist sharing interesting information with others. This is a way to build relationships with your friends and even increase your authority in their eyes.
Sometimes this helps boost our own self-esteem. Gossipers can come up with a bunch of excuses for their words, for example: “I’m not doing anything wrong.” In addition, while discussing the latest gossip, time passes faster.
In a work environment, gossip can be a huge problem because it creates discord within the team and reduces morale and productivity. And in family life, a secret that comes to light can bring a lot of negative consequences.
If you think that when talking with others you allow yourself to say too much, try to put yourself in the place of the person you are discussing, because it is always unpleasant to hear negative information about yourself.
In order to overcome this bad habit, experts advise doing the following:
- Do not support conversations during which another person is being discussed (especially in a negative way).
- Try to establish and eliminate the reason that provoked the gossip.
Gambling addiction: masterful flushing of money down the toilet
Gambling is your middle name, and do regulars of underground casinos already recognize you by sight? Maybe stop spending what you earn, hoping to win back? Not a single gambling establishment has ever operated at a loss, so profits are highly doubtful.
Advice! So that you are not tempted to spend all your money on the game again, make a rule: as soon as your salary is credited to the card, pay for utilities, buy groceries and leave yourself a living wage, and put the rest in a bank account - you can’t gut such a stash so easily. And don’t forget to warn your friends so that they don’t give you a loan under any circumstances.
Sexual promiscuity
Do you consider yourself a real macho, so you change girls like gloves? A series of blondes, brunettes and red-haired young ladies pass through your bed, and you are not even able to remember their names... Or maybe you just don’t care who you sleep with?
Promiscuous sex life is a fairly common problem of our time. It would seem that there is nothing wrong with this, because sex is good for health! So what is the problem with such illegibility? In fact, there may be much more problems than pleasures:
- high risk of sexually transmitted diseases;
- inability to arrange a normal personal life;
- lack of attachment as such;
- devaluation of sex as part of a relationship.
Think about it, maybe this is how you’re trying to overcome your complexes, because it’s much more difficult to hook up with the same woman every evening than different ones? Try to break away from your own pattern - and you will understand what the real thrill of a stable and long-term relationship is.
