While we were little, we were taught good and bad habits. A good habit is a behaviour that is beneficial to one’s physical or mental health and a bad habit is, well, the opposite. But with time, all man-made concepts need to be revised to stay relevant and habits are no exception.
The world has changed, and what was once considered a bad habit is not necessarily a bad habit today and vice versa. Good and bad are different today from what they were a few decades ago. So what are some modern-day bad habits? And more importantly, how many of these bad habits do YOU possess without even realising it?
Eating too much
Oh yes, this is a bad habit. No, it’s not true that you are so hungry that you end up overeating. You have conditioned yourself to start a meal starving and stop eating only after you’re full. It’s a habit and you’ve created it by doing the overeating bit consistently over many years.
Fix: Listen to your body and make it a habit to stop eating once you’re satiated or satisfied but before you’re full.
Something sweet after every meal
There is no physiological reasoning behind needing something sweet after each meal. It’s a self-created habit and one that will lead to no good.
Fix: Break the habit gradually by reducing the amount of sugar you consume at the end of a meal. Soon, you won’t even look for that tiny bite of dessert. If you prefer a more aggressive approach, try popping in some chewing gum after your meal. Your sugar cravings will disappear.
Sleeping too little
Most of us are sleep deprived and this is a proven fact today. I understand work is pressing, social media is timeless and prime time TV is now until midnight, but your body doesn’t understand any of this. It needs sufficient rest to recover and function optimally i.e. without stress, aches, pains and diseases.
Fix: Make it a habit to start winding down early enough. Most of us have something to do till the very last second we’re awake. This isn’t helping because there will always be something to do, be it cleaning the kitchen or checking if your update on social media is getting enough likes. So make a routine out of non-mentally stimulating activities before bed. For example, plan for some light reading or talking or soothing music 20-30 minutes before bed.
Being sedentary
The human body is designed for movement and a lack of movement will cause issues. This is a fact, and irrespective of how much science and technology evolve, this will be true. But unfortunately, most of us spend a majority of our time with our backsides glued to furniture.
Fix: In today’s world, you don’t really get too many opportunities to move. It’s up to you to create those opportunities. Sit as less as possible, stand for no reason, take the stairs... Make movement a habit, and activity a part of who you are.
Losing your temper for little things
We have too much work, too little sleep, too much food, too little activity, too much fatigue and all this is leading to too much stress which causes temper tantrums or sudden violent behaviour during trivial unpleasant situations at home, on the road and even in the office. This is merely a result of how we have structured our lives today and something that can be, and needs to be, controlled by changing how we habituate ourselves to reacting to such unpleasant situations.
Fix: Incidents, both favourable and unfavourable, will happen, and you can’t do much to control them. What’s important is how you react. Next time you’re exposed to a stressful situation and are tempted to raise your voice or lose your cool, stay calm and do nothing. It’s amazing how much doing nothing can accomplish. Make calmness a habit.
