20 Bad Habits You Need to Quit Now

20 Bad Habits You Need to Quit Now :-

Satisfying late night cravings with pizzas and chocolate cake might be a tempting way to end each day, but it's not doing your body any favors. It can impact you and your overall health on a long term basis.
Unintentionally, at times we end up hurting our body and our health on a daily basis due to our habits. Today, Dr. Vihang Vahia - Psychiatrist at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, lists out the top 20 bad habits that you need to quit today. If you have any of these habits, then it's never too late. Reverse these habits and start enjoying a healthy and happy life today.....

Stop Bad Habits & Secure Your Future

1: Nose/mouth picking :-
This annoying and silly habit of 'digging gold' is one of the worst habits that goes un-questioned. This habit is not only bad for your health but it is also against common social etiquette. Picking your nose can spread various infections like cold and flu, as cold virus is passed into your body through the mucus. After touching several things and then taking the same finger into your nose, you will land at the doctor's clinic. Hence, stop this awkward habit of pulling sticky substance from your nose, or fetching left over food strands from your mouth.

2: Binge drinking :-
Binge drinking, causes many deaths and hospitalization all over the world says - Dr. Vihang. Binge drinking causes long term health problems like liver trouble and immediate problems like weight gain, dizziness and fatigue. To save yourself from such damage, the key is limitation.

3: You became an 'Owl' at night :-
Many of us, burn the midnight oil for exam preparations and work. But if this becomes routine, you will damage your body in the long run. Without 6-8 hours of good sleep, you are damaging your immune system and other body processes and systems. Due to lack of sleep, your immune system becomes weak and thus produces fewer 'germ fighters' - lowering your tolerance for withstanding common bugs in your environment. To fight against various diseases, it is necessary to at least get a minimum of 7-8 hours of good sleep on most nights of the week. A good night's sleep also helps you stay awake and fresh throughout the day.

4: I am so 'lonely' :-
Dr. Vahia says - the key for good health is a healthy and fresh mind. If your mind is unhealthy, it will affect your immune system and put you at several health risks. If you spend most of your time obsessing over your loneliness, and any other social challenges, or whatever could cause feelings of despair and frustration, then you are harming your mental health, detaching yourself from people, and stressing your mind and body.

5: Wearing headphones for long hours :-
Headphones or earphones are the sole companions for some of us throughout the day. We listen to music to pass time, while travelling or while working out. But, if you have plugged in for hours, with no breaks, then you need to keep this habit under check. Dr. Vihang says - listening to loud music via earphones, can cause hearing loss. He further adds - headphones aren't the culprits, it is the volume and the hours that can land you in trouble. Besides, ignoring minor symptoms of hearing loss is also one of the biggest criminals.

6: TV trouble :-
Sitting for hours on the couch, watching that idiot box can put your heart and eyes at risk. Watching too much TV can put you at an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and obesity. The more you are glued to the TV, the more immobile life will affect your levels of fat and sugar in your blood. Besides, it also strains your eyes and causes damage to the refractive lens.

7: Wearing heels :-
Women who wear heels on a daily basis, do lots of harm to their bodies. Dr. Tina Mahendraker - Physiotherapist, Mumbai says - high heels can affect your posture, put pressure on joints - which can cause arthritis, back pain and tendon injuries and other heels related accidents. Thus to prevent such horrible effects on your health Dr. Tina says - limit your heels to not more than 1.5 inches, and wear insoles to reduce the pressure on your joints.

8: Carrying an extra heavy bag :-
We love to carry our world wherever we go, because we can't afford to miss a single thing. This habit of hauling the world with our (lots and lots of) worldly things on the back or shoulder causes lots of harm to our health. Carrying heavy bags can cause various long term effects like serious back pain, neck pain and poor posture - says Dr. Tina. Hence, to avoid ageing your body prematurely, do yourself a favour and empty that bag.

9: Sleeping with Makeup :-
Many girls have a habit of sleeping with their makeup still on. Whatever the reason could be, this habit can cause grave damage to your skin. Sleeping with your makeup on, leads to clogged pores, congested skin and spots. Besides, mascara and other eye makeup can cause irritation, which can also lead to vision loss.

10: Snacking, even if not hungry :-
If you disrupt your regular eating pattern, then your body will no longer send hunger signals and you may end up eating even when you are full. This extra eating can flood your body with extra calories and unhealthy ingredients, which can further cause serious chronic health problems like diabetes, heart problems and acidity.

11: Can't live without a smoke :-
In every health tip, behind every cigarette pack, we read this,' Smoking kills', but people still persist with the smoking habit. Dr. Sunesara says - smoking even a single cigarette a day, can cause blood clots, which may prevent swift flow of the blood and hence develop plaque in your arteries and blood vessels. Besides, you may also damage the life of the non-smoker who is living with you.

12: Lying constantly :-
Surprised to see this one on a healthy living post? Those minute white lies can cause serious damage to your health. If you lie constantly, you will have constant fear of the truth being disclosed, this will create a feeling of stress in you, says - Dr. Vihang. Stress, is the worst thing for your body, as it damages your heath due to the release of stress hormones. Besides, it further leads to headaches and anxiety.

13: You live on medicines :-
If you pop a pill for regular headaches, menstrual cramps or normal tummy trouble then you need to stop now. Constant pill popping is an extremely harmful habit that will put your health at stake. Dr. Sunesara says - if you are eating a balanced nutritious diet then you don't need extra nutrients. If the intake of any nutrient increases, it may create severe side effects. Hence, always check with your doctor, before popping any pill.

14: Skipping breakfast :-
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day - says Ms. Eileen - Nutritionist, Mumbai. If your entire breakfast comprises one cup of rushed coffee and a toast, then you're setting yourself up for an unhealthy future. This will affect your digestive system. Besides, it will also harm your energy reserves and negatively affect your metabolism. If you skip your breakfast, you are likely to eat more during the other meals and this can lead to weight gain. Eileen says - the key to a good breakfast is a balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates.

15: You are in love with junk food :-
Fast food is rich in trans fat, sugar, spices and artificial preservatives. But a life dependent on constant fast food will add to your waistline and cause serious health problems like high cholesterol, diabetes and heart problems in the long run. As fast food is rich in bad fat, it raises the bad cholesterol in the body and leads to the hardening of the arteries, which can further cause plaque deposits. Hence, switch to a healthy diet and protect yourself from weight gain and other serious health problems.

16: Nail biting :-
This habit of using your teeth to cut your nails, just for time pass or due to extreme nervousness, can cause germ entry into your body. Dr. Sunsesara says - your hands are constant travellers, they pick several things throughout the day, and then taking these nasty, germ-filled fingers into your mouth can make you bed-ridden for days, due to cold or flu. So, stop this dirty habit right away.

17: Ignoring sex :-
Whatever the reason for a low libido might be, whether too much work or stress, avoiding sex altogether for many days and months at a time is not good. Sex is good for you and your health. It helps to improve your immune system and relationship. But if you are not interested in this pleasurable act, then you need to talk to your doctor immediately. Because, a low libido can be beyond stress, it can be caused due to an under active thyroid, hypertension or simply a hormonal imbalance.

18: Fast eating :-
Eating at lightning speed due to work pressure or lack of time can adversely affect your digestive system. You should take at least 20 minutes to finish each meal. If you just gulp your food, without chewing it properly, it can cause acidity, bloating and excess gas in your stomach. Hence, slow down and enjoy your food.

19: Being in an unhealthy relationship for a long time :-
If you are in a relationship wherein you don't manage to get your share of joy and happiness, then it's better to leave the knot at that moment itself. If you have been suffering an unhealthy relationship for a long time, i.e., a relationship that is abusive verbally or physically, or encourages you to participate in unhealthy activities, then you're harming your health. An unhealthy relationship causes stress and this further lowers your blood pressure, immunity and digestive system.

20: Picking at your skin :-
If there is some flaw on your face, you must resist yourself from constantly stressing on it. If you constantly keep worrying about acne by touching it, it will act up more. Besides it will lead to scars and inflammation. Hence, stop picking at your face to avoid worsening skin issues.

10 DAILY HABITS THAT WILL GIVE YOU INCREDIBLE WILL POWER

10 DAILY HABITS THAT WILL GIVE YOU INCREDIBLE WILL POWER :-

1. MEDITATE :-
Meditation is the fastest and most effective way to increase your willpower. By meditating you are training the brain to focus and resist the urge to wander. Research shows that after just 2-3 days of practicing meditation for 10 minutes, your brain will be able to focus better, you will have more energy, and you will be less stressed.
There are a lot of myths surrounding meditation. Burning incense, chanting, wearing robes, etc. So let's start by explaining what meditation really is.

2. EAT A LOW GLYCEMIC DIET :-
When the body takes in food, it creates a chemical known as glucose that travels through the blood stream. This is what the brain uses as its source of fuel to think, create, and exert willpower. So to ensure a healthy stock of willpower, we want to make sure our brain has enough glucose to use as energy.
Any food that contains calories will give your brain glucose to work with. But not all glucose is created equally. Sugary foods will cause a quick spike of glucose, giving you willpower fuel for the short-term, but will cause a subsequent crash that depletes your willpower just as fast.

3. GET ENOUGH SLEEP :-
When you don't get enough sleep, your willpower takes the biggest hit. When you are tired, your brain cells are not able to absorb glucose as efficiently as when you are well rested. This means that you begin lose the “power” in your willpower.
Then your brain will recognize the fact that it is not getting enough glucose, and immediately start to crave sugary foods and caffeine to replenish its supply. However, because your brain cells are not absorbing glucose as efficiently as they should be, not only will you give in to eating junk, you will eat much more than you need.

 INCREDIBLE WILL POWER

4. EXERCISE :-
We all know that exercise is good for our health, but can it also be good for our willpower? In order to find out, researchers found 24 non-exercisers between 18 and 50 to partake in a 2-month study. They were given free gym memberships and asked to exercise just 1x/week for the first month and 3x/week for the second month.
Throughout the study they would test the participants on various self-control activities from resisting temptations to persevering through challenging tasks.

5. FOCUS ON ONE TASK AT A TIME :-
We have 2 distinct parts of our brain that help in our problem-solving. One is the limbic system, which makes our easy and automatic decisions. This includes brushing our teeth and stopping at a red light. This part of the brain is also short-term minded, and is what motivates us to indulge in unhealthy food and get off of the treadmill.
The other is the pre-frontal cortex, which solves more difficult problems like how to effectively communicate or solve more complicated math equations like the one above. This is also the part of our brain that thinks long-term and is responsible for our willpower.
The problems above both require the pre-frontal cortex to solve. If I were to ask you to write the 50 states and do a simple problem like 10 x 5, you would have had no problem doing it. 10 x 5 is easy. It only requires our limbic system to solve, so we can successfully multi-task.
The more we multi-task, the more we train our limbic system. So by trying to do 4 things at once, we are unknowingly making the part of the brain that wants us to indulge stronger.
The pre-frontal cortex, however, cannot multi-task. The problems it deals with are too complicated. So by focusing on one task at a time, we are making the part of the brain that exerts willpower stronger.

6. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS :-
We tend to believe that every choice we make throughout the day goes through a process of well-informed decision-making. But 45% of our daily-decision are made completely automatically. From what we decide to eat, what we decide to wear and what we decide to do when we first get to work, our brains are running on autopilot.
You can overcome this tendency by becoming more mindful of your daily decisions. This is as simple as pausing and questioning why you are making the decision to get coffee as soon as you make it into the office. Or why you are eating cereal for breakfast rather than eggs.

7. SELF-MONITORING :-
Something odd happens in our brains when we look at ourselves in the mirror. The part of the brain that would say "hey, that's me in the mirror" is not activated. Instead it is a part of the brain that says "I wish I was taller, skinnier, more muscular, etc."
In other words, rather than seeing see who we are, we see who we want to be. This is not because we are shallow, it is because we all have an ideal self that we want to live up to. With this ideal self in our mind, we begin to think and act more like them.
The best way to keep your ideal self in mind is through a process called Self-Monitoring. This involves keeping track of as much information on yourself as possible. Like with the mirror, you will look at the information on yourself and compare it to what you really want. This will strengthen your willpower and help you make better decisions.

8. PLAY OFFENSE :-
When researchers came across a group of people in the Netherlands who seemingly had unstoppable willpower, they thought they must be saints. They ate extremely healthy, exercised regularly, hardly procrastinated and reported less stress than almost everyone around them.
But they were not saints at all. Many of them reported that if they were to get behind a bar stool, they would never leave. Others reported that they were unable to resist sweets whenever they were around. It seemed that these "saints" were prone to the same temptations as the rest of us.
So what was their secret?
The secret, it turned out, was that these people simply did not put themselves in those situations. Their lifestyles were well-organized to prevent having to look temptation in the face.

9. FIND INSPIRATION :-
We have all experienced the feeling of inspiration at some point in our lives. It may have been from a story in history, a speech by a great leader, or by someone in our own lives. When we become inspired, we get a rush of energy that we feel can take us to new heights. It's almost as if we get more willpower.
When we witness something inspiring, the part of the pre-frontal cortex that thinks about the long-term lights up. The neurons in this part of the brain start firing and we feel a rush of energy as we begin to believe in our dreams and goals.
This essentially means that by becoming inspired, we give the pre-frontal cortex more power. This strengthens our willpower and makes it easier to work towards our long-term goals.

10. CHUNKING :-
The last and perhaps the most important willpower habit is chunking. Chunking is the process of taking a large task, goal, dream, etc. and breaking it into manageable “chunks”.
If you’ve ever had a goal, you know how exciting it can be at first. You can see the “after photo” of your life when the goal is achieved - and you love what you see.  You imagine all of the great things about the “new you” and you can't wait to get started working towards that goal!
Then it’s time to actually do the work. And whether that work is putting pen to paper, or putting foot to treadmill, you get a sudden rush of being completely overwhelmed. You see just how much work it’s going to take to get you from where you are, to where you want to be. Then you get paralyzed by the fact that you don’t know where to begin. So you don't bother trying, or you lose the persistence to keep going.
Chunking works because it shifts your focus from that larger goal, into smaller chunks that are easier for your brain to comprehend. If your goal is to follow a 12-week exercise plan, it can be overwhelming when you’re tired on day 4 and thinking about the fact that you have 80 more days of this.
But if you shift your focus to simply accomplishing the workout plan today, you are far less likely to become overwhelmed. Then, before you know it, 20, 40, 60 days have passed and you are more confident than ever that we can make it to the end.


CONCLUSION :-
Excellence is a habit. It is a lot of small things done well, day-after-day. Starting any one of the habits listed above has been proven to give you incredible willpower over time. But you must be consistent.
It will be far more beneficial for you to begin just 1 of these daily willpower habits and do it consistently, than to do all 10 for a short period of time. So select just 1 habit to add to your life and stick to it. After it has truly become a habit, move on to the next one. Over time, you will see incredible benefits to your willpower!

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”