Habits that are hard to break are not only a nuisance to your personal health, but can also be annoying to those around you.
The following habits may seem harmless, but they can potentially lead to dangerous consequences.
Biting your nails
Biting your nails can create problems for your health. Not only is biting your nails unsanitary, it is not good for your teeth either.
Your fingers are involved in pretty much every activity you do. From touching doors to doing simple activities such as shaking someone’s hand, your hands and fingers attract numerous germs.
By biting your nails, you are inviting the germs and bacteria you have attracted throughout the day into your mouth. You may think your hands are clean, but even with meticulous hand washing, your fingernails still stay one of the dirtiest parts of your body.
Biting your nails is also horrible for your teeth. According to the Huffington Post article, “Mouth Health: The Dish on Biting Your Nails,” your teeth were not created to be chewing all of the time, so with constant nail biting, it keeps your teeth in constant motion which can and will wear them down faster than if you did not bite your nails. It also puts a large amount of stress on your front teeth which can weaken them, and contribute to them becoming crooked.
Swearing
As followers of Christ we are supposed to lead a Christian life, but habits such as swearing are unconscious sins that can dominate the life of a Christian, and cause us to be poor examples.
Many Christians will agree that there is nothing more frustrating than to be waiting in line at a restaurant or a store, or even working at the office, and hear a curse word, or even a string of curse words.
It may seem like a habit that is nothing more than irritating for those around you, but it can also be inhibiting your spiritual life.
“The more I hear excessive cussing, the more it brings those words to use in frustrating situations,” said Marie Hannula, senior sociology major.
Chewing Ice Cubes
Chewing ice is one of those habits that is not only loud and obnoxious, but it is also a sign of potential health problems.
According to Columbia Health’s online FAQ, “Go Ask Alice,” the desire to munch on ice can usually mean one of two things: you just like having something to chew on, or you are experiencing a symptom of iron-deficiency anemia or another physical or emotional condition.
This nutritional disorder is known as pica, which refers to the eating or wanting to eat substances that have no nutritional value, including ice, clay, cornstarch and paper.
Not only is chewing ice a sign of a nutritional or emotional disorder, but it is also bad for your teeth and gums. According to everydayhealth. com, chewing ice is detrimental because teeth are not flat, and when we do chew hard substances such as ice, the inclined planes on the tops of the teeth have to facilitate the chewing motion. Biting down at a certain angle can result in something as disastrous as chipping your tooth or cracking a filling.
Always checking your phone/ technology
Checking your phone obsessively is an actual habit that can have severe consequences. Constantly checking your phone for emails, texts, tweets or even Facebook updates can stress you out, as well as cause animosity with friends and family.
Habitually checking your smart-phone can detract from the conversation you could be participating in, as well as cause you to avoid important interactions with people around you, and even cause forms of anxiety whenever you do not have access to your phone. When you are in a social setting, a phone should not be seen, unless it is for the obvious reasons: work or family emergencies.
Sentence Fillers
Californians have a reputation of using sentence fillers constantly. We all know the stereotypical blonde in the movies that says “like” more than she says actual words. Most people are not this extreme, but there is nothing more frustrating than sitting through a conversation or presentation with someone saying “like,” “um” or “er” before each sentence.
Although quitting the use of sentence fillers may seem like a daunting task, with a conscious effort, it can be easier than you think. By using less sentence fillers in everyday conversation, you will notice people will naturally want to listen to what you have to say, since fillers will not distract your audience.
Habits can be hard to break, but with conscious effort, the most irritating habits can be broken.
WebMD.com explains that the best way to break bad habits is to first consciously think about the habit. You must think about why you do a particular habit; if you start to realize that you have specific triggers, such as stress, you can identify stressful moments and be more aware of triggers that make you want to indulge the habit.
Secondly, WebMD.com suggests putting your habit into writing. By writing it down, you will establish a sense of consciousness surrounding the habit.
Lastly, WebMD.com explains that if neither of these steps help you quit, try a bait and switch; replace your annoying habit with a not-so-annoying one. It will also help you consciously think about your habit.
