There’s no united answer to whether people can change or not. While physical changes happen inside the body all the time, in terms of personality traits and characteristics, it’s very much debatable. They say that money changes people. But doesn’t money actually make circumstances that reveal them? This topic is of very high debate with plenty of ramifications. However, as the Roman proverb says, “Every man is the architect of his own fortune,” and that’s the naked truth.
There are certain things that can be changed and influenced by the individual himself. Types of behavior, such as bad habits, addictions, and often health-related issues, are something humans can control and change. Speaking of which, it’s usually healthy, good habits established in our lives that improve the overall quality of our lives and simultaneously replace the bad habits.
However, it’s important to shove the bad habits out the door. How to break bad habits is a question many are looking for the answer to. And while the answer is rather obvious, it’s not so easy to accomplish. The key is to replace a bad habit with a good one. And as with all behavior patterns, they take time to establish. However, the common perception that it takes 21 days to develop a habit is just a myth. In reality, it takes around two months to establish a habit that becomes automatic.
Nevertheless, if you’re wondering how to stop bad habits, it also comes with a challenge: to come up with alternative, less harmful, or healthy and good habits to have instead. For example, resist the urge to smoke with a few minutes of breathing exercises or replace scrolling on your phone with reading a book before bedtime.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of bad habits examples that you would be better off giving up. Remember that what is considered a bad habit may vary from person to person as it’s very individual. However, for the sake of this post, we will refer to bad habits such as those that are harmful to health or socially treated as ‘wrong’ or ‘unethical.’ Do you have any of the ‘bad’ habits from the bad habits list below? Also, what are some good habits to have that you have successfully established throughout life? Let us know!
Being late all the time.
Interrupting other people when they’re speaking.
Too much cologne/perfume.
Believing everything you see on the internet.
Speaking with your mouth full.
Coughing and sneezing without covering your mouth.
Assuming that people know what you’re thinking rather than telling them.
Chewing with mouth open.
Promising things you aren’t sure you can deliver.
Telling people things other have shared with you in confidence.
Ignoring physical symptoms of potential health problems.
Obsessively checking your cell phone.
Spreading rumors or gossip.
Comparing yourself negatively to others.
Saying “Yes” to everything.
Leaving clean laundry in the washing machine so long that it smells bad.
Criticize other people too much.
Not protecting yourself from the sun.
Borrowing and not returning items.
Finishing people’s sentences.
Blaming others because of your failures.
Not cleaning fingernails.
Not appreciating all the good things in your life.
Focusing on the negatives.
Failing to wash your hands frequently enough.
Using your cell phone at the dinner table.
Driving too fast or too slow.
Cancelling plans with friends at the last minute.
Texting or otherwise using your phone while talking to someone in person.
Avoid paying bills on time.
Not telling your doctor the truth.
Gambling too much or gambling with money you can’t afford to lose.
Being unwilling to accept constructive feedback from others.
Picking your teeth when other people are around.
Not taking off shoes when you enter the home.
Failing to honor commitments.
Loaning money to people you know will never pay you back.
Not drinking enough water.
Eating too many processed foods.
Excessive alcohol consumption.
Popping/snapping gum in public.
Spending time worrying about spam comments, negative reviews, and internet trolls.
Regularly carrying a heavy bag on the same shoulder.
Drinking too many high-sugar beverages.
Preparing food without tying back long hair.
Having workaholic tendencies.
Eavesdropping on other people’s conversations.
Wearing the wrong shoes.
Buying too many lottery tickets.
Leaving the lights on when you leave the room.
Leaving your keys and wallet in random places.
Drinking energy drinks.
Failing to go to the dentist for regular cleanings and checkups.
Not properly disinfecting or cleaning contact lenses.
Putting things off until the last minute.
Taking on more than you can handle.
Behaving passive-aggressive.
Refusing to learn anything new.
Spacing out and not paying attention to what people say during conversations.
Excessively checking your hair/eyebrows/makeup/nails.
Dropping food and eating it anyway.
Saving broken things to fix… someday.
Following an irregular sleep schedule.
Allowing yourself to get distracted from what you should be doing.
Spending too much time online.
Using a worn out toothbrush.
Paying for entertainment subscriptions that you don’t use.
Staying indoors too much.
Substituting online connections for in-person relationships.
Putting your faith in people who are known to be unreliable.
Being envious of the success of others.
Sitting around waiting for the perfect moment to begin something.
Overly affectionate public displays of affection.
Watching random videos that scroll across your feed about someone’s child or cat.
Being all work and no play.
Not warming up before exercise.
Never brushing your tongue.
Trying to change your significant other.
Negative self-talk/self-criticism.
Cramming for exams the night before.
Consuming too much sugar and salt.
Being too much of a perfectionist with cleanliness.
Buying things you don’t need.
Leaving sheets on the bed too long without changing them.
Spending too much money eating in restaurants.
Finishing a book you hate, just to get it done.
Wearing headphones for too many hours.
Using incandescent bulbs rather than CFLs.
Breaking promises to yourself.
Sitting for long periods of time.
Mumbling or muttering under your breath.
Using slang inappropriately.
Trying to change another person’s opinions.
Skipping meals in an effort to lose weight.
Running errands in rush hour.
Leaving the cell phone plugged in, even when it is fully charged.
Unconscious pen clicking.
Freeloading your electric devices.
Claiming your successes are just luck.
Excessive throat clearing.
Cracking your knuckles.
Using your phone in bed.
Leaving the toilet seat up.
Not holding eye contact.
Picking the ends of your hair.
Watching TV right after work.
Staring into an open fridge (while all cold air goes out.)
Falling asleep with the television on.
Lack of social connection.
Buying holiday gifts at the last minute.
Carrying credit card debt.
Worrying about things that could go wrong.
Not brushing teeth after every meal.
Consuming caffeine during the evening hours.
Nibbling while cooking.