It is bad, but we still go on to do it...

gettyimage.com No doubts, we all know what a bad habit is. Eating unhealthy foods, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and living a torpid lifestyle are just some of the things that are strummed into us as behaviors we ought to avert in order to increase our overall well-being.
Scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discovered that in the year 2000, avoidable behaviors lack of exercise, such as poor diet, drinking alcohol and smoking were some of the underlying causes of nearly half of the deaths in the United States:

• Bad eating and inactivity: 400,000 (16.6%)
• Tobacco: 435,000 (18.1% of total US deaths)
• Alcohol consumption: 85,000 (3.5%) So therefore if we know bad habits are so harmful to our health, why do we continue to do them?

Why we can’t resist or avert bad habits no doubts, we all indulge in behaviors that we know aren’t good for us and there are a couple of causes why we continue these habits regardless.

• Bad habit in a way gives us the comfort we need The first is our need to feel comfort and doing whatever it takes to reach this state. Each and every action/step you take has a purpose behind it, even if you’re not intentionally cognizant of what this is and the most common unseen purpose is comfort.
  Naturally, our brains are wired to be reward-based and our ‘reward’ is the feeling of comfort that, in turn, propels the discharge of 'feel good' or dopamine hormone. (This causes us to long for more of it and so we exchange this good feeling with the bad habit).

With this you'll be able to explain why we continue to indulge in bad habits and find it difficult to stop; it feels comfortable and we basically get to exist in our ‘safe zone’. In addition you get attracted to the reward despite knowing it’s bad and harmful to you.

• Everyone else is doing the bad habit too
  We also incline to elucidate our bad behaviors if society as a whole finds it agreeable. If a huge number of people are doing the same thing, then it must be okay for us to do it too. It’s not hard to find socially acceptable bad habits. Snacking, drinking alcohol, skipping exercises and even smoking are things that lots of people do.

With this on ground, it cultivates an inward rationalization when it comes to unhealthy habits such as "I'll do better next week" or “just one more won’t hurt”, I’ve just had a stressful day today”. These in-the-moment justifications tend to be propelled by the guilt of knowing we’re apparently not making the best choice in the long run.

We also look outwards for examples that authenticate our bad habit decisions. Words like “my grandfather smoked every day and lived until he was 95.” Our minds love to find proofs that backs up our decisions, whether they are good or bad.

The consequences of continuing bad habits

Basically, countless number of people know the consequences of these types of habits. Warnings are pasted on cigarette packets about getting cancer. Governments beam healthy eating campaigns and the need to be more active through TV programmes and adverts. But what are the real long term consequences of ceaseless bad habits?

• Depression and unhappiness
• Cancers, cell damage and diseases
• Increased physical problems in later life
• Negative physical well-being leading to pain or lethargy.

Most of these can be gradual and subtle meaning we don’t observe them and easily discharge our decisions in the moment. All the same, being mindful of the decisions we make today can keep our well-being covered up and steady while investing in our future selves.

How to stop this bad habits

Come to think of it, It’s hard to stop these habits that are so deep-rooted in our daily lives. With stress sometimes is the propelling force behind a bad habit, the solution lies with reprogramming our mind

• First of all, be conscious of what these habits are and how often we do them. What precisely propels the habit? Is it an unconscious decision to do it? Question why you have developed this habit in the first place.
• Secondly, try as much as you can to make a commitment to yourself that you want to eradicate this bad habit. Now you understand what may be triggering or propelling it, can you find something positive to replace it? For instance, you reach for the chocolate after a hard day. Can you find a healthier reward snack? Or decrease the number of times you’re allowed to have chocolate? Peradventure if stress is your trigger, try going for a run and give the brain another reason to discharge dopamine instead.
• Thirdly, be consistent. The major key to cultivating new habits is consistency. Yes, it’s quite difficult for a while but your brain soon adjust to new ways of doing things until it starts to feel natural to you.

It’s all about conditioning yourself to a new, positive way of thinking.- Thomas K.c

In conclusion

Living a happier and healthier, more positive life starts with the habits we choose to form. Be conscious of which direction your habits are aiming and start changing your mindset to one of investment into your well-being and health. It’s not just for your future self but also living in the moment in a healthy and positive way.

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Authored by @Oghie

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