Habits are everyday repetitive behaviors. According to Mariam Webster Dictionary, “Habit is a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance” Everyone has a habit. Still, the difference could be in the art, whether we see it as a negative or positive habit. A habit is seen as unfavorable when it influences one negatively. For example, a lifestyle like overeating, too much sitting in a place, slouching, smoking, overspending, and procrastination are terrible habits that can negatively influence our well-being, causing us more harm than good. The wrong side is that most people with this lifestyle hardly find anything wrong, affecting their ability to identify themselves and take steps to change.
When I was home, my mum was sitting ten steps away from the fridge, so she could easily walk to get herself a water bottle. Instead, she called my niece, who was also in the same place but sitting farther away from the fridge, to get her a water bottle. I told my niece to sit where she was. I nicely told my mum; you are just a step away from the fridge. Why don’t you stand up and grab a bottle of water? My mother got angry with me. She told me that I was still a child to her. I know so many of you might be frowning and saying how disrespectful. I love my mum so much, And I would not wish her anything that would interfere with her well-being. Having that right to send people around may make her feel good at the moment, but it can also negatively influence her well-being when it becomes repetitive. Have you ever thought for once about what sitting in a place and not moving around can do to someone’s well-being? Have you ever imagined what happens to one’s body if the person does not move around? It has both short-term and long-term health consequences.
Here are some examples of Negative Habits
Sedentary Lifestyle – Over-sitting at a place
Like the example above, This is a norm in Nigerian society, if not all African households. Everyone wants people to serve them. We sit at a place and give commands. Most homemakers have maids around who do the house chores while they sit and probably watch TV, drink juice, and use social media.
The consequences of oversitting at a place negatively influence our health. For example, when we sit in a place for too long, our body becomes inactive, causing us to gain weight, increase blood sugar, and increase blood pressure and belly fat(Laskowski, 2022). These health conditions could lead to severe chronic conditions like Diabetes mellitus, High blood pressure, heart disease, or even cancer (Laskowski, 2022).
Our body needs to be active to encourage blood flow. Mayo Clinic suggests moving our bodies as regularly as possible. We can move around while making that phone call. We can also give the gate man a break and open that gate for visitors at home.
Getting our bodies more active can help us burn calories, relieve stress, increase our energy, and keep us mentally balanced.
Overeating
Nigeria’s extravagant food culture encourages overeating and food waste. There is a difference between “we live to eat, and we eat to live.” People eat in Nigeria because there is food to eat, not because they are hungry. Overeating is a habit that has existed since the word `Go.’ We go to a feast where there is too much to eat; we eat as much as possible and even have some to take home. So what do we call that? Hunger? Maybe or not. It has become a lifestyle habit. People say, “that is who we are,” others say, “it is our culture.” So the lifestyle that causes more harm than good should be changed to allow good ones to thrive.
Overeating causes us to accumulate weight and calories and increases troubled sleepless nights. This unhealthy habit can also lead to illnesses like the ones mentioned above. Have we ever wondered why we eat so many portions and still want to eat more? Overeating causes our stomachs to get more expansive to accommodate the amount of food we eat, possibly causing heartburn. The more we eat, our body works hard to do more work to burn calories (BLACKBURN 2018).
Practicing mindful eating can help us prevent the effects of overeating. Check out this article on mindful eating.
Smoking
Smoking in Nigeria was frowned upon in early growing up. People see smokers as not good people to emulate. Today smoking has been modernized through showbiz. People now see it as something to feel complete: a “slaying tins” or “balling.” Smoking is an unhealthy habit linked to the root cause of heart disease and Lung cancer-COPD. Smoking can damage our organs. These are chronic diseases making them a lifetime companion.
Nigeria is a country with a flawed healthcare system. This unhealthy lifestyle affects not only the person but the whole family and finances.
More and more people are quitting smoking because of its effects on the body. Many more restaurants and bars are going smoke-free. Some clubs now have designated areas made for smokers.
Quitting smoking is one giant step anyone could make to promote one’s health. No time is too late, even if we have been in the habit for so long. Too late is when we never quit.
Procrastination
This is one habit that cripples us. Could it be laziness? Could it be over-trusting oneself? Whatever it is, procrastination makes people lose more than gain. We all have the habit of procrastinating. Sometimes we forget and realize later that we have spent so much time doing and achieving nothing. That made us feel worse when reflecting on a lost day.
Procrastination can worsen people’s mental and physical well-being. The habit of procrastination can also affect people’s finances, relationships with others, and self-esteem. People who are in school also have problems with academic performance.
Setting daily goals ahead of time by working on our mindset lets us plan and execute as planned.
Spending more than we have or earn
Show off? Competition? or Is it dealing with stress? These are some reasons why people indulge in overspending. So why do we have to spend money on things we do not necessarily need? Why do we have to compete to show that we can also afford a thing when we cannot? Whom are we trying to impress? Ourselves, the self-imposed opponent, or the society? Overspending can lead us to accumulate unnecessary debt if we do not control it. This habit of spending more than we earn can affect our relationship with people and our mental well-being.
Spending within our means and wisely will allow us to save more money and invest in better things, thereby keeping us financially comfortable.
Negative self-talk
Tell a typical Nigerian woman, “You look good” the answer you will get is, “like this, me that…….” Then some negative words follow. Many people find it challenging to tell themselves something good. People feel it is a kind of humility if we talk down on ourselves. That is what society wants, but that is not what we want.
Talking down on ourselves can cause us to lose self-confidence and esteem. It is about how we feel. So let us be sincere to ourselves. If we want to feel better, using positive words about ourselves will encourage and make us feel optimistic about a situation.
In conclusion, Habits are repetitive behaviors that also can be changed. They say change is a constant thing in life, but no matter how stable, it involves persistence. So change comes when something needs improvement or is beneficial to a Person.
Habits that are not beneficial to us must be changed to allow healthier habits to thrive. If you have problems making changes, seeking help should be your next option.
Changing an unhealthy habit today can improve our health and overall well-being.
