Do you have a bad habit you wish you could quit?

smoking

Procrastinating… it’s a work in progress. I’ve found it very motivating to write down how long certain chores/tasks will actually take to complete, that way when I’m tempted to put something off I focus on how long it would actually take to just do it vs. how long I could potentially spend worrying about it/procrastinating.

I learned this technique from a book titled The Procrastinator’s Handbook.

Smoking a lot (2–3 packs/day) and lately drinking far too much. Doing nothing about it and frankly hoping it kills me.

Doughnuts. what else??

Nail-biting. I stopped for a while. Just started to paint my nails.

I’ve had to take it up again because I play the violin. Don’t ask, it just works.

nail biting, the only time I don’t do it is when I’m so mentally engaged with a task I forget all about it and keeping that level of activity up just isn’t realistic. I’ve found if I focus on stopping it as soon as I start it works, but when I’m distracted by the time I realize it only one or two terrified nails left.

I used smokeless tobacco products for 23 years and I quit cold turkey in 2004. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done since that habit is so horribly addictive. After going to the dentist and him telling me my habit was wearing away my gums and him seeing pre-cancerous tissue in my gum line, that was enough right there to scare me into quitting.

I’m sure the difficulties or obstacles for each individual person quitting a habit will be different and I think you probably need to be in a serious and dedicated mindset that you’re going to use all your will power to quit that habit. Will power was a problem for me because I would crave having smokeless tobacco after meals, when I would sit down for an activity, and other things. I usually ate something or chewed some gum to take my mind off engaging in the habit.

My first 72 hours after quitting was the very hardest of all and not only because of the cravings but because I was weaning my body off of the nicotine addiction. It slowly became easier to go without the product in the ensuing weeks but it was a struggle nevertheless.

I know how hard this can be so I sincerely wish people the best of luck in trying to quit any habit they don’t want. I’ve been there before and I’ve felt your pain.

@Bluefreedom: I too had an addiction to smokeless tobacco. I used it for 4 years on and off, but fairly often within the past year. I wanted to stop because my breath was terrible and just messy especially living with other people and them seeing all of my spit bottles around. I knew it was disgusting and I wanted to stop, but I just got into a routine of doing it. I felt my gums wearing away as well. I finally told myself one day to just stop it all together and I did it. Don’t get me wrong….I still want to do it, but the health aspects, which you know, are just to overbearing and it is not worth it. I am glad you stopped and keep up the good work. We will be addicted to it the rest of our lives. So firmly making the decision in not going back is what we have to live by.

My bad habit is being lazy. I have always been a person who lives by a routine and since attending college I have been so lazy. I’ve been drinking too often, staying up late, sleeping in too often, and missing classes. My laziness has caused me to not even want to get up and get ready for thing I enjoy doing like making a nice meal, playing basketball, or going to work and making money.

It is now hard for me to get out of the routine of “being lazy” because I have done it enough where it has become my new routine. I want to turn things around, so I guess I just have to take it day-by-day and get up and move

@mass_pike4. Kudos to you for stopping as well. After almost 6 years of quitting the habit, there are still times when I get the urge to want to start up again and it’s a continual fight. Like you said, we’re addicted to it for life but the will power reigns supreme for the time being. Stay strong.

fluther

Smoking also. I’m going slowly but seems good so far.

I’ve overcome smoking three times in my life – once for a year, once for 6 months, and then from when I was about 3 months pregnant until now (my baby is 3 months old now). Right now I’m not addicted, but whenever someone lets me get a smoke or two, I’ll smoke them. I have very good self control, though, and the simple fact that I literally don’t have the money to buy cigarettes will keep me from getting addicted (I’ll throw out the cigs if I feel like I’m starting to NEED them).

I’ve also overcome a drug addiction – I’ve been clean for a year and 1 month now. That was through the support of clean friends and the NA program, as well as intensive outpatient in a rehab center.

Now what I need to get over is my addiction to the internet – like most addicts, once I give up drinking and drugs my addiction just jumps to something else. I was never on the computer when I was using, but now I spend all my free time on it.

I have a tendency to interrupt. I don’t intend disrespect but it is a disrespectful behavior none the less. I have learned to do it much less but despite my ADD, I still take responsibility for this fault.

Yes, my wife.