What do bad human habits indicate?

Ever since you were in school, have you been chewing caps and every time you apologize to a colleague after “sharpening” her next pen? Or maybe you just can’t control the urge to put things in order everywhere, and you automatically line up cosmetic jars in neat rows on your friend’s dressing table, and then meet her indignant gaze?

Whatever you say, habit is truly second nature, and getting rid of another “I” that interferes with normal life can be very difficult. However, before you get rid of something, you need to understand the reasons for its appearance, says psychologist Oksana Alberti.

We repeat the same action every day, sometimes without realizing it. We often encounter the disapproval of others and quarrel with loved ones if our habits are completely harmful, for example, smoking or a passion for alcoholic beverages. But here’s what’s surprising: no matter how hard we try to get rid of them, habits don’t go away. In addition to spoiled relationships with relatives and friends, we also get internal discomfort that prevents us from living.
“Most habits are signals from our subconscious. If you know how to read them, you can understand about a person even what he does not understand about himself. You can also understand what he knows about himself, how he lived and lives, how he built himself. This requires desire, attention and a little knowledge,” says the psychologist. That is why we took on a very interesting, but difficult task - to find out what these or other bad habits say about us.
HABIT OF NAIL BITTER
Needless to say, a person with bitten nails looks repulsive? For many men, neat female fingers are a fetish, and therefore you should not count on increased attention to your person if, instead of nails, you only have something vaguely reminiscent of them. “The habit of biting nails speaks of internal tension, unconscious anxiety. As a rule, it is associated with low self-esteem and lack of self-love. In addition, by gnawing our hands and making them ugly, we unconsciously punish ourselves for not being worthy of love,” the expert comments.
THE HABIT OF CHEWING THE CAP OF A PEN
Firstly, every time you bring a pen to your mouth, remember that it may be dirty, and then problems will begin for you not only on a psychological, but also on a physiological level. And secondly, such a habit will most likely negatively affect your reputation at work. Oksana Alberti is sure that a person who chews a pen is perceived by others as an unbalanced type: “This habit speaks of the internal anxiety and tension of its owner. And one more thing: as you know, any elongated oblong object in our unconscious is a phallic symbol. The habit of constantly sucking or gnawing on something like this is an unconscious way of receiving pleasure through the mouth (oral). This may indicate a high degree of subconscious concentration on erotic pleasures.”
SMOKING AND ADDICTION TO ALCOHOL
According to the psychologist, the role of physiological dependence in this case is greatly exaggerated, and talking about physiology is only a way to justify one’s own reluctance to give up a harmful addiction: “Smoking and alcohol give us additional pleasure, give us a feeling of an influx of energy, and sway our feelings. They also play the role of some kind of psychological “painkillers”. People engaged in active intellectual activity often smoke - they need it to slow down their actively working consciousness.”


HABIT OF OVEREATING
Unfortunately, some people cannot stop not only with alcohol, but also with food. They eat until the button on their jeans pops off and they feel sick. The result is excess weight, dissatisfaction with oneself and an uncontrollable desire to eat away the grief that I created for myself.
“The root of most of our bad habits is the desire for additional pleasure. Food is a powerful pleasure. In addition, in our subconscious, food and sex feel very similar. When we lack love, we try to compensate with sex. When we lack love and sex, we compensate with food,” explains Oksana Alberti. FANATIC LOVE OF ORDER
Such people are called neaties - they restore order everywhere, even where they are not asked to do so. This sometimes really irritates those around you, since such behavior takes the form of mania, rather than a healthy craving for cleanliness. “This habit speaks of a person’s craving for the ideal, and it can prevent you from feeling comfortable if someone violates your ideal order. The more you want to hold on to something perfect, the more often it will be violated, because perfect does not exist in the world. And the stronger your desire, the greater the trauma for you will be the violation of this ideal. For example, you will constantly quarrel with those who rearrange things on your desk, and you will simply become unbearable for your colleagues,” the expert comments.
THE HABIT OF ASKING AGAIN
Surely you sometimes ask your interlocutor for the end of a phrase, although you heard it perfectly well. Many people are interested in why this happens. Oksana Alberti answers: “Most likely, this means echolalia - an uncontrolled repetition of the last phrase heard. This phenomenon in adults may be a symptom of developing schizophrenia or other mental illnesses. In this case, it is better to contact a specialist.”


THE HABIT OF PICKING SOMETHING
If you are haunted by a healing wound, nail polish, or a pimple that has appeared and you definitely want to pick them out, then most likely you need to work on achieving inner harmony. “This habit is akin to biting nails - it speaks of anxiety and dissatisfaction. Also about subconscious idealism - you want everything to be somehow ideal, but most importantly, not as it is now. For example, you touch undried nail polish - this is a subconscious desire for it to dry as quickly as possible and quickly make you perfectly beautiful. It’s the same with a sore - it speaks of a constant internal rush,” explains the psychologist.
THE HABIT OF CRACKING YOUR FINGERS
According to Oksana Alberti's observations, men crack their knuckles more often than women. “Such a habit speaks of internal self-doubt,” adds the psychologist.
HABIT OF BITING CHEEKS AND LIPS
Those who constantly bite the inside of their cheeks and lips are familiar with the problem of unpleasant ulcers in the mouth, but this is not the only difficulty, says the psychologist. “The mouth is a place through which we receive many sensual pleasures, not only from delicious food, but also erotic ones. Unconsciously injuring yourself in the mouth area is punishing yourself for being too internally focused on these pleasures.”
HABIT OF TEARING LABELS
Previously, those who constantly tore off labels from everywhere (from shampoo packages, jars of cream and various pickles) were said to lack sex, but Oksana Alberti has a different opinion on this matter: “And again we are talking about idealism and perfectionism . In our subconscious, a smooth and clean surface looks more perfect.”

After observing yourself and the people around you, you can notice how many bad habits we have: some gnaw or constantly bite their lower lip, others scratch their heads or scratch their faces until bloody wounds appear. By practicing such habits, we harm not only our own body (for example, injury to the skin leads to infections), but also our image. Agree that not everyone likes the sight of a person gnawing on the street or in the office.

Do not rush to judge yourself or others, as bad habits are not always a sign of improper upbringing. Sometimes, our body simply indicates the presence of health problems in this way. Having managed to decipher them correctly, you will forever get rid of these unpleasant “little things”.

Nail biting

Psychologists believe that the sucking reflex usually has a purely psychological background: in the family, at work, dissatisfaction with appearance, feelings of anxiety or guilt, and other similar emotional states of a person.

Try to analyze when it started, and then eliminate the situation that causes psychological discomfort. If you cannot help yourself, seek help from a psychologist. A conversation with a good specialist will help you understand yourself and overcome a bad habit.

Scratching my head

As in the previous case, skin can be a consequence of emotional experiences: when preparing for an important interview or exam, or when breaking up a relationship. In addition, this habit may signal fungal infections and other diseases, or may be an allergic reaction to inappropriate shampoo, certain foods, or medications. A dermatologist, allergist or neurologist can identify the true cause.

Touch your face

Many people have the habit of holding their hands near their faces, and sometimes even scratching their skin until wounds appear. This habit may indicate excessive dry skin or an inflammatory source. Also, skin can be a symptom of demodicosis (a disease that is accompanied by microscopic skin lesions). When it starts in eyelashes, you constantly want to honor your eyes.

Crunch your fingers

People who like to crack their fingers note that it helps them relieve tension, relieve stiffness, and relax their hands. But doctors do not recommend doing this, as it destabilizes, which can lead to various problems. An experienced orthopedic traumatologist will help determine the cause of the unpleasant feeling of stiffness in the joints and recommend procedures, and maybe even a set of exercises. Probably the reason for this is improper distribution of the load, which, if eliminated, will eliminate the annoying dependence forever.

Useful tips

Many bad habits are unconscious. Don't try to get rid of them in a day. First you need to at least accept the idea that this or that problem exists, and that this problem needs to be solved.

Ask friends and family to watch you and comment whenever you raise your hands to your face or slouch.

Try replacing a bad habit with a good one. Instead of biting your nails, you can occupy your hands with embroidery or knitting.

The next time you feel like scratching your head, for example, go to the mirror. You probably won't like it very much, and you'll unlearn it.

Many people underestimate the power of suggestion. Close your eyes and try to imagine that you have gotten rid of the unfortunate habit.

What are bad habits? Each of us has our own “beauty sin”: some can’t resist and squeeze out pimples, some bite their nails, and others constantly pull at their hair.

Psychologists have found out what each of these bad habits of women means!

What are the consequences of bad habits: psychology

If you bite your nails

You are a perfectionist. You are very responsible and careful, you check everything down to the last detail and sometimes you can delay the delivery of a project because it has not yet been brought to perfection. Allow yourself to be calmer about your work, because it is impossible to achieve the ideal. Invite your colleagues to help, consult with them more often and share the burden of responsibility - and you can forget about bad habits.

If you squeeze pimples

Psychologists believe that any skin problems are problems between your inner self and the outside world. The skin is the barrier that separates them, and accordingly, your desire to damage it (and this is how the desire to squeeze out a pimple or blackhead is regarded) is an unconscious attempt to become more open, trusting against the backdrop of fears that the world is not as friendly as it seems. Chat with friends more often, make new acquaintances, or - ideally - take part in some kind of volunteer project. Believe me, there are more good people than bad!

If you pull your hair

You braid and unbraid your hair, twist a curl around your finger, pull a strand... What does this habit mean? You're just reflecting. You tend to think about events that have already happened a million times, trying to find the best answer to the boss, a more cutting phrase that would cut off the tram boor, the most correct advice that you could give to a friend... Think about why you should waste time on the past. What happened was what happened, and even if something went wrong, this is not a reason to torment yourself with endless “I should have...”. Pay more attention to today, and try to treat mistakes as lessons: yes, it didn’t work out very well, but that’s already in the past!

If you pull your eyelashes

Some even “manage” to pluck them completely! The psychology of such bad habits is hidden aggression. You're hurt, upset, or disappointed, but you don't give yourself permission to express your anger openly. And you direct it inward, causing discomfort and even pain to yourself. Give free rein to your feelings! Go to the gym and grind a pear, shoot snowballs at a tree, write a letter to the offender, explaining how he hurt you, or tell a friend how unfairly your colleagues treated you. Don't keep it to yourself!

Have you ever encountered the problem of uncontrolled and mindless food consumption? When do you constantly look into the refrigerator throughout the day for another snack, despite the fact that you don’t even feel particularly hungry?

If so, then I understand you perfectly, since I myself suffered from an eating disorder and know what it is.

Today I will tell you about 9 effective ways to stop eating all the time. If you follow my advice, you will only eat when you are hungry!

1. Eat regularly

This is one of the most effective ways to get rid of uncontrolled food consumption.

You should eat regularly, in small portions, in order to avoid feelings of hunger and the temptation to snack once again.

2. Learn to distract yourself

If you suddenly feel the urge to eat at an inopportune time, just do something to distract yourself. Read or do some DIY until the feeling goes away.

A simple but very effective way to accustom yourself to a new regime!

3. Drink water

To break the vicious cycle of mindless food consumption, drink more water.

We often mistake thirst for hunger, and dehydration can potentially lead to overeating.

Next time you want to snack, drink some water and notice how you feel.

If you maintain your water balance, your food cravings should decrease!

4. Change your habits

Changing your habits is a great way to stop eating on autopilot.

After all, habit is the main culprit of our unhealthy eating behavior.

Try changing your daily routine and doing something new!

There are many options to spend your time productively, you just need to choose what you like!

5. Keep a food diary

A diary is a wonderful way to bring yourself to clean water and understand the reasons for the uncontrolled absorption of food.

Track your mood, food intake, time, and other factors to identify patterns in your behavior.

We often eat out of boredom or emotion, and a journal can help you get closer to solving the puzzle faster.

6. Make a plan to achieve what you want

Once you've identified your food triggers using a journal, think about what psychological effect you expect from consuming too much food.

Then make a plan on how you can achieve the desired sensations without involving food.

7. Create obstacles

If your work colleague always has a bowl of candy on his desk or your spouse always keeps a pack of cookies on hand, then try to create some kind of barrier between you and the food to avoid unnecessary temptations.

Ask your colleague to remove the vase from the table, and ask your spouse to have a snack while you are not in the kitchen.

8. Eat slowly

If you eat your food slowly, savoring every bite, you will be able to listen to your body and feel full in time, thereby avoiding overeating.

Develop the habit of eating slowly, and you will notice that you begin to consume much less food!

9. Don't deprive yourself of your favorite foods

By completely giving up your favorite foods, you only increase the risk of developing excessive cravings for them and, as a result, a breakdown.

Treat yourself to them in moderation from time to time!

I hope the tips I have given will help you get rid of the constant desire to eat.

It will take time to get used to a new diet, but remember that you are not born with an eating disorder, which means you always have a chance to change everything!

We all have certain habits - both good and bad. We rarely think about them too much - primarily because they are... well... familiar. However, have you ever wondered when and how you acquired them? For example, if you often bite your nails, where did this nervous and mostly subconscious habit come from?

If we consult neuroscientists and behavioral scientists about which part of the brain is responsible for our habits, their answer is unlikely to surprise us - habits are formed in the emotional center of the brain, the so-called basal ganglia. Well, the logical part of our brain responsible for making meaningful decisions, called the prefrontal cortex, often leaves us feeling guilty after we took part in unwanted and illogical behavior. For example, when you, on impulse, take a credit card out of your wallet, the emotional part of your brain is responsible for this, and then the logical part begins to remind you that you could not afford those expensive shoes, and now you will have to sit for a couple of weeks on bread and water. The same parts of your brain come into play when you allow yourself another slice of chocolate cake, only to start regretting it just a few minutes later.

What can be considered positive habits? Positive habits can only be considered those habits that have a beneficial effect on our physical and mental health. People who have developed a lot of positive habits tend to show high levels of discipline and self-control. In other words, their prefrontal cortex is firing on all cylinders, preventing our emotions from taking control of our behavior when we don't want it to. On the other hand, if we rarely use the part of our brain responsible for logical behavior, this can lead to the rapid formation of bad habits. I believe you are already convinced that it is our habits that ultimately determine whether we will be happy or not.

The role of habit in personality

So what connects our personality and the habits we have formed? We can well define personality as “the outer shell and behavior of a person.” Most often, habits manifest themselves there, in this very “outer shell”. Moreover, our habits make up a large part of our personality. And therefore, even the most seemingly tiny and insignificant habits can allow us to look into the depths of our own soul and understand what really lurks there. Well, in this article you will learn what some of our habits can (and do) say about us and our personality.

So here's what these five habits say about us:

“Our personality is largely the sum of our habits” - Stephen Covey

1. Your gait

Body language expert Patty Wood says the way you walk can say a lot about your personality. If you walk with your body leaning forward (as if about to lunge at someone or something) and look straight ahead, then you are most likely an ambitious and goal-oriented person. At the same time, you may seem unapproachable and cold to other people. If you have a light gait, you mostly step on the toes of both feet, and look down while walking, this indicates greater introversion, shyness and daydreaming.

People with a springy gait, who constantly look around while walking, are usually sociable and good-natured, although they may be prone to vanity. Finally, people whose gait is leisurely and grounded, and they take every step as they walk, enjoy being around others, have a high degree of empathy, and are team-oriented.

2. Email writing style

Some psychologists believe that the style of email messages (as well as paper letters) can reveal a lot about the character and personality of the person who wrote it. For example, the complete absence of typos and grammatical errors indicates the author’s attentiveness and literacy, but also his possible tendency toward perfectionism and idealization. Long letters indicate a thorough and energetic personality. In addition, this may indicate that the author of such a letter is missing something in his life. Introverts do not like “water” in the text, trying to get straight to the point, while extroverts write in a more relaxed and informal style, and also like to “play” with words and deviate from the chosen topic.

3. Punctuality

Have you ever had someone stop a business meeting because you stumbled into the meeting room in the middle of it, out of breath and definitely half an hour or more late—not for the first time? If optionality and lack of punctuality have become a habit for you, people around you may well consider you to be unreliable or too relaxed. Well, if you try to arrive early every time, this may indicate a slight tendency towards neurosis. And finally, people who try to show up on time usually show such character traits as the ability to find a common language with other people, conscientiousness and reliability.

4. The way you eat

Juliet Boghossian, a Los Angeles-based behavioral scientist and founder of Food-ology, a firm that studies food-related behaviors, says how and what we eat can reveal a lot about a person's personality traits. “Eating habits can shed light on many aspects of a person's personality, as well as behavioral tendencies,” writes Boghossian. Slow eaters "tend to like to be in control and know how to enjoy life." Often, at the same time, they are also very balanced and confident people. People who quickly gobble up everything on their plate “are often ambitious, goal-oriented, but also impatient.”

“The speed at which people eat has a lot to do with the speed at which you live and enjoy life,” adds Boghossian. Well then, what about people who can’t stand certain foods? It is quite possible that they simply have a habit of aversion to these products, which developed in childhood. A ridiculously stubborn reluctance to try new foods (sometimes called “food neophobia”) is also associated with certain character traits and mental characteristics, such as anxiety, a tendency toward neurosis, and a fear of new experiences.

5. Your handwriting

Graphology is the science that studies the physical characteristics of handwriting and how they relate to character traits. Some psychologists believe that graphological examination can provide a fairly detailed picture of the personality characteristics and character traits of a particular person. Graphologists, experts in handwriting analysis, say that a person's handwriting can indicate more than 5,000 different personality traits. Here are just a few of them:

• Size of letters and words: capital letters indicate that you want to be noticed and understood. Small letters indicate the ability for strong concentration and determination, and are generally a sign of introverts.
• Incline: if you have a tendency to slant your letters to the right, this may indicate that you are friendly, sentimental and a little impulsive. The lack of slanting of the letters is a sign of a cold-blooded and methodical personality. The tilt of the letters to the left suggests that you prefer to work with things rather than people.
• Handle pressure: pressing hard on a pen or pencil indicates strong emotionality and a tendency to lose one's temper. Light pressure indicates a lighter attitude towards life and a desire for new experiences.
• Are your letters connected together: If your letters are tightly packed into words, you are likely to be logical, methodical, and make decisions carefully. If the letters in a word are far from each other, this indicates an intellectual and intuitive person.