Category: General Health

The Astrology of Bad Habits

Astrology is a complex subject, and when it comes to bad habits it is no different. There are many details to consider about any person when discussing their astrological sign. Birth date is just one of them. However, it is fun to dabble in astrology and find out the general rules for the astrology of bad habits.

Capricorns are said to be persistent, hard workers. Perhaps this is why they are thought to be workaholics. They are driven to get the job done no matter how long it takes.

In fact, they may not stop with the job at hand, but go on to other jobs instead of going home and relaxing at the end of the day. They can help curb these bad habits by keeping a gratitude journal.

Aquarius is a sign given to independent people. In many ways this is a good thing. However, they have the bad habits of shutting people out of their lives. They do like novelty, though. Close relationships that involve a creative aspect are for them.

Alcoholism is one of the major bad habits of people born under the Pisces sign. The usual treatments for alcoholism apply to them, just as they do for anyone else. Bad habits like this are hard to overcome.

Aries is a sign of selfish people. The best way for them to combat this is to care for another living being. Taurus people thrive on clutter. All they need is a little direction in how to get organized. These are both fairly innocuous bad habits.

If you live with a Gemini, then you probably find yourself talking to the air at times. A Gemini has bad habits when it comes to paying attention to people talking to them. If you do not talk to them, they will eventually beg you to do so.

Cancer peoples’ sugar addictions can only be aided by substituting sweets like dried fruits, for example. Their bad habits are based on oral gratification. Leos are all full of themselves. They will keep up their bad habits of bragging on themselves until they learn to be different. They can do this by practicing complimenting people.

Virgos have more habits that can be good or bad habits. It depends upon how you look at them. Virgos are bent on perfection. Nothing is ever good enough for them. If you encourage them to lighten up and have some fun, they can reduce these bad habits.

Libras love to look at pretty things. It would be nice if they would spend their time taking walks in the garden, or going to fine arts museums. However, many Libras go to another extreme. They become shopaholics to gratify the urge to be around beautiful things. These are costly bad habits to have.

Scorpio people can have the bad habits of getting very angry and holding onto that anger for a long time. Doing relaxing things like getting a massage will help them ease away their anger. Finally, there are the Sagittarians. These people have the bad habits of going overboard with honesty. They just need to learn a little compassion and tact.

While these descriptions might not apply to you, a detailed analysis of your horoscope may reveal something more telling. Or, you may not believe them at all. In any case, find your bad habits by whatever means it takes and eradicate them.

Support Groups for People with Bad Habits

There are support groups all over the world for people with bad habits. These groups provide a framework by which the person with bad habits can get better. They are available to anyone who wants to attend.

Alcoholics Anonymous is the gold standard for support groups. There people with bad habits relating to alcohol can meet and discuss their bad habits. They can talk about their experiences and share their hopes. They can gain strength by spending time with people whose goal is also to banish their bad habits.

Alcoholics Anonymous practices the Twelve-Step program for those whose bad habits have brought them to seek help. The system is designed to guide alcoholics through their despair and into sobriety. It is a rigorous program, but it is worth the work if you come out on the other side without your bad habits.

Another group the uses the Twelve-Step program for gaining control over bad habits is Overeaters Anonymous. Contrary to what the name implies, it is not just for people who eat too much. The largest number of members of any one group is those who overeat. However, it is also for those with bulimia or anorexia. It is for anyone who is “powerless over food.”

This group holds meetings as AA does. It also uses tests and other tools to help people evaluate the extent of their bad habits and depression. The Twelve-Step program leads them to work on their bad habits from perspectives that are physical, emotional, and spiritual. It has helped many people to gain control over their eating disorders.

Yet another group is based on the Twelve-Step program of Alcoholics Anonymous. This is Narcotics Anonymous. It is for people with bad habits with all kinds of drugs. You can be involved in the program no matter what kind(s) of drugs you used.

It does not matter if you used a few times or you used constantly for years. The important thing is what you want to do about it. Narcotics Anonymous provides you with a way to deal with these destructive bad habits in your life if you will do the work.

There are all kinds of smoking cessation support groups to help people quit their bad habits with smoking. There are groups at medical centers. There are groups at colleges. Some groups meet at community centers.

There are even smoking cessation groups that meet online. The websites give quite a bit of helpful information about your bad habits. They often will have a blog where people can compare notes about how their recovery from nicotine is going. Then, there are live chat support groups.

There are not support groups for all the bad habits that people have. No one is going to go around smacking your hand and saying,”Do not drum your fingers!” At least, they will not do it as a support group. Yet, for many serious bad habits, there is help. In some cases, you will have to drive across town. In other cases, it is as near as your computer.

Social Bad Habits

Having bad habits in social situations can make you a very unpopular person. You may not even know how others feel about your social blunders. However, if you are acting in ways that are not considered appropriate, people will notice.

Many bad habits can be noticed when people go out to a restaurant together. It can be a very unpleasant experience if people have certain bad habits. For instance, chewing with an open mouth can be disgusting to the person watching. When a person does this, it is a thoughtless gesture.

Some people have the bad habits of eating other peoples’ food. They will just reach over and take a bite of something on their neighbor’s plate. They do not consider the fact that the person might want to be asked first. They do not take into account that the person might find it repulsive to share food with someone who has already used their fork.

Loudness in a restaurant is a bad habit that is sometimes appropriate and sometimes is not. In some settings, loudness is the order of the day. In quiet restaurants, though, a person needs to leave the volume turned to a low level. They need to try to fit in with the ambience of the restaurant.

Have you ever heard someone belch, and then say “not bad manners, just good food”? Well, it is bad manners, and bad habits, too. Nobody wants to hear that, and it is not excused by an attempt at humor. Some people seem to do this every time they feel the urge without thought to how others feel.

One of the sickening bad habits people have at restaurants is blowing their noses in a cloth napkin. It is not appropriate to blow their nose at the table in the first place. When they use a cloth napkin, the waiter cannot just throw it away. It has to be handled in order to be washed and reused. It is an inconsiderate bad habit.

Some parents have bad habits when it comes to their children’s public behavior. Some will let their children run through the restaurant doing as they please. They will not say a word when their children misbehave. This can spoil an otherwise nice evening.

Other parents are so harsh and critical with their children that it also destroys any chance of anyone having a good time. These are bad habits just as letting the kids be destructive are. Ideally, parents can find a middle ground.

There are also bad habits that affect the way people feel about themselves. If you are a know-it-all, a person might feel inferior to you at first. Eventually, though, it will get old and they will resent you. If you are tactless, you can hurt peoples’ feelings without thinking. You do it just because you are in the habit of “telling the truth.”

There are bad habits that affect the way you communicate with others in the social setting. Monopolizing the conversation may make you feel good, but others will feel unappreciated. Interrupting can be a bad habit that prevents you from developing closeness with acquaintances.

Correct your bad habits in social situations and you will find that people are friendlier with you. You will see that good habits will get you much more good attention than bad habits.

Self Help Books About Bad Habits

Bad habits can take over your life. They can make you fail at work, school, and relationships. It is important to address these issues. Self help books are great for this. Here are a few.

The 12 Bad Habits That Hold Good People Back: Overcoming the Behavior Patterns That Keep You From Getting Ahead is a book by Waldroop and Butler. This book focuses on bad habits in the workplace. It explains how you can understand your own bad habits and learn new ways to relate to people. They suggest that doing this will help you to advance and prosper in your career.

James Claiborn, Ph.D. and Cherry Pedrick, R.N. have collaborated on a book about all habits. It is called The Habit Change Workbook: How to Break Bad Habits and Form Good Ones. This book follows a cognitive-behavioral approach to bad habits. It uses psychological principles to get to the root of bad habits. Then, it goes into great detailed steps of how to break them. It also tells about a group of people who have bad habits and explains how each one is conquering theirs.

What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do: Bad Habits and Addictions is a short book on the subject by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. It offers a religious perspective to those who feel overcome by their failings. It gives advice on how to find ways out of habits and addictions.

One book is a rather heavy read on the subject of addictions. However, it does offer some sound psychological advice. It is titled Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Six-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving Your Life Positively Forward. The authors, James O. Prochaska, John Norcross, and Carlo DiClemente, work together to put together a system of coping with undesirable behaviors. It involves six steps, which are discussed in full.

If you have children you want to help, there is a book for you, too. It is called Good Kids, Bad Habits: The RealAge Guide to Raising Healthy Children. In it, Jennifer Tratchenberg discusses the kinds of habits children have as they are growing up. She gives insight into how these habits can follow them into later life. Then, the author helps parents set up a program that is designed specifically for their child. This will help the children to break bad habits.

Of course, what subject would be complete without an “Idiot’s Guide?” Suzanne LeVert has come up with the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Breaking Bad Habits. This book is a tremendous introduction on the subject of bad habits. At the same time, it does it with a sense of humor and warmth. Reading this book may not break your bad habit. However, it may put you in the right frame of mind to do it.

Self help books for breaking bad habits are very useful tools. They help those habituated to understand their problem behaviors and find ways to banish them. It always helps to have a second opinion. Reading these books on bad habits will give you advice that you would never think of on your own.