Nail-Biting & 4 Other M’sian Bad Habits That Are Extremely Harmful & How to Stop in Time For New Year

One thing about bad habits is the fact that they happen without us even realising it; and the worst part is the fact that although it’s easy to start, it’s incredibly difficult to stop. To top it all off, some of these common bad habits we Malaysians do can be extremely harmful to our health. So, if you’re doing any of these listed below, here’s how it can affect you and some suggestions on how to stop before the new year:

1. Biting your nails

Source: IndiaTV

It could have been a habit that started when you were younger or it could even be a coping mechanism for the stress and anxiety you’re experiencing. Either way, biting your nails frequently can lead to damaged skin around your nail as well as an increased risk of infection.

Source: FlawsandFungus

It can also cause colds and other illnesses because of the bacteria that transfers from your fingers to your mouth every time you bite your nails. And depending on what you touched beforehand, you can be at risk of ingesting tapeworms and other nasty stuff. Biting on your nails also ruins your teeth and can cause them to grow in odd angles.

How to stop:

• If you’re a girl, apply some nail polish to give it that bitter taste – this will discourage biting!
• Always ensure nails are trimmed
• Chew gum
• If all else fails, it could be your stress and anxiety that’s causing this bad habit. If so, be sure to manage your stress or worse comes to worst, visit a therapist

2. Feeling angry, upset or stressed out often

Do you have a tendency to feel unhappy about something? Whether it’s your relationship with bae, or maybe your boss is being a pain, if something causes you to feel any of these negative emotions often, you might want to be careful! You might not think that feeling this way is a big deal, but it can actually cause havoc in your body.

These types of emotions are only meant to be short-lived, otherwise, it can lead to chronic stress, depression, and an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and the list goes on. What’s more, recent studies have found that anxiety and depression are linked to a higher chance of dying from cancer.

How to stop:

• Exercise! Jog, swim, or just take a walk so you can engage those happy hormones (endorphins)
• Pinpoint what triggers these emotions and try to react differently (i.e. instead of getting mad, take a deep breath, go for a walk, have some candy even)
• Get help! Visit a psychiatrist, psychologist or counsellor

3. Slouching whenever you’re sitting down

Source: Shutterstock

Did you know that for every inch your head is bent forwards, you’re adding almost 5kg of pressure to your spine? That’s a lot of weight! Putting so much strain on your back can actually lead to a multitude of problems such as headaches because of your tensed muscles, jaw pains, physical imbalance, and worst of all spine alignment issues because your body is constantly bent in an odd position. So always be aware of how you’re sitting, especially at work or in school where you spend most of your time sitting!

How to stop:

• Do some simple stretches at your desk every 30 minutes to loosen up the tension in your body and remind yourself to sit up straight
• Place a large enough pillow behind you that will force you to sit upright
• If you’re in front of a computer often, place the screen higher, preferably at eye-level so you won’t be looking down

4. Sleeping on your tummy

Source: SpineHealth

Bet you didn’t know there’s a wrong way to sleep too!

Although it is believed that sleeping on your stomach can reduce snoring, it’s horrible for your back and neck. Studies have shown that people who sleep on their tummies often suffer some form of pain because of the strain they put on their spine when they sleep this way. According to Mayo Clinic, most of your weight ends up in the middle of your body when you sleep on your tummy. This makes it difficult for the spine to maintain a neutral or straight position.

What’s more, sleeping on your tummy would mean having to tilt your head sideways in order to breathe. This causes your head and spine to go out of alignment and thus, twisting your neck. Overtime, this can lead to a rupture in the gelatinous disk between your vertebrae.

Source: WestCoastSCI

How to avoid serious injury and stop sleeping on your tummy:

• Place a thin pillow or bolster under your pelvis to help maintain your spine’s natural shape
• For your head, use a thin pillow or none at all so that your head and neck will be less angled
• Stretch every morning to help your back realign and gently strengthen the supporting muscles
• To stop sleeping on your tummy altogether, start by sleeping with the pillow under your pelvis first, then move to sleep on your side; over time you should be able to go back to sleeping on your back.

5. Smoking to relieve stress

Source: AlbertonRecord

Everyone knows smoking is bad. Unfortunately, it’s a habit that’s one of the hardest to break. It’s also one of the worst habits on the list because of how it harms your body. Not only does smoking thicken your blood and increases the chances of blood clots, but it also increases blood pressure, narrows arteries, weakens bones, lungs and so many other things. Let’s not forget the multiple types of cancers smoking can cause.

Furthermore, a study in the UK found that over 120,000 men who smoke had a much lower sperm count than non-smokers. And as for women smokers, it was found that they take more than one year to conceive. This can be a problem when you want to try having kids one day.

So the big question remains, how do you stop smoking? Here are some suggestions:

• Set a quit date and inform all your friends so that they can hold you accountable and then slowly cut down
• Avoid smoking areas or having any cigarettes/tobacco-related products anywhere near you
• Try chewing on Nicotine gum to help reduce withdrawal symptoms because we all know that withdrawal symptoms are the worst

Well, if you happen to be exploring ways to quit smoking and nothing works, or maybe you did quit before but got back into the habit, why not give NICORETTE a try?

NICORETTE actually offers a nicotine-infused chewing gum as well as an Invisi Transdermal Patch to help overcome your smoking urges.

The NICORETTE chewing gum comes with either 2mg or 4mg nicotine for you to choose from based on how much you smoke. If you smoke a pack or more every day, go for the 4mg one. It’s available in a refreshing Icy Mint flavour. All you have to do is pop one in your mouth and start chewing. Once the taste becomes strong, rest the gum on the inside of your cheek. The nicotine is absorbed through your mouth’s lining.

The NICORETTE Invisi Transdermal Patch, on the other hand, is a patch you can stick on your body where controlled amounts of nicotine will be absorbed through your skin and into the bloodstream. It comes in 25mg/16hours, 15mg/16hours, or 10mg/16hours strengths, with 7 patches per box. If you smoke 15 cigarettes or more a day, start with the 25mg patch.

Keen? Well then, make sure you visit your nearest Caring or Watsons pharmacies to get yourself some Nicorette products!

You can get RM10 off the 2mg and 4mg chewing gum as well as the 25mg patch if you purchase before 31 January 2019!

So, what are you waiting for?! It’s time to make this coming new year’s resolution a reality and quit smoking for good! It’s no easy feat, but with the right help, you’ll be able to wean off these bad habits for good! We believe in you!

Find out more about NICORETTE here!

KKLIU 2762/2018

This is a medicine product advertisement. This product is not suitable for children. Do not use this product if you have serious heart disease, are pregnant or breastfeeding. Not to be used by non-smokers. Consult your healthcare professional before use.

Reference
Nicorette Icy Mint Gum Package Insert 2014
Nicorette Invisi Transdermal Patch Package Insert 2014

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