In today’s busy consumer-focused world, it is easy for an average working person to use material things to cope with stress. Long hours and stressful working environments can lead to unnoticed abuse, harming your long-term health. In this article, we will discuss some of the common vices that affect people, limiting your intake of vices, and how to make healthy choices and swaps.
Cigarettes
One of the most commonly abused substances in the United States, cigarettes have been marketed for decades as the working persons go for stress relief. While many have all been told for years the ill effects from smoking, most people do not get proper information regarding how to quit. While the cold turkey method is the most effective, it is not always the best option for someone under high stress. A good swap for cigarettes is to try chewing gum for stress relief. You can also try several over the counter quitting aids, such as patches or nicotine gums to help you quit smoking.
Alcohol and Drugs
Alcohol is a common substance that is used in excess. While alcohol is not bad in moderation, be careful that you’re not using alcohol as a crutch for your stresses. Long-term regular consumption of alcohol has been linked to liver and stomach diseases as well as alcoholism. If you believe that you are using alcohol as a crutch, you should decrease your consumption. Try substituting beer for other carbonated beverages, and try to substitute wine for sparkling cider. The same advice goes for people suffering from drug addiction. If you find that you cannot stop abusing alcohol or drugs, it may be necessary to look for facilities like Luminance Recovery drug rehab Orange County to get assistance quitting your substance addiction for good.
Comfort Eating
An up and coming object of abuse is food. Many people are starting to find out that they abuse food instead of drugs or alcohol, which leads to obesity and heart disease. While eating is obviously not bad for you, eating to excess or eating the wrong foods can be. If you feel like you may be “comfort eating,” try to count your calories for the day. You may be surprised how many you intake. Some advice to help stop comfort eating includes switching fatty foods for more nutritious options. Instead of grabbing that ice cream out of the freezer after work, have fresh fruit as an alternative option.
Spending Sprees
Another common abuse that people can fall into is shopping. As a stress reducer, some people have developed dangerous spending habits that have put them into serious debt. For optimum financial health, you should always have an idea of how much you are spending on a weekly basis. Proper budgeting can show you how much you have been impulse buying. If you believe that you are a “shopaholic,” try attending a financial planning class.
In your day to day life, you may not notice what sort of habits you have. You should always be careful of what we are using to reduce stress in your life and make sure that your stress reducers are healthy. It’s all about finding balance. If you are unsure if your stress reducer is healthy, ask your family, friends or a medical professional. They may have valuable insight from an outside perspective on your habits, and whether they are healthy for you.
