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Eight “Bad” Habits That Are Actually Good for You
Believe it or not, some bad habits are really good for you. Sadly, our parents usually try to punish us out of or control us out of doing these things. Of course, everything in moderation, right? Let’s look at eight “bad” habits that are actually (mostly) good for you that you can stop trying to end now.
Fidgeting
If you tend to wiggle a lot (I know that I do), your mom probably tried to stop it. Your partner might try too. However, fidgeting is really good for you because it burns more calories and keeps your blood moving. This is especially true if you have a job that requires a lot of sitting. Sitting is possibly worse for you than smoking, so anything that can undo that damage is a good thing.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t stop ALL fidgeting. There is a time and a place for it. I do my best to not fidget during business meetings and times where it will be very noticeable. Suprisingly, I found that a fidget spinner really helps me with this when I have to stay still. They also make a spinner ring that may be less noticible when you are in a meeting.
Gum Chewing
Sugarless gum is really good for you. If you have the right dental work or your own teeth, chewing gum burns calories, helps you eat less, freshens your breath and cuts down on cavities. If you choose gum that has sugar in it most of these benefits, go away!
This is a habit that I got out of years ago when I was getting braces put on. My mother had my orthodontist scare the heck out of me into not chewing gum anymore. He told me it would get caught all in my braces. I believed him and quit gum chewing and never went back.
Related 9 Habits That Are Bad for Your Body
Video Games
While there may be some games that aren’t worth the added benefit, playing video games helps with developing fine motor skills, keeps the mind nimble, and by some reports can help give relief for chronic pain conditions by taking your mind off the problem.
I love puzzle games like Minesweeper, Bejeweled, Sudoku and my current favorite on my phone Gardenscapes. I used to even have a book of Sudoku puzzles!
Daydreaming
Finding a way to allow your mind to get bored enough to be able to daydream is very good for your mind as well as for your goals in life. You cannot create amazing goals for your life if you can’t daydream.
I remember laying in the grass as a little girl. I’d stare up at the clouds and let my mind wander. I used to come up with all kinds of crazy ideas.
Now, as an adult, I still will stare up at the clouds and let my mind wander. Sometimes I’ll be working out a problem that I’ve been having. Or thinking up new ideas for a blog post. Or come up with something that I can do around the house.
Journaling is a great way to capture those dreams.
Check out Mamie Pack’s selection of Journal products. You can see her products HERE.
You can also check out my Etsy printables shop Fitmomology Designs for journals as well!
Here are a couple of great options from Amazon
Hardcover Black Notebook – This notebook has a blank table of contents and dotted paged
Zen as F*uck – This is a fun journal if you don’t mind the profanity
Classic Ruled Notebook – A basic hardcover notebook. My boyfriend and I have one of these that we write letters to each other in.
Gratitude: A Dan and Night Reflection Journal – This is a 90-day gratitude journal
Erin Condren Hardbound Undated Life Planner – This is my new favorite planner. I just started using it this month and I’m in love.
Swearing
Everyone has a swear jar growing up, either for parents or the kids. Swearing is considered inappropriate, but studies show that people who swear appropriately tend to have less stress in their lives.
Remember that swearing is completely different from a slur. A slur is something you say about a person, whilst a swearword is just a curse word – otherwise known as an expletive.
My son, now 9, hears us swear all the time. He also knows that he’s not to repeat the words. We usually owe him a nickel for each bad word we use.
Messiness
If you are a naturally messy person, take heart; you’re likely also a very creative person. Messiness is sometimes a sign of creativity. If you want to be more creative, don’t purposely become messy but realize that sometimes being messy is required to be creative.
I’ve always been a creative person. And I definitely tend towards the messy side of life!
Often when I’m in the middle of creating something the process to get there is very messy. Even when I’m cleaning and organizing it becomes MESSIER before it gets straightened up!
Sleeping in Late
They say that “the early bird gets the worm,” but do they? Sleeping well and enough each night is important to your health and brain function. If you stayed up late and need to sleep in and it won’t cause you to get fired or miss something important – go for it.
Don’t just sleep in to sleep in. I’ve been enjoying getting a little extra sleep in during the week. We routinely stay up to 11-12 at night. When I had to go into the office, I was up by 6-6:30 am. On days I worked from home we were up at 7 to get my son ready and off to school.
Now We all get up between 8-9 in the mornings. Little man has some free time in the mornings and then it’s time for schoolwork at 10:30.
Passing Gas
Everyone farts and burps every single day. Passing gas is good for you because it’s a normal activity that is getting rid of built-up gas from your digestive tract to prevent bloating and pain.
I’m by no means telling you to go around farting and burping all over the place! People might stare. But don’t needlessly hold it in, that can be harmful.
Of course, you don’t want to do some of these things when other people are around, but it’s okay to accept some of these things as part of who you are and part of living life. As long as you can choose the habits you create, you can build a life exactly as you want it to be.
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Loved this! I especially like the messiness and the daydreaming. I have a problem with both 😂 but…. I do work hard on trying not to. I think a healthy balance is good! Gum chewing is another good one! I like that it burns calories. I’m not sure if it’s enough, but at least it gives me a good excuse! 😉
Tami, me too! Not all habits are “bad”!
Love this perspective!
I do a lot of daydreaming 🙂 I wish I did more sleeping in! 🙂
I didn’t know passing gas was seen as a bad habit. We all need to fart 🙂
I do all…lol its good to know they are not all bad after all.
No, they aren’t!
Good to know!
I love this post! To me it shows that we aren’t perfect and that’s ok! Give yourself break, enjoy life and pass gas often. Thanks for sharing.
Great post! I like the part, “You cannot create amazing goals for your life if you can’t daydream.” It’s not usually practical for me to go outside and lay in the grass (I miss living in the country!) but I’ve found that pacing back and forth in the kitchen is somewhat helpful. Very inspiring!
Pacing can be very good! I did that when I quit smoking back in 2014 every time I had a craving in the very beginning!