Alcohol is the second hardest habit to give up and features in the top results for many European countries, but is the hardest habit to break for just seven. Combined online searches for quitting alcohol reach over 312,000 annually. Bulgaria (2,040), Italy (32,760) and Lithuania (3,120) among those who find alcohol the hardest to part with.
The third hardest habit to break across Europe is sugar, with Belgium (6,000) and Luxembourg (1,560) among the four countries that find kicking their sugar cravings the hardest. Combined yearly searches total 98,520, on average.
Coffee is the fourth hardest habit to break for Europeans. Combined annual searches for how to stop drinking the addictive hot beverage reach just over 35,000. With Serbia (1,560) being the sole country to find kicking coffee to the curb the hardest.
Polish find smoking hardest habit to break
| Poland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Habit | Average Yearly Search Volumes |
| 1. | Smoking | 105,720 |
| 2. | Alcohol | 32,640 |
| 3. | Swearing | 6,240 |
| 4. | Sugar | 6,000 |
| 5. | Coffee | 1,920 |
The habit that Poles find hardest to give up is Smoking, with over 100, 000 average yearly online searches for how to break the habit – that’s 8,810 searches each month.
When preparing to quit your most persistent habit, Wellness expert, Helen Norbury, advises to “S.A.C.K. DISTRACTIONS: when you notice that you are heading for an unhealthy distraction, SACK the distraction so you can continue with the task at hand!”
STOP: take a deep breath (or three) and pause.
AFFIRM: remind yourself that you’re safe and able to deal with any scary emotions that might be coming up, even at a subconscious level.
CONTINUE: with the task at hand.
KINDNESS: to show to yourself. Be compassionate, give yourself a virtual or literal hug and keep breathing!
There are plenty of resources available from the Public Health office and the TPPU organisation to get started for the 26% of the population who are smokers looking to quit.
In second place is Alcohol, 32,640 annual searches are made by Poles to discover the best ways to reduce their intake. That’s over 60,000 less searches in comparison to those looking to quit smoking. EU Alcohol Awareness Week takes place each November to promote the dangers of alcohol and the benefits of reducing consumption.
If quitting for a day feels like a challenge then Norbury suggests to “Set yourself realistic goals for what you can achieve in the day/week. Don’t try to give up all of your bad habits, all at once. The cumulative effect of lots of small steps is by far the most powerful approach and much more likely to succeed long-term”.
Swearing is revealed as the third hardest habit to break. Annual searches for the Polish people trying to reduce reign in their use of profanity stands at 16,240.
How to stop eating Sugar rakes in, on average, 6,000 online searches every year, placing it as the fourth hardest habit to give up. Coffee (1,920) is the fifth most common habit that Poles want to break away from.
Helen Norbury, Life coach and wellness expert offers further tips to help break the habit cycle
1. GET ACCOUNTABLE: Having someone to whom you are accountable can really help your motivation – we don’t mind making excuses to ourselves, but others!
2. CHANGE YOUR STATE: Re-energise at least every 50 minutes – move, get air in your lungs, and get your blood pumping around your body! How often have you found yourself reaching for a chocolate biscuit and fizzy drink for energy in the mid-afternoon slump? The truth is fresh water and air would probably energise you more.
3. FIND YOUR POWER SONG: Choose a song that helps you to feel energised, committed and motivated to get tasks done and then play it as often as you need it! Just for reference, mine is “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman. I find the words so inspiring, and it is a great “belter” for singing and dancing along to!
4. POWER HOUR: Work in blocks of 50 minutes work, followed by 10 minutes for reward time (a cup of tea, some stretching, some breath work, fresh air). In the summer I love to get my bare feet on the grass and lie back and look at the clouds. It grounds me and really energises me ready for my next power hour.
5. GET CURIOUS: Ask yourself this: „I’m doing [bad habit] in order to suppress feelings that make me feel…..” Be compassionate with yourself as you explore the answers to this inquiry. Do not make your previous habit wrong – it was there for a reason and once we understand that reason, we can look to resolve it. For example, it may be that a large slice of chocolate cake helps you to stop feeling emotions that have you feeling lonely. It doesn’t necessarily make logical sense but get curious about any emotions you are suppressing with your bad habits.
6. VISUALISE IT: Keep connected to what it will feel like when you no longer have these bad habits in your life. Being connected to the feelings of being a non-smoker, or not drinking, or exercising, is far more powerful than just imagining what that life would look like.
All Inclusive
Luksusowy kwartalnik turystyczno-podróżniczy. Od 2004 roku opisujemy miejsca, do których warto lecieć dłużej niż na weekend, i ludzi, którzy je prowadzą.
