Habits are hard to break. Nevertheless, everyone has a form of habit they’re struggling with.

Whether you’re a lawyer, teacher, writer, physician, marketer or consultant, and despite your age, there’s a habit you could be trying to break in vain. Whereas some habits are biology based or reduce stress, others induce feel-good tendencies or impulsive behaviors. Here are the top five common habits people have a hard time breaking:

Top 5 Habits that are Difficult to Break

1. Drinking Coffee in the Morning

It’s a common habit for many people to drink coffee or tea the first thing in the morning. In certain countries such as Kenya, drinking tea or coffee in the morning is part of the people’s culture, a habit hard to break. Although coffee and tea (visit www.tea-and-coffee.com to order your favorite type of tea or coffee) can be addictive, many people cannot do without them. The caffeine in these beverages helps relax the body and mind, reducing cases of headaches or even migraines.

2. Nail Biting

Biting your nails isn’t life-threatening, but the habit is unpleasant. You end up with unappealing nails. Just like hair pulling and skin picking, nail biting habit is hard to break. It can be a form of obsessive compulsive disorder for chronic biters. Although this habit usually starts out in childhood, many people grow with it into adulthood. And there’s nothing as gross as an adult obsessed with nail-biting.

It would take more than just your willpower to stop this habit. Wearing gloves or band aids, using bitter nail varnishes such as ‘No Bite’ and keeping nails short can help deter this habit.

3. Cracking Joints

Some people are fond of cracking their joints in public places. Have you ever heard someone do that? The act produces a hideous noise each time a joint is cracked. Traditionally, it was thought that joints cracking causes arthritis, but it isn’t true. The sound of cracking knuckles can be quite irritating, to say the least. Cracking joints induces a feel-good tendency in those fond of the habit.

It relieves joints of air bubbles that could be present between their joint sacs. You can go for a professional massage or stretch your body from time to time to relieve yourself of stress and tension instead of engaging joints cracking.

4. Impulse Shopping

Overspending on things you don’t need can put you in serious debt. Worrying about your finances can cause ulcers, high blood pressure, excessive drinking and smoking, depression, headaches or migraines, aches and pains, insomnia, digestive issues and weight loss or gain. These factors can critically impact your health.

Although it’s hard and takes time, breaking this habit can give you control over your finances and life in general. You’ll sleep better, enjoy better health and keep healthy relationships. Develop money management skills, create a budget, avoid using credit cards, alter your money priorities and pay all your monthly bills to help you break the habit of buying things you don’t need.

5. Smoking Cigarettes

Smoking tobacco contributes to 80% to 90% of lung cancer cases and increases the risk of developing throat, mouth and bladder cancers, stroke, high blood pressure and heart attacks. 30% of cancer and heart disease deaths have been attributed to smoking. It can trigger breathing issues such as asthma attacks and bronchitis.

Despite all these negative health effects of smoking, the habit is hard to break. If you quit smoking, you get to enjoy better endurance, younger-looking skin and fresh breath, not to mention reduced risk of developing the cardiovascular diseases mention above.