All of us have our vices, but some can be harder to give up than others. With 57% of British adults drinking up to 14 units of alcohol per week and one in three adults admitting to being unable to sleep due to scrolling, these habits are negatively affecting our health.
‘New year, new me’ season is approaching where many attempt to crack down on their most persistent habits —but which habit do Brits find the hardest to give up?
With lifelong habits taking an iron will to give up, experts at ICE Headshop utilised online analytics tool SEMrush to analyse phrases for the most common habits to establish which Europeans were trying to conquer most.
Furthermore, Helen Norbury, Lifecoach and wellbeing expert, offers their expertise on how to kick your bad habits to the curb.
The hardest habit to break by European country
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Of the 40 European countries analysed 28 find smoking to be their hardest habit to give up, with combined online searches of 850,440 each year from Europeans hoping to find tips on breaking their nicotine habit. With the United Kingdom (166,440) , Turkey (124,560) and Spain (122,040) among the top searchers.
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.
Brits find smoking hardest habit to break
| United Kingdom – 65,001,016 Internet users | |||
| Rank | Habit | Average Yearly Search Volumes | Annual Search Volume
(per 100,000 internet users) |
| 1. | Smoking | 166,440 | 256 |
| 2. | Alcohol | 127,080 | 196 |
| 3. | Sugar | 27,120 | 42 |
| 4. | Swearing | 8,880 | 14 |
| 5. | Social Media | 5,040 | 8 |
The habit that Brits find hardest to give up is smoking, with over 166, 000 yearly online searches for how to break the habit – that’s 13,870 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 on average 6.9 million adult smokers in the UK, which stands at just over 10% of the population. With results for breaking the habit so high, (256 searches per 100,000 internet users) it’s no wonder associations such as the British Lung Foundation have launched ‘Stoptober’ to aid those with the desire to cut down on nicotine.
In second place is alcohol, 127,080 annual searches are made by Brits to discover the best ways to reduce their intake. Which equates to 196 searches per 100,000 UK internet users.
Dry January was initially launched to forgo alcohol in order to make up for extra drinking done over the Christmas period, and has become a global challenge for those looking to cut back on drinking if only for the month.
If a month seems too long 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”.
As Brits are eating up to double the daily recommended intake, sugar is revealed as the third hardest habit to break. Annual searches for Brits trying to reduce sugar intake come in at over 27,000.
Unofficial campaigns, such as the 30 day no sugar challenge, are available for those who are looking to go cold turkey when confronting their habit.
How to stop swearing rakes in, on average, 8,880 online searches every year, placing it as the fourth hardest habit to give up. Social Media (5,040) is the fifth most common habit that Brits want to break away from.
Helen Norbury, Life coach and wellness expert offers further tips to help break the habit cycle:
- GET ACCOUNTABLE: Having someone to whom you are accountable can really help your motivation – we don’t mind making excuses to ourselves, but others!
- 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.
- 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!
- DO THE 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Dan Currey, Director at ICEHeadshop.co.uk, commented on the findings:
“Understanding your health and behavioural patterns is important when navigating personal habits and exploring how to overcome them. Brits’ searches show a desire to better themselves and kick their worst habits once and for all, which depending on the habit could free up some time and perhaps even some cash.”