Okay so you finally stopped biting your nails. And you only, very occasionally, crack your knuckles. What other bad habits could there be? A few. Here are some of the most common collegiette habits and how you can stop..
1. The Hair Touching
Why it’s bad: Twirling, flipping, running your fingers through it… As soft and shiny as your hair may be, it looks better when you leave it alone. According to a recent Forbes article, constantly touching it makes you look nervous and unprofessional, especially in serious settings like interviews.
How to stop: Easy. Wear your hair up any time you have an important event. Headbands, little braids, anything that will keep it out of your face and hands. Slowly transition to wearing it down, and you’re good to go.
2. The Adverbs
Why it’s bad: Like, essentially what I’m trying to say is that basically using too many adverbs in everyday speech is frankly, kind of, sort of, very irritating. Once you put adverbs on your radar, you won’t believe how much it mucks up the meaning of someone’s speech.
How to stop: Pick one adverb you want to eliminate from your speech. Say it’s “essentially.” Have a friend or roommate point out every time you say that word. Soon, you’ll have a Pavlov dog reaction every time that word even pops into your brain.
3. The Clothing Adjustments
Why it’s bad: Just like hair twirling, continually fixing your clothes sends people the message: “I’m uncomfortable with myself, which is why I need to keep fixing my clothes.” Public speaking coach, Lenny Laskowski, explains that adjusting your clothing in public, especially while you’re speaking, distracts everyone from what you’re trying to say.
How to stop: If you’re wearing problematic clothes, set aside certain time periods where you excuse yourself to the restroom. There, you can make sure your skirt isn’t twisted or your strapless top isn’t sagging. Once you leave, make touching your clothes off limits until your next break.
4. The Ending Your Sentences in a Question?
Why it’s bad: An article UK magazine, The Guardian, says that if you end a declarative sentence with a question, you suffer from HRT (high-rise terminal), or “uptalk” for short. Whatever you decide to call it, the habit makes it sound like you need approval every time you make a statement. Asking instead of stating causes you to lose credibility as people begin to believe you lack confidence in the things you say.
How to stop: Practice. To sound more confident and articulate, use the same technique for kicking the adverbs out of your speech. Designate a friend to notice every time you raise your voice at the end of a sentence (when it’s not a question). Soon, it will be at the front of your consciousness every time you open your mouth to speak.
5. The Unnecessary Apologies
Why it’s bad: Disclaimer: If you’ve made a genuine mistake, hurt someone, or want to express regret about a horrible event, by all means, please say you’re sorry! Otherwise, why take responsibility for something that’s not your fault? Here’s an example: Your parents are visiting and you can’t go out with your friends so you say: “My parents are visiting, ah I’m so sorry!” But are you? Should you be sorry you love your family? According to an article from Fitness Magazine, apologizing for something you shouldn’t lowers your self-esteem because of your constant association of yourself with blame. It also makes your sincere apologies weaker.
How to stop: Every time you catch yourself saying the words, “I’m sorry,” think, “Do I really want to take responsibility for this?” Once you catch yourself a few times, you’ll learn to replace phrases like, “I’m sorry to ask this but…” with “Would it trouble you so much as to…”
Sources:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/08/20/interview-body-lan…
http://www.ljlseminars.com/bodyspeaks.pdf
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/sep/21/referenceandlanguages.mattse…
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/spirit/your-best-you/why-we-apolog…
Picture sources:
http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/new-idea/news/galleries/photo/-/8915638/10…
http://www.celebdelacream.com/blog/ghetto-kim-kardashian-suffers-a-fashi…
http://keithlbrownblogs.blogspot.com/2011/06/i-am-sorry.html
http://www.connect06.com/tag/bad-habits/