Bad Habits

Aug. 28, 2007 — -- Michelle Espy couldn't stop being a slob.

Mindi Hartman couldn't stop shopping and Uche Odiatu couldn't stop arriving late.

So what did Espy, Hartman and Odiatu have in common? A bad habit they just can't break.

According to educator and life coach Judith Wright, almost all of us have bad habits or what Wright calls "soft addictions."

"It can be anything from nail-biting or compulsively checking your e-mail or gossiping or hair twirling," Wright said.

Wright, the author of "The Soft Addiction Solution," says soft addictions are normal, everyday activities done to excess. She says some addictions zone you out, like television or Internet, while others, like overeating or overusing gadgets like BlackBerrys, are the adult equivalent of thumb-sucking. Click here to take Wright's soft addiction quiz.

Soft addictions start early, according to Wright, and she sees more than boredom as the cause.

"The real issue is that they're stressed out. They're trying to comfort themselves."

It's a problem "when the behavior no longer just soothes you, but instead begins to bother you," Wright said.

Wright said these soft addictions could become very embarrassing for the addicts.

"You don't feel good that you are out of control and that something has this much power over you," she said.

Espy was embarrassed by how messy her house was. She said part of the problem was that she was just too busy to clean.

She owns a pet shop, goes to college and drives her kids around.

"By the time I get home, I'm pretty much drained," Espy said. "It's a problem, and I want to get it fixed."

Unlike Espy, Odiatu, a dentist who was always late, actually knew why.

"I'll often say yes to everything. And I'll see maybe 15, 16, 17 patients in a day. So you can imagine," Odiatu said. "It's a tight schedule."

His overscheduling took a toll on his wife, Kary, who was often left waiting.