10 Habits You Should Break

Song Hye Kyo Suecommabonnie

Habits are a routine of repetitive behaviors that occur routinely in our lives. There are good habits which have positive effects and then there are bad habits that have a way hindering of your overall enjoyment of life.  Everyone probably has a few bad habits they have a hard time breaking. And while many seem minor and not all that detrimental on the surface, they could actually lead to problems in the long run if they're not properly addressed. You should consider that there may be some habits that you should try to break to improve your quality of life. Think of these as small adjustments that will go a long way to make you feel better now and in the future.

1. Hitting The Snooze Button
We all have those mornings where we just can't get up and end up hitting the snooze button and that's actually fine once in awhile but if you have a tendency to make it a regular habit, it may be doing more harm than you realize. Sleeping past your alarm can actually make you more tired and possibly even throw you off your routine for the entire day. So try to get into having a good sleep routine that includes getting adequate sleep and going to bed and getting up and the same times every day. One you establish this, you likely won't even need an alarm to wake up anymore. I swear this works. I don't oversleep and the only time I have to use an alarm is when I have to get up much earlier than my usual wake up time.

2. Skipping Breakfast
It's been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and you're not doing yourself any favors by skipping breakfast on the regular. Eating a healthy breakfast provides nutrients and energy to help you start your day the right way because it helps to start up your metabolism and balance your blood sugar which in turn helps your focus and concentration and prevents you from overeating later in the day as a result of your appetite not being suppressed because it was deprived earlier. This doesn't mean you have to make anything too complicated. I'm a big fan of smoothies, egg muffins and savory oatmeal which can easily be prepped ahead of time.

3. Eating Whatever You Want
A little indulgence and some fast food here and there is fine but not being mindful of what you eat on a regular basis can mean you're not getting proper nutrients and lead to obesity and any number of health issues. You don't have to give up treats and foods you like. Just try to remember that moderation is key so watch your portions. The best way to eat healthy is meal plan and prepare your own meals. Aim to get in two servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables each day. Eat lean proteins and whole grains. Fat has a bad reputation and you should avoid saturated fat and trans fat which are associated with high cholesterol and heart disease. Monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fats can decrease your risk for heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol levels. You should watch your intake of sugar which is terrible for your health as well as your skin. Limit your intake of sugary drinks and be sure to watch out for hidden sugars which are in more foods than you would expect. I personally gave up sugar over 15 years ago and it was one of the best things I ever did for my health and teeth. I also consider it my number one secret to aging well because sugar breaks down collagen. 

4. Not Exercising Or Staying Active
An inactive lifestyle that consists of a lot of sitting and lounging with very little to no exercise is common to many people and it carries risks like obesity, chronic diseases and premature death. No one is saying you have to give up binge watching or playing video games for marathons but you should be finding ways to incorporate regular physical activity into your daily routine to be healthy and more fit. Try to find ways to move during activities that are usually sedentary. Lift hand weights, stretch, or ride an exercise bike while watching TV. Walk around when you're on the phone. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Get outside and take walks. I like meeting up with friends and taking walks together. Make sure it's something you enjoy so you'll keep it up. This will benefit your mental health as well as your physical wellbeing. 

5. Buying Things You Don't Need
Small non-essential purchases may seem harmless but not so much since they can add up to a large amount of money over time especially if they occur on a regular basis. I found that my quality of life improved when I adopted a less is more lifestyle and a major factor in this is that I refrain from buying things that I don't need. I wasn't much for retail therapy even before becoming I got into minimalism just because I really don't do well with clutter in my home. If this is a tendency for you,  you need to figure out your motivation. Are you shopping because you are bored or if you are upset, etc. Once you can do that, you can try addressing the issue instead of shopping mindlessly. This will improve your finances and help you to save more money and also keep your home from overflowing with clutter.

6. Never Unplugging
Our phones are great for keeping us connected with the world and getting things done but spending all your time on your phone is not that great for your physical or mental health. Prolonged screen usage can lead to neck or shoulder strain. This condition known as tech neck can lead to permanent damage if not addressed or better yet prevented. And studies have shown that heavy technology users run a higher risk of having sleep disturbances, depression and mental health issues. Make a point of regularly unplugging and make things happen in real life. And to get even more out of these experiences. enjoy the moments instead of worrying about sharing them on social media. Personally I think offline is the new luxury.

7. Saying Yes to Everything
There are those who find it difficult to say no because they don't want to disappoint people but this can come at the cost of your own happiness when you are agreeing to something that you don't really to do or have time for.  Become comfortable with setting boundaries that prioritize you and what you want . Learn how to stand your ground in an assertive manner and take back your power and your time. You will be much happier and live a more fulfilling life since you will only be doing the things you truly want to.

8. Apologizing All The Time
Apologizing seems to be an impulse that is is mistakenly attributed to politeness but it's a habit that can actually be problematic because it is damaging to your self-esteem and may project a poor self image of yourself to others. To stop doing this, pay attention to the contexts in which your tendency to apologize appears and take a moment to assess each situation to see if it requires an apology or something else to communicate your point. You will find yourself feeling more confident in the process.

9. Sweating The Small Stuff
Even with the best laid plans, things that are out of our control will sometimes happen. And while we have every right to get upset, we need to remember that these are just little annoyances. So there's no use in wallowing in them and letting them ruin our mood. We need to accept that we can't control everything but we do have control over our emotions. Learning to let go of the little things go will help you to maintain balance of your emotions so that you can focus on more important matters. 

10. Not Investing Time In Self-Care
Many people do not make self-care a priority which is a mistake. Investing time in self-care is an investment in your overall wellbeing and promotes a positive state of mind which will benefit all aspects of your life. The practice of self-care looks different for everyone because it's based on your needs. It's not just about spa treatments and manicures. Self care can mean reducing stress by doing yoga, losing weight or spending time enjoying a hobby. No matter what it is for you, it's about creating a sense of balance 
that boost your quality of life.

A bad habit that I've been working on breaking is procrastination. Procrastinating is my way of avoiding unpleasant or difficult tasks or projects. And I've come to the realization that the delay does nothing to make them any more pleasant or less challenging. And then I end up scrambling in the eleventh hour. While the pressure does motivate me, it also gives me unnecessary stress. So I've been making a point to jump on projects when I get them and I have to say that this has helped my productivity. I also like the satisfaction of being able to cross things off my schedule in a timely manner so I can move onto something else.

Is there a habit you're working on breaking or one that you've successfully broken recently?



10 comments

Lovely said...

I'm working on my sleep routine and I totally agree with what you said. Thanks for the reminder.
xoxo
Lovely
www.mynameislovely.com

Pilar said...

I've learned that getting upset over small stuff only leads to unnecessary stress and anxiety. I'm a work in progress, but I try not to get upset over small things. I try to accept and cope with the things I can't change.

R's Rue said...

Thank you friend

Hena Tayeb said...

Some great tips. I need to work on the being more active part... i am active but not regularly.

Sofía Moral said...

I absolutely adore this post! I agree with all of the bad habits that you have selected. Sometimes, not skipping breakfast is hard for me, because in the morning I wake up without appetite. But now I'm forcing myself to eat breakfast because I am trying to gain weight :)
I know that not exercising is also bad, so I try to do yoga even though I hate sports
Kisses from https://sophisticatedmeblog.blogspot.com/

Emmylou said...

This is such a great list, chingu:) I agree with all of them, but man, I must admit I've been really bad, especially when it comes to #9...I tend to worry TOO MUCH about the little things and it drives everyone around me crazy coz when I worry, I tend to not shut up about it too:( I'm pretty sure I also have undiagnosed OCD, but it's not debilitating...yet....
PS That's so awesome you're in a clean up mode recently! Me too...I think it's because I've been watching a lot of decluttering and cleaning videos again, and it's really motivating:)

Pablo Parra (Fungi) said...

Hey Rowena, thank you very much for your inspiring and detailed feedback on my latest blog post! Hope you can come to Barcelona one day in the future 🙂

And wow...this list! I think everybody should read this in order to modify at least one habit to have a better life :) I personally have been through many of the problems you listed here but little and little I've been trying to quit them. Not an easy task, but once you recognize it you are already on our way to achieve a new goal and the good thing is that an habit can be shaped in less than a month.

I think we could talk about all the habits you listed here in detail, but gosh there are many important things in this list.

Sugar! I know right?! I have a sweet tooth but this year I managed to only eat suger on special days and I feel less tired and my skin is glowier :) I also sleep better when I eat healthy so in the end I think many of these points are connected!

And self-care and learning to say no are also crucial in order to improve our daily lives!

You should post more similar blog posts, they are easy to read and really helpful :)

Pablo
www.HeyFungi.com

Abdel said...

Very interesting post! Thanks for sharing :)

Abdel | Infinitely Posh.

The Exclusive Beauty Diary said...

I completely agree with your list and I try to do some of things from it. I got pretty good in stop apologizing and saying yes to everything but I still need to work on my exercise and being active.

Jackie Harrison said...

I need to stop skipping breakfast terrible habit... thanks for the reminder.