Being healthy isn’t only about what you eat and how much exercise you get. It’s about the way you think, the things you do, and your general level of happiness. If you feel great on the inside, you’ll look fantastic on the outside. It’s really that simple. Avoiding habits that will change your life for the worse is vital if you want to be a calm, balanced, and centered individual.
Yoga-speak over. Let’s check out 13 habits that are sure to change your life for the worse. The good news? They’re all completely avoidable!
# OverthinkingOnce you start overthinking, it’s very hard to stop. Your mind becomes like a hamster wheel, constantly moving, constantly shifting, and never allowing you to rest in peace! It is a fast track towards misery, because you lose perspective of everything.
Much of the time, you’ll be anxious about something that is never going to happen, and why waste that time on what ifs when you could be out living real life?
Avoiding overthinking comes down to not starting in the first place, but mind over matter can help you if it is already a part of your life. Practice mindfulness, as this will help you live in the here and now, and not in the past or future.
# Spending too much time on social media
If you’re already a social media addict, it’s time to go on a detox. Spending too much time staring at an app or computer screen means you’re not connecting with those around you. It could be that your existing relationships and friendships suffer as a result.
You don’t need to like photos of kittens, you need to have a conversation with your boyfriend! You don’t need to search for inspirational quotes which sum up your life, you need to actually live your life!
# Comparing yourself to othersLooking at someone else and pulling yourself up short on everything that doesn’t match is a fast track towards total unhappiness. Your self-worth will be sliding into the minus, and why? Because your hair doesn’t fall the same way? Because you haven’t been to Thailand yet and they have? Because they’re married and you’re not? So what!
It’s time to realize that we all move at our own pace in life, and individual in our own way. Why would you want to be a carbon copy of someone else?
# Watching TV for hours on end
If you’re spending more time watching TV than you are outside spending time with friends, rectify the situation quickly. You’re simply not living! Instead, you’re living life through others, and you’re not experiencing life and its many ups and downs.
You’re not going to find opportunities coming your way if you’re constantly watching TV, and you’re missing out on forming lasting connections with other people, real people.
# Not getting enough sleepBig mistake. Not getting enough sleep isn’t just about being grumpy in the mornings, it’s about putting your health at risk. Sleep deprivation is a real thing, and it’s not something that caffeine can fix.
Aim to get at least eight hours of sleep per night, and try and establish a routine which allows you to relax and wind down in the hour or so before you go to bed. Avoid having long lay ins, and try and go to sleep at the same time every night if you can. You’ll notice you’re more focused, have more energy, and your appetite is regulated as a result. Oh, and you’ll be less snappy with those around you too!
# ProcrastinatingWhy put off today what you can do tomorrow? Erm, because tomorrow you might be busy with something else! Procrastinating is basically putting things off because you can’t be bothered to address them, or you simply don’t know how to. You probably already realize that this is one of those habits that will change your life for the worse. So face up to your to do list, whittle it down, and get it done!
# PerfectionismNobody is perfect, so why would you try to be? Aiming for the ideal of perfection is setting yourself up for disappointment. Why not settle for being happy with who you are and what you’re doing?
We all make mistakes, we all have imperfections, we are all individual because of our faults. The best course of action is to love yourself because of those faults, and not try and iron them out to become what you perceive to be perfect. Why? Because your idea of perfection could change and then you need to make another amendment later down the line!