When it comes to cultivating good habits there are plenty you can easily integrate into your daily life that will have extremely positive effects on your health and wellness. You can integrate exercise into your daily routine, cut out snacking after dinner to limit the number of calories you consume, or sit in silence a few minutes a day to alleviate stress and overwhelm, to name a few.
Along with the countless ways you can begin to live a healthier, more balanced life, there is also the other side. There are bad habits that don't support you or your quest for improved wellbeing. But they're there, worming themselves into your day, keeping you exactly where you are, not where you want to be. You may not even realize you have these habits and that's why beginning to pay attention to your internal conversations is important. These habits have become so ingrained that you can't see the effect they're having on you and your wellbeing. If you want to change your habits and improve your situation, you'll want to be on the lookout for these common, pesky habits that are not serving you.
You rely too much on your “future self” to do the hard work
Have you ever noticed that when you finally sit down to complete a task that has been on your to-do list for way too long, you find an opportunity in the form of folding laundry to pull you away? Or you forgot to respond to an email from a few days ago and it needs your undivided attention immediately?These are common reactions when we're faced with doing something, we know we need to get done, but can't seem to muster up the energy to do the work. We put it off for another day, and then another, and then another. Procrastination is not a marker for laziness, but rather an indication that the task you're attempting to undertake is being met with frustration, boredom, anxiety, or resistance.
According to, psychologicalscience.org “it's been shown in research settings that people who procrastinate have higher levels of stress and lower well-being.”In a research study, Procrastination and the Priority of Short-Term Mood Regulation: Consequences for Future Self, “… the loss of positive mood states associated with a present task appear to promote procrastination (Sirois et al.)”Basically, you're not in the mood right now, so switching gears to focus on a more mundane task is more appealing. The thinking is that your future self will be better mentally equipped when the time comes to handle the task. A way to turn this around is when faced with an unappealing task, if possible, break it down into bite-sized chunks. Giving a task even 10 minutes of your time can help to turn the procrastination tide around. Oftentimes you will find that the dread you felt was more intense than the actual act of following through and completing the task.
You never question your excuses
The thing with excuses is after a while, you begin to believe them.
- I don't have enough time.
- I'm really stressed, I need this glass of wine.
- I can't wake up early, I'm not a morning person.
There is nothing more dangerous than an easy to use excuse, one that is always at the ready, and works like a charm. You can quickly dismiss any responsibility or ownership over your behavior since it's your circumstances that are the root cause of your inability to show up for yourself. Not you. Life is just too crazy.Once you begin to realize that your reasons for not pursuing a goal are more likely excuses then you can begin to question your actions (or lack thereof) and start making a few changes. Take the very common excuse, “Something came up and I can't workout today”. According to Prevention.com, one way to counter this common excuse is to have a plan B, which will make you 20% more likely that you'll fit exercise into your day.And a plan B doesn't have to be anything more than a few rounds of jumping jacks, squats, and crunches. Begin to pay attention to the quick, internal conversations you have with yourself so you can begin to challenge your excuses that are not supporting you.
You go “all or nothing” when making changes
When we want to improve our health, we tend to gravitate toward deprivation and elimination diets, cleanses or detoxes. We go big or go home. The problem with this is it's never sustainable. It's a quick fix that tends to do more harm than good. Typically with deprivation comes increased anxiety, depression and even anger. Think about it, when was the last time you met someone who was excited to go sugar-free for 30 days in an attempt to lose weight and improve their health? Chances are they were miserable and short-tempered. All or nothing creates a lot of doom and gloom and the reality is when the deprivation diet ends, we typically become unstoppable forces raiding the pantry for the very thing we gave up. Next time you're looking to improve your health, don't go “all in.” Instead take stock of what isn't working right now and commit to taking one baby step. For example, if you aren't eating the right foods and you find yourself snacking all the time, set yourself up for success by having fresh-cut veggies on hand that you can quickly grab when you're hungry. This tempers emotions and gives you time to think before blindly grabbing a bag of chips or a box of easy to reach cookies. You're also not depriving yourself of a snack, you're giving yourself a healthier option.
The best thing you can do is to begin to pay attention to your habits
Bad habits come in all different shapes and sizes. The key is to begin paying attention to what you do, say, and think on a daily basis so you can become more attuned to what's really going on inside, and learn how to better handle the situation.