According to psychology, the link between your habits and your overall health is a strong one. Studies show that your behavior has a direct effect on your mental and physical well-being.
So it’s well worth taking the time to objectively evaluate your habits. A little self-reflection can help you identify whether your behavior is impacting you in negative or positive ways.
You can start by paying attention to your current habits and how long you’ve had them. How is your behavior affecting your physical and mental health?
Here are seven common, everyday habits that could be keeping you from getting what you want out of life.
1) Negative self-talk
This, right here, probably causes more mental anguish than anything else. Because nobody knows how to punish you like … you.
Most of us indulge in a little self-criticism from time to time. We all occasionally suffer from low self-esteem and our inner critic is right there to point out our inadequacies.
Psychological research suggests that being raised by critical parents can cause low self-esteem during childhood.
If your best has never been good enough, you become very hard on yourself because criticism is what you’re accustomed to, not words of kindness or encouragement.
And old habits die hard.
Low self-esteem can contribute to many other mental health struggles including depression, ADHD, anxiety, eating disorders, and addiction.
So, consistent negative self-talk can lead to an endless cycle of sadness, anxiety, guilt, anger, and self-loathing.
And what fun is that?
All of these issues can impede someone’s ability to take chances, maintain healthy relationships, and take care of themselves.
Negative self-talk isn’t the easiest habit to break, but the benefits make the effort well worth it.
Once you’re not berating yourself for things you can’t change and allow positivity to live rent-free in your head instead of dread, you’ll definitely notice the change.
So let’s replace that negative inner monologue with self-compassion instead. In time, you’ll notice positive thinking snowballs at least as much as negative thoughts do.
2) Self-isolation
Scientific data proves that loneliness is endemic in modern society, as we feel more disconnected from who and what we love because we’re so busy just trying to survive.
Anxiety and stress exacerbate feelings of loneliness and often lead people to self-isolate, which compounds rather than relieves the problem.
Loneliness causes a physiological response that can induce fight-or-flight mode for many people. This can precipitate the urge to withdraw.
Self-isolation can seem like, and it often is, a personal choice. But it’s only short-term relief that can negatively affect the individual in the long run.
Aside from the serious mental health ramifications, loneliness can also affect you physically. You may notice symptoms like muscle pain, gastrointestinal issues, sleep disturbances, and chest pain.
Spending quality time with your loved ones is vital to your well-being. Although it may seem innocuous or even beneficial at the onset, isolation can lead to more serious issues down the line.
3) Habitual procrastination
Procrastination is something that plagues us all at some point, no matter how “together” your life is. Sometimes you just don’t feel like doing what you need to do, and this can definitely hold you back.
A person who’s prone to procrastination is so overwhelmed just by the thought of a task, that they keep postponing and putting it off until their deadline is in an hour and they’re only on their first draft.
This doesn’t happen to me, of course. I’m talking about a friend. Yup
This behavior can, and does, lead to lost opportunities and unnecessary panic. Because of needless inaction, a minor problem becomes a much bigger and scarier one.
If you have ADHD like me you may have heard of executive dysfunction, which is procrastination on steroids. Hard to overcome, but possible with time and patience.
4) Obsessive overthinking
Ruminating and overthinking every choice you’ve made or interaction you’ve ever had, is a surefire way to discourage yourself from trying new things and taking decisive action.
Trust me. If overthinking was an Olympic event, I’d finally be considered athletic. I can get all cringe over a minor faux pas made decades ago. Now that’s talent.
If you engage in this practice too much you’ll paralyze yourself with doubt and fear. Anxiety caused by intrusive thoughts can immobilize you.
You’re literally frozen in place listening to your heart beat a rumba rhythm, all because of your brain playing tricks on you.
Look. your brain lies to you sometimes. You’re not inept, and you can face whatever it is you need to deal with.
You really can.
5) Worrying about things out of your control
One of the quickest and most effective methods to drive yourself bananas is trying to maintain control over everything in life.
Talk about setting yourself up for failure.
I’m not saying it’s not prudent to have a plan mapped out for the future. It’s always a good idea to have a clear picture of what your goals are and a timetable for achieving them.
But it’s important to remain mindful that you can’t control everything and when we try to, we set ourselves up for disappointment.
And, according to psychological experts, ruminating makes it a hundred times worse.
When you give yourself the gift of no longer trying to control every aspect of your life, it comes with the satisfaction of embracing reality and even earning some semblance of peace.
To be honest, I’ve yet to conquer this in my own life. I know it’s about going with the flow but that’s way easier said than done for a lot of us, I’m sure.
6) Demanding perfection
We’re imperfect people living in an imperfect world during incredibly imperfect times. And yet, so many of us sabotage our success in life by never being satisfied no matter how much we accomplish.
Good enough is never good enough.
People who are perfectionists often suffer from what psychologists call impostor syndrome which makes them feel like fraud no matter how successful they are.
They live in fear of being exposed as inept or phony, though neither is true.
Be honest. Are you your own worst critic? I know I am. Are your standards so impossibly high that there’s zero chance of meeting them? I’m guilty of that as well.
Psychologists say that perfectionism is caused by a rigid mindset. You find it difficult to adjust your expectations in light of changing circumstances.
This rigidity can lead to second-guessing yourself, procrastination, and chronic overwhelm.
In fact, an article published in the Review of General Psychology reveals that perfectionists are prone to suffer from depression or anxiety more than average.
7) Neglecting self-care
Neglecting self-care is understandable when life gets extra hectic. Something’s gotta give, right? And most of us will deny our own needs before anyone else’s.
Here’s the sad truth of it. You’re not going to get a ticker tape parade for being so selfless, but there’s a good chance your mental and physical health will suffer.
So take care of yourself. It’s absolutely essential if you want to have anything to give to anyone else.
Final thoughts
If you’re engaging in habits that don’t serve you or your mental health, you probably suspect as much, but you might also feel unequipped emotionally to address it.
Luckily, you can change counterproductive habits, and you don’t have to face it alone. Talk to your loved ones about what you’re trying to do, and reach out to a mental health
professional if you need to.
You have the power to change your life. All you have to do is harness it.
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Explore our first video: The Brain Beneath Our Feet — a short-film by shaman Rudá Iandê that challenges where we believe intelligence comes from.
Instead of looking to the stars or machines, Rudá invites us to consider that the first great mind on Earth may have existed without a brain at all… and that the oldest form of thought might be living beneath our feet.
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