Do you believe you’re going nowhere and not succeeding? Here are 9 bad habits that are holding you back and keeping you down plus tips on how to break them.
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Habits are a good thing to have. Why? Because habits are actions that you don’t have to put too much effort into doing. You simply do it because it has already become part of who you are.
This is how the brain conserves energy. That is, by rearranging actions that we frequently perform to a different part of the brain. Thus, bypassing the prefrontal cortex, the active part of the brain that is in charge of decision making.
Despite this, the brain cannot distinguish between a bad habit and a good one.
So, if you want to improve yourself and your quality of life, it is your responsibility to identify your bad habits and replace them with good ones.
Here are the 9 bad habits you may recognize that are holding you back as well as tips on how to overcome them.
1. Self-doubt
You question yourself and your abilities. You think that you don’t have the right talent, skills, or qualities to make it in a certain field or career. Additionally, you may also find yourself doubting your ability to decide on something.
In small doses, this might be a good thing. As it will keep you on your toes and will allow you to keep learning and improving. But constant self-doubt will keep you paralyzed and stagnant.
So how exactly can you get over it?
List of past accomplishments
First, make a list of all your past accomplishments. Even the small ones. When self-doubt arises, refer to your list and recall the pride and happiness you felt at the time.
Remember that people make mistakes
Second, keep in mind that no one is perfect. Each of us has some inadequacies. We’re all human, and we all make mistakes. However, we can compensate for what we lack, learn from our mistakes, and keep moving forward.
Get support
And third, surround yourself with supportive people. They will remind you of your capabilities and help boost your confidence.
2. Negative self-talk
Negative self-talk is your inner voice telling you that you lack the necessary skills. It’s that voice that magnifies your flaws or, worse, insists on recalling past failures.
This particular bad habit limits your growth, lowers motivation, and your options. What’s more, negative self-talk has been linked to an increased risk of mental health issues.
It is therefore important to get rid of this habit soonest. Here are some ways you can combat negative self-talk, if not eliminate it entirely:
Be mindful of your thoughts
A thousand trains of thought run around in our brains at a given time. Sometimes we find ourselves going into a rabbit hole of events that lead to negative self-talk and feelings of inadequacy.
So you have to be aware when your thoughts go down this path. And gently redirect them to more positive thoughts. Prod your brain to think of happy memories. Think of your past achievements and the sense of accomplishment that came with them.
Stop your thoughts
When you start thinking that you’re no good at anything or reliving a past failure, stop your thoughts immediately.
You can do this by either visualizing a red stoplight or a car braking into a stop. Personally, I find myself counting down from 5 to 1, using Mel Robbins’ 5-second rule.
Challenge that thought
Another technique you can use is to challenge that negative self-talk.
Whenever you have a negative thought, such as not getting that promotion because you believe you lack the necessary skills. Or maybe you didn’t get that big project because you lacked talent.
Challenge that thought. Consider the many plausible reasons why these negative thoughts are incorrect. Or how much they are exaggerated in a negative way. Then, if there is even a tiny bit of truth in them, turn it into a learning process for how to improve.
3. Perfectionism
Perfectionism is the bad habit of putting off doing something until the perfect time comes along. Not completing a project because “something” is missing. Or setting unrealistic standards for yourself.
Having the bad habit of perfectionism limits your productivity if you produce anything at all. In addition, perfectionism badly affects your career and your life in general.
So, if you find yourself procrastinating and waiting for the perfect time, here are some things you can do to break the perfectionism habit.
Keep in mind: Done is better than perfect
As often quoted about productivity- done is better than perfect. You can always have version 2.0 as long as you already have the initial version. So go ahead and publish that article, submit that design, or release that new game.
Be kind to yourself
Do not beat yourself because of a mistake. Be kind to yourself. Remind yourself that making mistakes is normal. And that a failure does not equate to a tragedy.
Know that failures and mistakes are a part of life. And that, it is preferable to have done something and then improved on it than to have done nothing at all.
Doing nothing because you are afraid of failing. Or giving up because you failed to meet your unrealistic standards is a waste of your talent and skills.
Focus on the journey
The habit of perfectionism is focused on the result. Which only sets you up for failure and undue stress.
So to eliminate the stress, focus on the process in whatever you set for yourself to achieve. Improve on the little things that will eventually lead you to reach your goal.
Develop the good habits that will help you succeed in your career or in your personal life.
4. Complacency
Complacency is being content and satisfied with where you are in your life. How is this a bad habit? Because by being complacent, you no longer have the desire to learn, discover new things, or find ways to improve.
You become stagnant when you are confident in yourself and your abilities. Furthermore, the skillset you already have may no longer be useful, rendering you ineffective.
This may come across as harsh, but it is the truth. In life, you must constantly strive to improve. Otherwise, you will find yourself in a world where your services are no longer required.
Also, once you’ve allowed yourself to become complacent, regaining what you’ve lost will require far more than willpower. To improve your skills, you will need to double your efforts.
So to avoid getting sucked into the habit of complacency. Here are things you want to keep in mind:
Keep learning
This should not be surprising. To keep up with the times, you must continue to learn. Discover new things, investigate new ideas, and be captivated by change.
Continuous learning allows you to stay relevant while also increasing your confidence. New opportunities will arise as a result of increased knowledge and confidence.
Don’t rest on your laurels
As a sales manager friend told me years ago, you are only as good as your last purchase order.
That is, even if you are the top salesperson, you must still visit clients, submit proposals, participate in biddings. And improve your sales performance on a daily basis.
This is the attitude that you should develop to replace complacency.
Step out of your comfort zone
The magic and excitement, according to life coaches and wise men, are found outside of your comfort zone. So push yourself to step outside of your comfort zone.
Admittedly, stepping outside of your comfort zone requires courage, but it is also where you will grow. And then expand from there. Continue to broaden your circle and the dangers of complacency will never catch up with you.
5. Procrastination
Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off for tomorrow something that you are not keen on doing. Where you’d rather do anything else, even face danger, than do what you’re supposed to do. The danger bit may be an exaggeration, but you get what I mean.
We’ve all procrastinated at some point in our lives, but it’s a bad habit to procrastinate on a regular basis. And, like a bad habit, it must be stopped or replaced. Otherwise, it will undermine your productivity, derail your career, and have a negative impact on your health.
Below are some tips on how to break your bad habit of procrastinating
Start doing
For example, suppose you need to write a blog post. However, you’ve been putting it off by doing chores rather than sitting down and writing.
What you need to do is to sit your ass down, set a timer for at least 15 minutes. And go through the motions of opening your laptop, turning it on, and navigating to your blog account. Click on the New Draft button then start writing a headline and a few lines. Write down whatever comes to mind.
The idea is to jog your brain to do what you have been avoiding.
If in case the timer is up and you’ve coaxed yourself into writing, then proceed. But if you still feel that doing the laundry is more important, then do so. However, set another 15-minute schedule to continue with your writing. Continue with the stop and go trick until such time that you finish your task.
Avoid distraction
Procrastination progresses because you allow yourself to be distracted rather than doing what you’re supposed to do. So, in order to complete the task you’ve been putting off, it’s best to avoid or limit distraction.
You can accomplish this by turning off the television, putting your phone away while working, or keeping only the program you are working on open on your computer.
Start with the smallest task
Another reason why you procrastinate is due to overwhelm. You see the task at hand and you get daunted because it appears to be too much work.
However, if you break it down into mini-tasks and begin working on them gradually, you will find yourself getting on with the task rather than putting it off.
6. Waiting for inspiration
Another bad habit you need to break is doing something only when inspired. Waiting for inspiration to come can get tricky because it might never come or it may come in spurts. Either way, you will never get something done.
As stated by Stephen King,
Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.
So instead of waiting for inspiration before getting something done or achieving your dream, you may want to consider the following instead.
Create a schedule
You can break the bad habit of waiting for inspiration to strike by actually setting a specific time to do the work.
Even if you feel uninspired, when it’s time for you to do a task or a project, you sit down and do it.
Keep going
Your initial output will almost certainly be terrible. But you must keep on going.
Your succeeding work will generally improve if you work on it on a regular basis and look for ways to improve.
And you don’t need the inspiration to keep doing what you need to do. It’s the doing part that will inspire you to power through.
Find inspiration rather than wait for it
Instead of waiting for that elusive inspiration, why not go find it? This will be more fruitful and rewarding for you.
Go ahead and read, watch, or listen to something about a subject or genre that you are unfamiliar with. Take a leisurely stroll, take in the sights, and learn something new. Keep an open mind in case something interesting comes up.
Take part in some activities you don’t normally do. Consider things from a different perspective.
These will undoubtedly get your creative juices flowing and get you working.
7. Spending too much time on social media
In this day and age, scrolling through social media is one of the most time-wasting activities we engage in.
Aside from being inefficient, spending too much time on social media has a negative impact on our mental health. With feelings of inadequacy, fear of missing out, or self-absorption to contend with.
As a result, it has become a bad habit that we must break in order to improve our quality of life.
To get over the bad habit of too much social media, here are some tips you can try.
Set a time limit
It may be counterproductive to swear off social media altogether. They do have some benefits. It’s in the spending too much time on it that’s keeping you down.
Set a timer for the number of minutes or hours you spend on social media. Probably 2 hours spread out over the course of the day should suffice. Alternatively, you can set it to 30 minutes before retiring for the night.
Start a hobby
Another way to cheer yourself up without having to check social media is to pick up an old hobby or start a new one.
Taking up a hobby can provide numerous benefits. Some of the advantages include increased creativity, reduced stress, and mental sharpness.
You will be able to spend your time more productively and meaningfully if you have a fun hobby.
Connect with people IRL
Starting a hobby may also lead to you meeting new people in real life. That is, by taking part in group activities such as book readings or clean-up drives. Alternatively, if you enjoy physical activities, you could join one of the many running, jogging, or yoga groups in your area.
A strong social connection in real life has been linked to increased happiness, better overall health, and longevity.
With a strong social connection, you can definitely break the bad habit of spending too much time on social media. And build real and lasting connections offline.
8. Stress eating
Yet another bad habit that’s keeping you down is stress eating. That is, relying on food to alleviate whatever you are experiencing at the time, such as boredom, disappointment, or stress.
Stress eating as a form of coping with emotions has a negative impact on both your physical and mental health. As a result, it is critical that you learn to deal with your emotions without turning to food for emotional support.
Here are some ways you can break the bad habit of stress eating.
Understand your relationship with food
Are you hungry or angsty? You have to ask yourself why you are craving food. Is it really that you’re hungry or you’re feeling some other emotion?
Most of the time, we turn to food because we have nothing else to do, because it has become the norm, or because we are having problems at work.
Knowing why you want to stuff yourself with food will help you gain a better perspective. And it may help to curb your desire for those chips.
Rearrange surroundings
You can’t fight temptation; you can only run away from it, as the saying goes. So, instead of avoiding the temptation of food when stressed, you can simply rearrange your surroundings.
If you can’t resist buying junk food, keep it in the back of your pantry. Also, you could also take a different route to work to avoid passing by that doughnut shop or churros stand.
You will not overeat if you do not experience the physical cues that lead to cravings. You can’t be tempted to eat those salty or sugary treats if you don’t see them.
Eat healthy
Aside from keeping those tempting chips and candies out of reach, you should also keep healthy snacks on hand. Keep a bowl of fruits on the table so you can see them when you’re really hungry.
It’s also a good idea to keep a water bottle on hand for hydration. And, of course, to keep you from reaching for a candy bar.
Eating healthy foods and staying hydrated with water keeps you satiated and prevents you from craving junk food.
9. Not exercising
Another bad habit you should strive to break for a better life is not exercising or moving your body at all.
Aside from the obvious benefits of exercise, such as improved physical health and physique, regular exercise improves your mood, energy, and sleep.
In contrast, if you do not exercise at all, you are more likely to develop heart disease, weakened muscles, and weight gain, among other negative effects.
You do not need a gym membership to exercise. Also, you don’t need exercise equipment to maintain a healthy body. You only need to get moving to break this bad habit of not exercising.
Here are some tips for you to get moving.
Simple physical activities
Simple physical activities like walking, taking the stairs, stretching, or even doing household chores are a good start.
Do some of these activities for a few minutes, or even just a minute in the beginning. Then gradually increase the time or number of reps. You will naturally improve in strength and endurance move those muscles on a regular basis.
Make exercise fun
Check out exercise routines that will make you want to get up and move. If CrossFit exercises aren’t your thing, try jumping rope or hula hooping. If you prefer Yoga or dance exercises like Zumba, aerobics, or belly dancing, by all means, give them a try.
Choose exercise activities that are enjoyable and that you can commit to doing on a regular basis.
Shake things up
If you’re the type of person who gets bored easily, you should have a few exercise routines that you can switch between to avoid boredom.
Make your workouts as interesting as possible. Keep in mind that regular exercise will not only improve your physical health but will also improve your quality of life.
Summary
So there you have it, the 9 bad habits that are holding you back and keeping you down are the following:
- Self-doubt
- Negative self-talk
- Perfectionism
- Complacency
- Procrastination
- Waiting for inspiration
- Spending too much time on social media
- Stress eating, and
- Not exercising
Please share your thoughts or ideas about How To Break 9 Bad Habits That Keep You Down in the comments below. And if you liked this article, you might be interested as well in these articles:
Why Good Habits Beat Motivation
How To Define Yourself By Your Habits
9 Simple Habits You Can Learn From Vampires
9 Effective Habits For A Happy Life
Building Good Habits For Your To Be
Outside reference:
Habits: How They Form And How To Break Them
Psychological Processes Mediate the Impact of Familial Risk, Social Circumstances, and Life Events on Mental Health
18 Destructive Habits Holding You Back From Success
Habits You Should Ditch: 20 Bad Habits That Are Holding You Back