Your alarm goes off at 6 o’clock and you reluctantly get out of bed to get ready for work. At least it’s Friday. Unfortunately, you’re not even excited about the upcoming weekend, because even though your day has just begun, you already feel terrible.
For weeks, you’ve been forced to work late into the night, snacking and drinking energy drinks just to stay awake and entertained. You constantly feel bad and you know you can’t go on like this.
As hard as it is to admit, you need to make some changes and fast. Various unhealthy habits have become part of your daily routine and lead you down a path of constant stress and exhaustion.
Fortunately, we all have the power to correct some of these habits and improve our lives. So, here are 4 harmful habits that will constantly make you feel bad, and some simple tips to correct them and feel good.
4. Sleeping Like This
If you don’t sleep every night, many aspects of your life will be seriously damaged and your overall health will be negatively affected in a number of ways.
In fact, Harvard Medical states that:
“In the short term, a lack of adequate sleep can affect judgment, mood, ability to learn and retain information, and may increase the risk of serious accidents and injury. In the long term, chronic sleep deprivation may lead to a host of health problems including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even early mortality.”
Therefore, even a few nights of bad sleep will start to affect how you feel overall.
The solution: set a goal of how many hours you want to sleep each night. Go to bed a little earlier each night and focus on getting a little more sleep than the night before.
By taking this step-by-step approach, you are less likely to be awake for hours tossing and turning and still achieving your sleep goal.
3. Working or Stressing Too Much
Everyone has stress in their life. And while some stress is unavoidable, it is also very easy to add unnecessary additional stress to your life.
In fact, adding unnecessary stress to your life will only harm you in the long run. According to the American Heart Association:
“Long-term activation of your body’s stress response system, along with prolonged exposure to cortisol and other stress hormones, may put you at risk for health troubles like: digestive problems, anxiety, headaches, depression, sleep problems, weight gain, memory and concentration issues, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.”
The solution: don’t stress over the little things. Try not to get overwhelmed. This is easier said than done, but I like to remind myself that whatever I’m stressing about is not that important in the grand scheme of things.
Taking a moment to acknowledge the people and things that really matter in your life can help you change your perspective and worry less about the little things.
2. Eating in the Following Way
If you rely primarily on fast food and packaged snacks for fuel every day, you will never feel better and will not be able to reach your full potential.
Every time I get into the habit of eating highly processed convenience foods, I find myself more tired and less motivated to do my job. This also leads to a decrease in productivity.
The Solution: By consistently nourishing your body with healthy ingredients, you’ll have more energy, be in a better mood, and feel more motivated to tackle your daily to-do list.
If needed, make some easy weekend meals and snacks like this one-pan quinoa dish or these pasta-based recipes to set yourself up for a successful week ahead.
1. This Form of Self Sabotage
With the rapid growth of social media, the comparison trap has become a major problem. You can see in your feed photos of people traveling the world, running 8 miles a day, or working on their dream job.
You start to think negatively about yourself and start comparing your life to someone else’s. However, this will only be detrimental to you in the long run.
The Solution: Recognize that what you see on social media is the highlight of someone’s life. Nobody’s life is perfect, and comparing your life to a superficial and seemingly perfect online version will only make you feel bad about yourself.
I suggest that you stop following anyone who makes you feel this way. Only consume the content of those that add positive value to your life.
Final Thoughts
The habits we form have a huge impact on how we live our lives. The more we get involved with them, the harder it is to break them.
When I got into the routine of sleeping about six hours a night, it became increasingly difficult for me to keep sleeping. In the end, I said it was enough, made a plan, and went back to sleep for seven to eight hours more perfect. I feel so much better as a result.
If you have also adopted some unhealthy habits, it is not too late to change them. This will help you live a healthier and happier life.
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