6 Things You Should Stop Doing to Improve Your Health and Wellbeing
Many of us focus on things we should be doing to improve our health, but what about all those things we need to stop doing? Some of your daily habits might be sabotaging your efforts to be healthier. Slowly making changes to these habits and adopting healthier patterns can do wonders for your mental and physical health! It’s never too late to stop unhealthy habits. In this article from onlineclasstime.com, we explore five common habits that you should cut.
Managing Your Time Poorly
Poor time management can disrupt your life in several ways. Those who struggle with time management are more likely to experience a range of negative mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Good time management is crucial for getting things done, both at work and in your personal life.
If you could use some motivation to improve your time management skills, try calculating the cost of your time. Assign monetary value to your time by considering your annual salary, overhead business expenses, and how many billable hours you work in a year. This will help you determine the cost of one hour of your time.
Not Updating Your Resume
Working at a job you dislike is a terrible feeling; not only does it hurt you professionally, but that feeling can bleed into other areas of your life. So, if you feel stuck, start your quest for a new job by updating your resume. If it’s been a while, don’t worry – there are resume builders available that can help you assemble a great-looking document. For example, you can try this to build a resume using premade templates; all you need to supply is your information. After your resume is ready to go, start sending it out – you may be surprised by the results.
Avoiding Discomfort
How often do you do something that makes you uncomfortable? Often, the actions that lead to growth are the least comfortable—working out, getting up early, speaking up, and allowing ourselves to experience boredom, just to name a few. Discomfort forces us to change, adapt, and grow. By avoiding discomfort, you’ll forever struggle to achieve your goals. Instead, chase that feeling of discomfort and let it guide you toward the things you want!
Worrying What People Think
Are you constantly worried about what people think of you? Many of us do this. However, being afraid of judgment can hold you back from doing what you want. Try out some strategies to stop focusing on what others might be thinking. For example, being in the moment instead of thinking about what could happen in some future scenario. “What ifs” won’t do you any good. Focus only on what you can control, and don’t waste your time worrying about what other people are doing or thinking. If it helps, consider scheduling a counseling session to work through your worries instead of bottling them in.
Sitting for Long Hours
Engaging in regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. Spending all your time sitting, on the other hand, comes with some serious health consequences. Research has linked chronic prolonged sitting with poor health outcomes, including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and even cancer. These health outcomes occur even in those who exercise regularly. It’s important to get up and move throughout the day. For every 20 minutes you spend sitting, try to stand up and move around for at least two minutes.
Sacrificing Your Sleep
How often do you sacrifice your sleep to get some extra work done or watch another episode of your favorite show? Losing just one hour of sleep can have some surprising effects on your brain and body. Losing sleep day after day will add up, eventually causing long-term behavioral and medical consequences.
Eating Heavily Processed Foods
If there’s one thing you do to improve your diet, try cutting out ultra-processed foods. Heavily processed foods might be tasty and convenient, but the health drawbacks far outweigh these benefits. Processed foods are often calorie dense, lacking in nutritional value, and full of harmful artificial ingredients. Swapping processed foods for whole foods is a great way to improve your diet overnight.
Leading a healthy lifestyle is just as much about reducing unhealthy habits as it is about adding healthy behaviors to your routine. Take steps to stop common bad habits like poor time management, avoiding discomfort, eating processed foods, and spending long hours sitting. By avoiding these behaviors today, you’ll set yourself up for a better tomorrow!