We all have certain bad habits that we would like to break. While it’s not a bad thing to have a few bad habits, it makes a lot of sense if you do your best to eliminate these habits. Breaking these bad habits allows you to live a more fulfilling life. Whether you’re constantly hitting the snooze button or procrastinating on your daily goals, this post will help you understand how you can break these habits.
Hitting the Snooze Button
There are those mornings when you just can’t get yourself to wake up. This is particularly true when things aren’t going your way. In such cases, hitting the snooze button seems inevitable. But deep down, something tells you that breaking this habit will allow you to live your best life every day.
The worst thing about disabling that alarm is that it starts your day on a bad note. Instead of doing what’s necessary, you will want to push things until later. The chances are that you will do this for the rest of the week. Before you realize it, it’s the end of the month, and you haven’t achieved your goals. It’s frustrating, right?
How do you deal with this issue?
Mel Robbins suggests that you should adopt the 5-second rule. Trick your brain to move within 5 seconds. Instead of hitting snooze, just wake up and brush your teeth. Don’t even think about it. Once you take action within 5 seconds, your mind won’t trick you into going back to sleep. Try this, and you will notice a significant change in your morning routine.
Going to Bed Late
Another bad habit you need to eliminate is going to bed late. Watching your favorite TV show after work might seem like a great way to unwind. However, this disrupts your schedule. It affects your ability to wake up early and start your day positively. Instead of binging on Netflix, read a book or listen to some soothing music that will put you to sleep early. Remember, early to bed, early to rise.
Using Your Smartphone in Bed
This is a big one. Most people use their digital devices in bed. We often use smartphones in bed, watching YouTube, TikTok, Facebooking, etc. These devices affect our ability to sleep, which in turn affects our overall productivity. The blue light from a mobile or other electronic device alters our energy levels, mood, and quality of sleep.
Develop a habit of turning off your mobile phone around the same time every day. It might seem like a difficult thing to do, but you can get used to it. The fear of missing out on your social media pages is a common issue most people face. But in reality, there is nothing you’re missing. Turn off your devices and go to bed early. Your goals depend on your productivity. The earlier you start breaking these bad habits, the more likely you will accomplish your goals.
Allowing Fear to Stop You
Are you always a victim of your mind? Do you allow fear to stop you from doing something that will bring you an inch closer to your goals? The fear of failure/failing can stop you in your tracks. Instead of working hard on yourself and your goals, you might live in fear that things may not work out.
You need to realize that fear lives in your mind, and you shouldn’t believe what the mind tells you. Ever wondered whether the mind has a mind of its own? The mind seems to stop you from doing something even when you know that doing that thing will help you.
To change this habit, start telling yourself that you are not your thoughts. Thoughts are just thoughts. Let go of the attachment you have with your thoughts. Take action. Use Mel Robbins 5 second rule and do something instead of allowing fear to get the best of you.
Saying Yes to Everything
Do you find it daunting to say NO? If you’re a yes person, it’s quite likely that you’re a people pleaser. Saying yes to everything only makes you sacrifice your time and energy. You will be doing things just because you want to make other people happy. This leads to resentment because you will rarely prioritize yourself.
It’s totally okay to say NO! Say no when you don’t have time to go out with your friends. Say no to your boss when you have a lot of work and can’t take in extra work. Put yourself first. There is nothing selfish about putting your priorities first. So, don’t feel bad or guilty when you say no. The more you say “no” to things that don’t feed you, the more you create time for YOU.
Complaining
Life has its way of frustrating us. Things will never go as you want all the time. When things don’t go your way, it doesn’t mean that you should complain. Raise your awareness of the fact that life is full of ups and downs. Instead of focusing on the negative, embrace the situation and aim to learn from the experience. Stop whining and be grateful. Even when things are not going as expected, just be happy because there’s always something good to learn from the experience.
Bad Habits to Break: Summary
In a nutshell, breaking free from these bad habits will liberate you. You will be happier living your best life because you feel like you’re in control of your life. Don’t beat yourself when things are not turning out as expected. You’re human. And part of being human is that things will not always work out. So, you shouldn’t be surprised when life fails to reward you. Raise your awareness about these bad habits and aim to eliminate them. Know the consequences of these habits and realize that it’s more advantageous if you break them. Start today; in fact, start NOW.
Remember, your life will not change unless you change.