We all have unhealthy habits, and some of them can keep us from living our best life. Over the years, I’ve learned to let some sh*t go. I’m not saying I’m perfect by any means (and we’ve all got work to do), but I’ve overcome a lot of challenges in my life by ditching the things that were holding me back. So, here five things to stop doing to live your best life.
Comparing yourself to others
In the world of social media, it’s far too easy to get caught up in the comparison game. Scrolling through Instagram can often make us doubt ourselves or leave us feeling inadequate and self-conscious. So, if social media makes you feel bad about yourself, then either stop doing it, be selective about who you follow, or limit the amount of time you spend scrolling. Each of us in on our own path and what you see on social media is a highlight reel of everyone else’s best moments. So, stop comparing your life to someone else’s highlight reel.
Beating yourself up
I’ve talked about my obsession with food and my body dysmorphia on the podcast before – I used to beat myself up if I ate something outside the strict parameters I set for myself which was a deeply unhealthy place to be in. You can’t hate yourself skinny, and our self-talk is incredibly powerful. So, if you find yourself feeling guilty or beating yourself up about something, then let it go and try to have more compassion for yourself. Half the things we say to ourselves we wouldn’t dream of saying to a close friend, so why should we be any different? Having self-compassion can help overcome perfectionism and counteract shame. It’s incredibly beneficial for our overall mental health by helping us overcome self-criticism.
Focusing on what you don’t want
If you’re familiar with the law of attraction, then you know that constantly thinking about what you don’t want will often make that very thing come to fruition. Our brains love being correct, so the more our brains think about something, the more we’re seeking it out from the world to keep getting, to keep proving correct. Just think of confirmation bias! Sometimes our brains get confused about the difference between reality and imagination, which makes visualization such a powerful and effective tool. Creating a mental image of yourself doing something activates the same brain areas that actually experience these situations in the real world. Regularly repeating affirmations can encourage your brain to take these positive affirmations as fact – and when you truly believe you can do something, your actions will follow.
Saying you don’t have time
We often tell ourselves we don’t have time. We don’t have time to rest, exercise, go on vacation, take care of ourselves… the list goes on and on. But the truth is, when we tell ourselves we don’t have time for something, we’re really saying it’s not important to us and we aren’t making it a priority. We can all get up a little earlier or organize our day to make time for whatever it is we keep putting off. So, if you really want to live your best life, then be honest with yourself and make time for the things that truly matter. Time is precious, so use it wisely.
Regretting the past or fearing the future
All we have is the present moment, so regretting the past or fearing the future is simply a waste of time. When it comes to your past, there’s nothing you can do to change it. All your past experiences, mistakes and failures have prepared you for the present, and without them, you wouldn’t be who you are now. So, accept your past and be grateful for the lessons you’ve learned. The same can be said about the future – it hasn’t arrived yet so there’s no sense worrying about what could be. All too often, we spend countless hours worrying about things that never even happen. So, don’t let the fear of the future steal your present joy.
Are there any unhealthy habits you’ve finally decided to ditch?
