My 10 Un-healthiest Habits

This was an interesting piece to write because it took me about a week and a half of self reflection. I could easily list some of my trivial bad habits (yet, still bad!), like not flossing every day, eating too much sugar, and swearing. But, I felt it was important to identify the things I do frequently that have a bigger impact on my health than my repeated use the of the word f*&#. Now that I have identified my un-healthiest habits, I can talk myself through or out of them versus being oblivious and allowing them to have a domino effect on the rest of my behaviours and decisions.

1. I can get stuck in the past

I try to replicate feelings or experiences from the past and, because of that, keep people in my life that shouldn't be anymore.

2. I allow others' moods to affect and change mine

I am extremely empathetic and receptive to energies (I'm a Pisces okay!). If someone around me is being negative, I feel like I'm slowly being pulled into a pool of black tar yelling things like "Look on the bright side!..We will figure it out!..You gotta stay positive!" until my head is submerged and then I am right alongside that person using my swear words and talking about how much life sucks. (I am so dramatic..)

3. I think alcohol makes me more social

Well, yeah, me and everyone else. I cringe when I say that there is a slight dependency on alcohol to make my introverted self more bubbly - but I need to be honest, there is, and I want to stop habitually grabbing a drink at the bar every time I am in a social situation because I think it will make me feel better. I'm finding that more often than not it makes me feel worse (physically and mentally).

4. I self-sabotage when things are going well

This is the one I need to focus on the most, as it has the biggest impact on my success. If you feel as though you self-sabotage as well, here's a good article on why that might be. I personally relate to control and familiarity, re: getting stuck in the past!

5. I shut down when I'm angry or sad

I do this because I believe that my emotions are irrational or "too much" and I am unable to articulate exactly how I am feeling.

6. I lose interest if I haven't "mastered" something in a certain amount of time

If I am not instantly good at something, or able to get the hang of it in a short amount of time, I'll move on or find a different way. This probably has a lot to do with the self-sabotage thing re: controlling when and how I fail!

7. I avoid and procrastinate

A part of this involves thinking a task is bigger than it is, dreading doing it, therefore putting it off. When in actuality, 95% of the time, the task takes a substantially less amount of time than thought and was simpler than expected.

8. If something is broken, my first thought is to get a new one versus fixing it

This one is simply wasteful and leads to bad spending habits.

9. It takes me too long to get over a mistake I've made/I take my mistakes too seriously

I dwell on tiny mistakes that I won't even remember in 1 year. One time I sent out an Outlook calendar invite with misinformation (that I caught almost immediately) and I needed to physically leave the office for about 10 minutes - stomach in knots hands slightly trembling. I have a friend who is so good about letting things like that go and carrying on - I try to think of her every time I make an 'earth shattering' mistake. She's still doing perfectly fine, so I will be perfectly fine.

10. I don't speak up when I have something to say

This happens to me A LOT. I stay quiet when I have an idea or something to add to the conversation out of fear of being wrong or sounding "stupid", and then someone else says it immediately. THE WORST! I kick myself every time and tell myself that next time I'll speak up. I never do, and I need to start. So what if I'm wrong? It's a mistake I'll just have to get over it.

It's interesting to see that a lot of my habits are related to each other and if I address one, it will automatically help me address another. I am certain that you share a lot of the same habits. Get to know yours, so that the next time you 'shut down when you're angry or sad', you can say to yourself "I know this is one of my un-healthy habits, what can I do differently right now?"

p.s. I am working on this site so I can allow comments, in the mean time I've added a contact me page if you have any thoughts to share. I've also added a subscription form to the bottom of the homepage so you can be notified when I post!

Lynn M.