As the world heals and recovers back to normalcy post the Covid-19 pandemic, certain aspects of your Covid-19 life too should be completely cut off. The pandemic undoubtedly made everyone lethargic in one way or the other as gyms were shut down and countries were placed into lockdowns.
Now that humanity is moving on from this giant setback, it is time for you to say goodbye to the unfortunate circumstances and take baby steps to ensure that you become the best version of yourself. One simple way to do this is by identifying the toxic habits you embraced, getting rid of them, and then finally replacing them with productive ones.
Letβs get to know what toxic habits are:Β Must Read
What are Toxic Habits?
These are habits that youβre usually unaware of, that prevent you from living life to your fullest. These habits initially provide you with a surge of excitement but then, they numb you down by the time youβre done with them-leaving you dissatisfied and remorseful.
Now, these habits may be incorporated consciously or unconsciously, by having a constant negative mindset, or by conditioning. They hamper the level of growth in your life by keeping you craving for more and consuming your vital energy that could be better used elsewhere. But it is never too late to eliminate these bad habits and improve the quality of your life.
7 Habits you should quit right now
1. Smartphone Addiction.
Yes! Your parents were right! Stop spending so much time on that stupid device. Smartphones were supposed to assist you with your life, not consume your life. Frequent exposure to screens and social media not only harm you physically, but mentally as well.
- You can start by turning off notifications for apps you use daily.
- Set timers for each app where youβll be allowed a predetermined amount of time for each day.
- Delete news-related apps. Theyβre nothing but a nuisance and will do far greater damage by reducing your attention span.
- No screen-time before and after your sleep time for at least 30 minutes.
2. Procrastination
Everyone has been guilty of procrastinating at some point in their life. While it is acceptable to procrastinate occasionally; doing it repeatedly will lead you to develop a victimβs mindset. Itβll limit your personal growth and lower your morale and self-confidence. Itβs important to get rid of this habit before it becomes everlasting.
- Start by creating a to-do list to keep track of your daily tasks.
- Break the complex tasks into multiple simple tasks.
- Perform the most demanding tasks first.
- Reward yourself for completing the tasks.
- Keep a journal and track your journey. Whenever you achieve a significant milestone, donβt be shy to treat yourself.
- Keep the process interesting and playful; add some sort of physical and mental activities in the midst.
3. Ignoring Self-Care
βYouβre just another one to everyone else, but youβre everything to yourself!β β Unknown.
The quote highlights why it is of utmost importance that you see yourself as a dear one. Your body and mind are all you have at your disposal. Donβt forget to tend to them as they are the essential tools in your self-growth journey. Follow the mentioned tips to the best of your routine:
- Get around 6-8 hours of sleep every day. (No compromises!!) Get some extra sleep on the weekends.
- Have a skincare routine.
- Try cooking some of your favourite dishes.
- Read or watch that book/show youβve been putting off.
- Clean up and organize your room and your home.
- Catch up with your friends.
- Spend some time with mother nature.
4. Neglecting Physical Health
Health is Wealth and rightly so. When youβre in great physical shape, you feel confident and therefore lively. This further significantly improves your mental health. Try making the most of the simple tips mentioned below:
- Create a sustainable workout routine.
- Exercise 3-5x a week.
- Any kind of physical activity can make a huge difference in your health.
- Gradually increase the intensity as you get used to a routine.
- Stay well hydrated.
- Replace processed food items with their natural counterparts.
- Add protein to your every meal.
5. Stress Eating/Binge Eating
As a wise man once said, βEverything in moderation; even moderation!β We live in an age where you can get the best of dishes at the tap of your smartphone. This often has caused more harm than good. With the foodie culture on the rise, this has inevitably led to eating disorders like excessive eating and binge eating.
- Get rid of all packaged and processed food.
- Delete all food delivery apps from your smartphone.
- Whenever you feel a sudden urge to eat; eat fruits, dry fruits, or drink water/milk instead.
- Track your daily meals and reward yourself once-in-a-while for sticking to the routine.
6. Messy environment
As the saying goes, βA cluttered room is a sign of a cluttered mind!β You are a by-product of your environment. If your environment is messy and miserable, chances are your life will be messy and miserable. Untangle your life with these simple steps:
- Make your bed first thing in the morning.
- Organize your closet.
- Embrace minimalism.
- Segregate the business apps and social/entertainment apps in your smartphone.
7. Entertaining toxic relationships
Iβll be lying if I said I havenβt been in this situation before! Thatβs the thing with toxic people β theyβre quite good at making people feel bad about themselves for absolutely no reason. Toxic people refuse to let go of you whilst also refusing to treat you right.
Relationships demand a lot from each individual and if the other person is not willing to give it to you, you should think of letting them go. You deserve every bit of happiness and peace in your life and for that you must make yourself a priority.
Conclusion
Although there are about a thousand toxic habits you can come across, I personally find these 7 habits the most common and the hardest to get rid of. Now, mind you quitting these habits will not be as simple as youβd want it to be. It will take a while and some serious dedication to build a better you.
Start with a habit or two, take baby steps, maintain a journal, add a new healthy habit to fit the vacuum created by the toxic habit and lastly donβt be afraid to reach out to someone.
You deserve the best that life can offer and the best version you can possibly be. I hope this article helps you and for those striving to be better every single day, for us, I say, βGreatness is coming!β