The Most Common Unhelpful Habits to Work on This Year

February is the month that verifies whether we fall into the category of those people who managed to stick to their New Year’s resolutions and those who got overwhelmed and gave up. If you identify with the latter group, don’t worry. According to YouGov, only 28% of respondents stuck to their goals. Besides, the key to self-growth isn’t improving your routine by forcing yourself to exercise or eat healthier but getting rid of unhelpful habits that are holding you back.

The first step is identifying unhealthy habits that you rely on in your everyday life. It might not be a simple task, but if you analyse how you act to cope with negative emotions, you’ll eventually see some patterns emerge. Plus, I’ve prepared a list of common unhelpful habits you might relate to to make it even easier for you.

Unhelpful Habits

Avoidance

When you’re having a bad day, do you force yourself to sit down with your thoughts, or do you turn to Netflix or any other pleasant activity that takes your mind off things? It’s perfectly normal to rely on distractions to cope with negative emotions, and sometimes, if you experience something particularly distressing, it’s advisable to step away from the situation. However, people avoid revisiting the problem and suppress their emotions instead of facing them, which means they’ll come back with more force in the future.

Unhelpful Habits

Multitasking

Many influencers make juggling several tasks at the same time seem like a great idea. After all, getting it all done means that you’re productive and the more productive you are, the more your self-worth increases, right? Unfortunately, multitasking only sounds great in theory, and in reality, it means your attention is too divided to be efficient. It also means that training yourself to multitask teaches you to feel restless when it’s time to rest. Instead, try to be more present in the moment and focus on one task at a time.

Unhelpful Habits

Comparison

Yes, we’re all guilty of comparing ourselves to others, and social media does a great job of enabling this habit. But just because everyone does it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work on getting rid of this unhelpful habit. While comparison can be motivating at times, it’s more likely to send you down the rabbit hole where you feel guilty about not achieving your goals by the time you’re 30. Even if working on this means you have to become less active on social media, it’s worth changing your habits. Your future self will thank you.

Unhelpful Habits

Focusing on the past

Remember that ex who broke up with you or that job interview that didn’t work out? While it’s normal to think about the past once in a while, there’s no benefit in dwelling on it. If you let yourself ruminate, all you do is reopen old wounds instead of learning from the experience. Also, there’s no right or wrong decision. Everything you do brings you to a different point in life and shapes who you are in many ways, but not necessarily better or worse. And by the way, that ex is probably a completely different person you wouldn’t want to date now anyway. Keep focusing on the future.

Unhelpful Habits

Making time for people who don’t care

Being alone is scary, but you know what’s even scarier? Devoting your time to people who take you for granted and don’t make the same amount of effort. It’s difficult to give up on friends and partners you feel attached to, but if it’s not a quality relationship, you’ll be doing yourself a favour by walking away. Plus, severing old connections will give you an opportunity to finally meet someone who values you and your time. Remember, no one is ever too busy to talk to you or meet you for coffee once a week.