Don’t pick your nose (at
least in front of other people), don’t bite your nails or chew your hair, and don’t
fart in front of others. These are all bad habits that we know how to hide, but
what about those bad habits you may not realize you do? Here are 10 bad habits
that drain your energy and how to lose them.
1. Spending too
much
Bad habit:
-
We all love new
gadgets, but wearing your paycheck like jewelry is asking for financial
trouble. Going into debt can cause serious health concerns, such as depression,
insomnia, headaches, ulcers, weight gain and loss, high blood pressure, stomach
issues, ulcers, and excessive smoking and drinking, states a Rutgers University
survey.
Lose it:
-
Manage your
money. Calculate how much you earn to how much you spend. If you are spending
more than you earn, cut back. Material items are nice, but they aren’t
necessities. Think about what you really need and prioritize.
-
Manage your
credit cards. Just because you have a credit card doesn’t mean you need to rack
it up. Put your credit cards in a safe or a box somewhere inside your house and
leave them alone. Pay off the bills and spend only what you make.
-
Create a budget,
use coupons, and make your meals as opposed to buying them. Budgets keep you in
check, grocery lists help you avoid buying unnecessary items, coupons help save
money on items you are already buying, and making your meals saves you a ton.
-
Let’s say you
spend $20 a day on fast food for lunch, that’s $100 a week, and $400 a month. Let’s
say you spend about $300 a month at the grocery store for your breakfast,
dinner and snacks. Therefore, you spend about $700 a month on food. However, by
making your lunch at home, you use the food you bought at the grocery store for
$300 a month. We will even add an additional $100 for bread, lunch meat, etc. $700,
as opposed to $400, you choose which sounds better.
-
Remember:
prioritize.
2. Being a
couch potato
Bad habit:
-
Lying on the
couch and watching TV is a nice way to relax, but you shouldn’t do it all the
time. Watching too much TV affects your energy levels by lowering your physical
and social activity. When you relax too much, you lose interest in your
hobbies, become easily tired, and can no longer accomplish tasks that were once
easy. This also subjects you to eating due to boredom, which causes weight
gain.
Lose it:
-
Only watch TV
when you want to watch a specific show.
-
Limit your TV
intake to two hours a day or less.
-
Exercise while
you watch TV. Leg lifts, calf lifts, squats, crunches, pushups, planks, and
yoga are easy exercises to do while watching TV.
-
Leave the home
instead of watching TV.
-
Go for a walk,
visit friends, clean your house, or read. Do something you enjoy.
-
Mind exercises,
such as reading, help increase your memory, vocabulary and intelligence.
3. Skipping your
workout
Bad habit:
-
It’s easy to rest
when you’re tired, but this actually makes your energy level lower. Regular
exercise creates energy by boosting your strength, endurance, and improving the
oxygen delivered to your organs. Next time you feel exhausted, get off the
couch and take a walk, do a few sit-ups or pop in that exercise DVD lying on
your shelf. You won’t be sorry. In fact, you will have more energy and feel
better when you are done.
Lose it:
-
Understand that
you may be tired, but you will feel better afterwards.
-
Make a playlist
with fun and energizing songs to help motivate you to work out.
-
Find a workout
that is short to help you begin an exercise schedule.
-
Join a gym that
is close by with classes such as yoga, cycling, boot camp, etc.
-
Find a workout
buddy to keep you motivated.
4. Forgetting
to drink water
Bad habit:
-
Pop, juice,
coffee – they all taste better than water. However, water is exactly the
healthy energy you need. Amy Goodson, RD, a dietitian states, “being even
slightly dehydrated – as little as 2% of normal fluid loss takes a toll on
energy levels”.
Lose it:
-
Follow my
previous blog post, The Water Challenge, for a guide on how to drink the correct
amount of water for your body weight.
-
Give yourself a
goal, i.e. three bottles of water, then your indulgent drink.
-
Start drinking
water as soon as you wake up.
-
Buy a reusable
water bottle.
5. Eating
poorly
Bad habit:
-
You skipped
breakfast, ate a Big Mac for lunch, picked up Little Caesar’s Pizza for dinner,
and snacked on chips while watching Walking
Dead before falling asleep. Not only are you skipping the most important
meal and the easiest one to burn off, i.e. breakfast, but you are fueling your
body with food high in fats that clog your arteries, raise your cholesterol and
add numbers to your scale.
Lose it:
-
Eat breakfast!
Your body needs breakfast to give you energy for the day. Cereal, oatmeal,
yogurt, and fruit are quick and easy ways to start your morning.
-
Replace fast food
with homemade food. Yes, it takes time, but it is cheaper and healthier.
-
Substitute potato
chips with dried fruit chips.
-
Grill a few
chicken breasts, bag them up individually and freeze them. Next time you need
lunch or dinner you can heat the chicken up, add a salad and tada- you have a
meal.
-
Remember portion
control.
6. Sweating the
small stuff
Bad habit:
-
Didn’t your mom
tell you to pick your battles? Worrying about tiny issues, like your client
hasn’t called you back in an hour, your spouse is 10 minutes late, or your
shoes don’t perfectly match your outfit, are not “worry worthy”. Your client is
probably busy, your spouse hit traffic, and no one is looking at your shoes.
Worrying about the little things causes anxiety, affects your sleep, and can
leave you mentally exhausted.
Lose it:
-
Breathe. Just
stop, breathe and let it go.
-
Make sure it is
“worry worthy”. Think to yourself, if someone came to you with this worry, how
would you respond?
-
There are two
categories you need to remember, “get over it” and “that is a concern”. In what category does your worry belong?
-
Do something
relaxing like deep breathing, warm baths (maybe even bubbles), meditation, and
yoga.
7. Being negative
Bad habit:
-
Okay, so that
flat tire is a serious bummer, but complaining about it won’t help. Make a plan
and fix it. Bad things happen, but your perspective is what makes or breaks
your day. Negativity affects your work ethic, people around you notice it (and
don’t like it), plus, it leaves you stressed out and unhappy. You should be
confident and optimistic. You will be amazed by how smooth your days run when
you look at things through a positive light. Make your glass half-full.
Lose it:
-
Twist your
negative thought into a positive one. How can this bad thing actually be a
blessing? Maybe you learned how to replace a flat tire for the first time.
-
Eat healthy and
exercise. You will be amazed by the positive energy you receive.
-
When something
negative pops in your mind, shut it off and adjust your way of thinking.
-
List all the good
things that happened to you during the day before you go to bed. You might be
surprised by how good your day actually was. Read it in the morning to remind
yourself, life is good, you are good, and your day is going to be good.
-
Don’t sweat the
small stuff.
8. Being too
serious
Bad habit:
-
Sometimes you
just have to laugh. Taking things too seriously stresses you out, ruins your
happiness and turns you into a negative thinker. Laugh at yourself and the
mistakes that happen throughout the day. It makes the mishaps easier to handle.
It also makes you appear friendly, more approachable and genuine. In return, you
will be a lot happier.
Lose it:
-
So, your client
made a joke that your tie doesn’t match your shirt, oh well! Say you let your
daughter dress you or laugh at yourself, it shows you are easy-going.
-
Instead of
getting angry, think about easing the tension and laugh.
-
Remind yourself,
how would you want others to act if they were in your shoes?
9. Being a
perfectionist
Bad habit:
-
You spend hours
creating the perfect proposal, you reject help because they won’t do it as well
as you, and now you are stressed out and tired. Irene S. Levine, PhD, explains
that perfectionists set unrealistic goals and are often left with “no sense of
self-satisfaction”. Don’t stress yourself out and worry about things that are fine
just the way they are.
Lose it:
-
Accept help. You
will learn new tricks, gain a friend, and show that you can work with others.
Teamwork is a valuable skill that many companies look for.
-
Perfection is
impossible, so set a time limit and stick with it. The extra time is not going
to improve much.
-
Perfection is
different to everyone, so understand that your version of perfection may not be
your viewer’s perfection. Therefore, work hard, but don’t exhaust yourself.
-
Remember that
people are impressed with you and your work ethic, not how fancy your
PowerPoint is.
10. Taking on too much
Bad habit:
-
Can you finish
this project tonight? – Yes. Can you form a focus group by the morning? – Yes. Can
the entire little league team come over for dinner? – Yes. Can you, can you,
can you? – No, you can’t. Saying yes to everything adds unneeded stress and
most likely work that is not up to your normal par. Don’t overwhelm yourself
because you are afraid to say no. People rather you say no then say yes and not
get it done or do the job poorly. Moreover, you deserve some relaxation at the
end of the day.
Lose it:
-
Be honest with
people. Say no. They may be disappointed at first, but they will understand.
-
If you really
don’t want to say no, then explain you are busy and ask for a later due date.
-
Remember that you
need time to relax and be with your family. Make that a priority and schedule
it into your day. It will give you a reason to say no.
-
Remember, other
people can help. Rely on your coworkers.
Sources: