Toxic Habits to Give Up

I talk a lot about habits here, but I mostly talk about cultivating good habits.

The problem is that not all habits are good. Some habits can be very bad, even toxic.

It’s important to be able to recognize these toxic habits within ourselves, not just within others.

Here are 8 common toxic habits to give up to make your life better.

 

Being Glued to your Phone

When you’re staring down at your phone you could be missing what is right in front of you.

These days our phones usually have a screen time that you can check – so how many hours have you wasted mindlessly scrolling?
 

 
I am by no means saying that you should never use your phone. Of course not.

It’s more about giving yourself a reality check.

How much time are you spending staring at that – or another – screen?

Remember to put the phone down sometimes and try not to pick it up first thing in the morning either.

 
 

Being Unorganized

Being unorganized can lead to a lot of issues both big and small.

Maybe it’s running late because you can’t find your keys, or getting an extra fee because you misplaced a bill.

You’re not being productive if you’re spending all of your time looking for things you misplaced.

In general clutter can cause stress and make it harder for you to relax – so can not being able to find things that you’re looking for.
 

 
 

Not Taking Breaks

Give up the hustle culture.

This is one of the best toxic habits to give up.

You should both work hard and rest hard.

If all you do is work and not take any breaks you will eventually burn yourself out.

Taking breaks is an essential part of productivity.

Breaks will actually help improve the quality of your work.

allow yourself to rest when you’re tired

Breaks give you an opportunity to recharge, refresh and refocus.

Even short breaks can help.

Effective breaks might involve stretching your body, drinking some water, having a snack or doing a 5 minute meditation.

They don’t involve scrolling on your phone, or watching Youtube..

 
 

Skipping Meals

Skipping meals is something a lot of us do, even me!

I will run out of the door in the morning without having anything for breakfast but coffee.

The problem is that by the time lunch rolls around, we’re willing to grab anything to eat.

We make poorer decisions and overeat because our body is so hungry by that point.

Sweets and salty things are especially temping because they offer a brief spike of energy.
 

 
Skipping meals can also cause your metabolism to slow down.

Your body is trying to conserve ‘fuel’ since it doesn’t know when you’ll be eating again.

It can lead to low blood sugar which can lead to brain fog, fatigue and frustration.

 
 

Comparing Yourself

You are your only competition. Focus on yourself and not others.

Obviously that is easier said than done.

This is definitely one of the more difficult toxic habits to give up and you’ll never be perfect.

Remember social media isn’t real.

Even when people are very open and genuine online you still never see the full picture.

What people post is a curated highlight reel of their life – not all of the boring or mundane things.

Everyone’s journey is entirely unique.

Comparing yours to others will only hurt your own self-worth.

Trust that where you are is all just part of the process.

 
 

Doubting Yourself

Why would you continue making yourself feel bad?

It doesn’t make any logical sense, but so many of us do this.

That’s why it’s especially important for this to be a toxic habit you give up.

Believe in yourself and in your potential.

It’s the first step on the staircase of success. If you can’t believe in yourself, no one else will either.

A lot of us tend to naturally be our own worst critic.

But you should be more gentle with yourself.

Celebrate the things you have done and your tiny wins.
 

 
While it’s good to be aware of any negative habits or personal shortcomings, you also need to remain aware and believe in your own abilities and strengths.

When in doubt use positive affirmations to remind yourself that you do indeed got this.

 
 

Focusing on things You Can’t Control

There are a lot of things in life that we can control, but there are also a lot of things in life that are beyond our control.

Stop wasting energy worrying about the things that you can’t change and focus on the things that you can change instead.
 

you can plan a pretty picnic but you can’t predict the weather
 
You can always plan but you can’t predict.

There are so many things in life that are just beyond our control.

We can’t choose the cards that we are dealt, but we can choose how to play them.
 

 
 

Holding Grudges

I saved this one for last because I know that often forgiveness and letting go can be a difficult process.

It can be be tempting to hold grudges.

I know this first hand because I have held many myself – for much longer than I should have.

But the best revenge is doing well despite anything in your past.

Your happiness is more important than any history.
 

 
Forgive them and forgive yourself for any mistakes that you’ve made in the past.

Learn and grow from these hard lessons.

Maybe whoever hurt you isn’t sorry.

Maybe they don’t deserve forgiveness – but you deserve it.
 

 

Of course there are plenty more bad or toxic habits that a person can have.

I just tried to cover what I think are 8 of the most common.

These are toxic habits to give up if you want to be a happier person.

No one is perfect, but the self-growth is about continually becoming the best version of yourself.

I hope this post helped you along your journey, if it did please let me know in a comment at the bottom!

 
Like what you read? Want to follow along on the journey?

I would love it if you signed up for my mailing list!

I’ll send you a new e-mail every week when I release a new post!

You’ll also be given access to my printables vault and won’t be sent any spam.

Just enter your e-mail address below ↴