5 Negative Habits You May Want to Ditch
By Sandy Schroeder
Most of us have a few bad habits that just refuse to go away. One of mine is turning to my favorite franchise for “double double” burgers. Whatever your bad habits are, it’s important to notice when you are acquiring too many.
Recently DumbLittleMan.com focused on a few negative lifestyle habits that can undermine everything we are trying to do.
Forgetting to take breaks – If you thrive on your work and find it easy to power right on through, or if you simply have to show up a lot to make things happen, breaks may go by the wayside. Everybody needs quiet times, and free spaces to maintain a healthy mental balance. Make sure you get yours.
Negative night owl habits – Some of us do better work later in the day, and find it hard to summon a smile when we have to make an early morning meeting, but overdoing late night routines may present hazards. Researchers say regular late night habits may link to depression, and isolate individuals. If you work a lot at night, keep an eye on yourself and flip the schedule around sometimes to see what you might be missing.
Taking too many timeouts – We all know we need to be out there on the court, in the gym, or walking daily, but sometimes too many other things get in the way. If you are exercising way too little, start building regular breaks into your schedule. Try walking before work, doing mat exercises after lunch, or going for a run before dinner to keep your body healthy mentally and physically.
Not paying attention to those around us – Everybody needs smiles, and day-to-day reassurances. Your family, friends, dog, cat, and neighbors may all brighten up when you take the time to interact. In today’s world it can be all too easy to let the pace pull us forward, assuming there will be time later to stop and talk or go for a walk. Make the time every day for those around you; they will benefit and so will you.
Forgetting to reach out – Researchers have shown volunteering and giving to others may be one of the healthiest things we can do. Making time to help others could involve your family on the weekends, and be the best thing you have done together all week. Bake cookies together and visit a neighbor who never gets out. Stop by your local dog, cat or marine shelter and find out how you can help.
We all need to keep score, logging in more positive habits than negative.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in McKinney, Tex.