We have the power to shape how our lives go.
Every morning most of us make a common choice, either to jump out of bed or to hit the snooze button. This simple pattern of decision-making continues throughout the whole day until at night when we decide either to sleep or watch one more episode.
What we fail to realize sometimes is the fact that the decisions we make throughout the day either make or break us. Some choices might have immediate effects while others might have long-term ones. But there is one consistent thing, they will impact us.
As we get older and socialize with more people, we adopt habits that become part of our daily lives. Sometimes we don’t even notice that we do certain things unless we do some introspection or someone points it out to us!
Because these energy-draining habits have become part of our lives, we don’t really take much time to unpack what they are doing to us.
So what should we do? Below are some common habits that drain our energy.
6 Common Energy-Draining Habits to Stop
1. Holding on to the past.
Looking back at our past, there is almost always something that we’re not happy about.
There are things that we regret and wish we could have done differently. Sadly, these have already been done, and they are in the past.
Holding on to them and thinking of a million alternative ways how things could have gone won’t make a difference. It will simply make us sadder and increases the feelings of regret.
Rather, we need to master the art of letting go.
When we look back, we should see a series of lessons and mistakes that can help us improve our future.
Are Your Regrets Keeping You From Living Life Fully? How to Let Go→
2. Poor diet.
They say ‘you are what you eat’ and I agree with that.
What you feed your body plays a huge role in how you feel in general. There is nothing wrong with the occasional fast foods, but when your whole diet consists of just that and sugary snacks, that could be a problem.
A bad diet often comes along with constantly feeling exhausted, among other things. We likely know more about how our diet affects our physical health, but not so much the effect it has on our mental health.
According to research, diet and nutrition influence various aspects of your cognitive functions and mental state, including:
- mood
- memory
- intelligence
- reasoning
- problem-solving
Buying takeout on your way home after a long day might seem appealing and convenient. To avoid walking into this trap of ‘convenience,’ consider doing meal prep. This way, cooking becomes less of a tedious chore at the end of a busy day, and you will likely feel better as a result.
Have You Ever Wondered How Much Your Diet Affects Your Mental Health?→
3. Too much social media.
For me, social media is a necessary evil.
I need it to connect with friends and stay updated on whatever is happening. I don’t enjoy being the person who is always clueless when it comes to current affairs. So in this way, social media can be amazing.
However, on some days, I spend hours doom scrolling across different platforms. By the time I put my phone down, I am exhausted, anxious, negative about almost everything about myself, and question the whole point of living.
I also look back and realize that I haven’t been as productive as I was supposed to have been.
If you’re like me and often find yourself in the social media loop, consider using application timers as a way of limiting your screen time. Clean your social media timeline and unfollow all accounts that don’t enrich you.
4. Forgetting to breathe.
We live in such a fast-paced world where time is money.
We try our best to get the most out of the 24 hours we get each day. We are constantly chasing goals and wanting to tick off as many things as possible from our to-do list. In the midst of all this chaos, we often forget to stop and take a breath. As a result, we feel anxious and panicky.
When you find yourself under so much pressure, remind yourself to breathe. Take a deep breath and when you exhale, let all the negative energy out as well. Unclench your jaw, remove your tongue from the roof of your mouth and relax your shoulders.
Use These 10 Breathing Techniques to Beat Stress & More!→
5. Waiting for the ‘right’ time.
How many things have you put aside and told yourself that you will do them when the time is ‘right’?
We limit ourselves and don’t go for things we want to go for because we think ‘now’ is not a good time.
“IN THE END… We only regret the chances we didn’t take, the relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make.” – Lewis Carroll
Well, we are here right now, and there is no better time than right now! Start jogging, going to the gym, yoga, the course you have been thinking of doing, cleaning your apartment, learning how to bake, drive or whatever it is. Start now, future you will thank you.
6. Surrounding ourselves with negative people.
I am sure we all know at least one of these energy-draining people.
They always have something to complain about and seem like nothing ever goes well in their lives. Studies have shown that constantly complaining rewires your brain and makes it easy for you to continue complaining.
I can’t imagine what constantly hearing someone complain does to your brain.
They say, ‘show me your friends and I will tell you your character’. The people we spend a lot of time with influence who we become. Habits rub off. So spending time with negative people will likely result in you also becoming increasingly negative. Surround yourself with positive and enriching people.
6 Friendship Red Flags You Should Never Ignore→
You Can Change Your Energy-Draining Habits
Fatigue and feeling drained can be fixed by the habits we choose to adopt (or let go of).
Energy-draining habits translate to an overly exhausted general well-being, increasing unproductivity and declining mental health. The first step in changing our draining habits is identifying them. This article has some of these common habits, but there are a lot more not listed here.
When you journal or reflect on your life, look back and take note of habits that have been doing you more harm than good. Change or totally let go of those. It won’t be easy, but if you are consistent you can do it!
At the end of the day, rather than rewarding yourself with screen time, consider putting your phone away and having enough sleep as a reward.
Photo by Keenan Constance
