Mental health is becoming a widely discussed subject in recent times. The pandemic has taken a toll on mental health globally. Besides being healthy physically, equal importance should be given to mental health.
It’s interesting to understand that our day-to-day habits can also have a direct impact on our mental health. Not only our internal conversations but our habits related to the interactions with the outside world also affect our mental health.
10 Worst Habits That Directly Affect Mental Health
Why do mental health problems occur? Apart from the most common reasons widely talked about, there are some unintended and secondary factors as well that directly affect our mental well-being and we don’t even realise it. We all have good and bad habits, positive and negative tendencies. However, there are some day-to-day habits that we build over a period that has a direct or indirect impact on our mental health.
Where is mental health the worst? Mental health is worst at places and with people who encourage these habits and never show you a positive direction.
So, what are some bad mental habits? Here is a list of 10 bad habits that directly affect mental health:
1. Getting involved in people’s lives
Unless someone really wants you to get involved, stay away from being a Nosey Parker. It’ll save you so much trouble of carrying the weight of others’ emotions and feelings.
2. Backbiting
A big no! The habit of backbiting leads to constant comparison and you’ll end up feeling miserable. The issue with backbiting is that it is addictive as a drug, making you do it over and over again. It is a waste of time, reduces productivity, and lowers potential, but most importantly, gossip affects people negatively.
3. Gossip
Yeah, I know it’s fun! But not always. Gossip only leads to blocking your positive energy and fills your mind with negativity. Negative gossip is distinct from idle chit-chat and small talk; it is the dissemination of negative, unsubstantiated information in an ill-willed manner. It causes rifts among people because gossip alters one’s perception of others and makes it difficult for people to thrive together.
4. Badmouthing others
Badmouthing, as the term suggests, will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth and hamper your positive state of mind. To feel in control of yourself and your situations, you have to stop comparing and bad-mouthing others immediately and focus on yourself. Focus on your growth and your potential and make your life better. Pulling down others will not make things better for you. Right?
5. Giving unsolicited advice
6. Running after perfection
Setting impossible expectations, unhappiness with anything less than perfection, concern with failure or rejection, and viewing mistakes as evidence of unworthiness are all examples of negative perfection habits.
7. Feeling guilt
The habit of guilt often starts in childhood. If left unchecked, it can have long-term repercussions. If you have a habit of feeling guilty then you will experience exaggerating issues, claiming responsibility for situations that had little or nothing to do with you, viewing yourself as a bad person for little transgressions, and refusing to forgive yourself.
8. Poor Sleep
Now researchers think poor sleep can result in mental health problems, according to Harvard Mental Health Letter published by Harvard Medical School, and that treating the sleep disorder can help relieve mental health symptoms.
9. Regret
Everyone has regrets. Research cited by Psychology Today says that regret is more common in cultures where people have greater control over their life choices. The habit of regret can lead to melancholy, anxiety, sleep disorders, concentration problems and in some cases, poor physical health.
10. Mindset of Failure
Everyone experiences negative thoughts from time to time, and occasional emotions of failure are usually not a sign of mental illness. Fostering these negative beliefs, on the other hand, might lead to a failure mindset, which can limit your potential to accomplish. Listening to that inner voice that says you can’t succeed, that you don’t have a choice, or that you should quit before the world knows you’re a fraud are all failure mentality practises.
Bottomline
When it comes to mental health, these bad habits and patterns of thinking can be your worst enemy. Breaking bad habits takes considerable work and time but, with practice and determination, you can learn new habits that improve your mental health.
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