Toxic Habits That May Be Ruining Your Life

Some bad habits can be so toxic they have the power to ruin our lives. Without us even realizing it.

Some of them may sound trivial. They actually are great self-destructive and self-sabotaging ways.

Here are, in my opinion some of the most toxic habits we can acquire that can ruin our lives and relationships along with some simple tips on how to stop them.

Thinking too much. Doing too little

Aka perfectionism or...Overthiking!

I'm putting this first because it has a special place in my heart. Meaning it played a big role in me ruining my own chances AKA my own life too many times to count.

A while ago I listened to a ted-talk (can't remember its title, unfortunately) but a couple of sentences really stuck with me:

• Clarity comes from engagement not thought

• Perfection is the enemy of action

These were the words I needed to get a wake-up call.

If you're both an overthinker and a perfectionist like me, you already know firsthand to what degree thinking too much can stop you from taking action.

You keep thinking and thinking, believing that if you give it enough thought you'll get it perfect, you'll nail it, you'll get the best deal, you'll avoid all the risks..except that the more you think, the more all the probabilities and possibilities drive you insane. Often you'll find yourself either intimidated or demotivated until you give up completely.

So whenever you find yourself overthinking remind yourself that "Clarity comes from engagement not thought" and jump into action right away.

Postponing Until "Some Day"

I want to have a toned body...Some day I'll start that workout challenge.

I love the classics...Some day I'll read them all.

I love the Italian language...Some day I'll learn it.

Does this sound familiar to you? I think, unfortunately, many people are guilty of this. The problem?

That day rarely ever comes...Or it comes too little too late.

This bad habit is probably one of the worst when it comes to ruining our own lives.

The fact that you're postponing whatever it is that you want, signals to your brain that that thing is not actually worth it or, that it's not that important to you.

Next time you find yourself using the famous "someday I'll do this or that" stop and think of three to five quick and simple actionable steps you integrate into your life immediately to achieve what you want. Steps that leave you no room for excuses.

The moment you feel yourself trying to find excuses, check yourself.

Comparison

We often find ourselves comparing our lives to that of others. Wanting what they have: the lifestyle, the car, the career, the relationship. And in doing so, we often lose track of the things that really mean something to us. The things that truly make us feel fulfilled. Or even worse, the things that we should be grateful for already having.

This is the key in my opinion to fighting off this toxic habit.

Replace comparison with gratitude.

Whenever you feel like you're lacking something, remind yourself of another thing you're blessed and grateful to be having.

Another trick is to use gratitude as a motivational tool.

Instead of thinking "why don't I have this or that" think to yourself "I don't have a successful business right now true but I'm so grateful and lucky that I have actually the education and skills needed to make it happen".

Procrastination

Bad bad habit. Super bad. And one I'm guilty of.

Between watching just another episode of your favorite show, reading just one more tweet, or listening to just one more song, we often find an excuse to procrastinate. Before you know it, hours have passed and no task has been done.

This one can be hard to deal with so I'd suggest trying different things until you find what works for you.

My best couple pieces of advice would be to set up alarms as reminders, note down 3 primary tasks to do a day, start with ONE quick and simple task to boost your confidence, and promise yourself an end-of-the-day reward.

Trying to multitask

We all think we can multitask easily, and I believe women especially are guilty of this but according to studies people who multitask end up being less productive than those who don't.

So instead of distributing your energy and focusing on many things at the same time, try tackling one task at a time. You can set up a timer for it and move on to something else the moment the allocated time for that said task is finished

Living on assumptions

Again, if you tend to overthink you're probably guilty of this one too. Overthinking can make us act like paranoiacs. Seriously.

By analyzing every little detail, and giving it way much more important than it deserves, we tend to build up things and scenarios in our heads. We start living on assumptions rather than facts. This is a great way to self-sabotage. By living on assumptions we may treat some people unfairly and refuse to take opportunities that could be life-changing.

So next time you find yourself assuming try something different: count your fact and make your decision based on that.

I hope this small list will make you more aware of your toxic habits and help you stop self-sabotaging.

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