No matter who you are, the chances are good that you have some bad habits that you could benefit from breaking. While it might not be easy to do so, you’re going to see the benefits of doing so. The following are some of the top habits that you should consider breaking and eliminating from your routine if they currently exist.
Using Technology In Bed
This never used to be a problem, but nowadays, using technology such as your phone, tablet or computer in bed is one of the worst things you can do for your sleep. It will severely harm your sleep and your productivity. The blue light that these devices give off affects your mood, energy and quality of sleep. At night, your brain is not expecting any blue light which makes you sensitive to it. The best thing to do would be to avoid these devices after you eat your dinner for the night. TV is okay, as long as you are sitting far enough away from the TV.
Surfing the Internet
To fully focus and engage on a task at hand, you have to work on it for 15 minutes. When you get into a rhythm or flow when you’re working, you can be up to 5 times more productive. However, if you decide to take a break to look at the score of a game or check something on social media, you immediately disrupt this flow, and you will not longer be focused on your task at hand. If you continue to surf throughout the day, you may never enter a flow.
Multiple Notifications
While you might like knowing every single time something happens, or you get a text or email, it is not one of the best ideas regarding productivity. By getting a notification every time, you’re going to find yourself constantly looking at your phone. The best thing you can so is group your notifications together and check them at the same times throughout the day
Using Phone During Conversations
Not only will this be good for you, but it is just common courtesy for you to practice when you are engaging in a conversation with someone. There is nothing that is more annoying or disruptive than looking down at your phone in the middle of a conversation. If you commit yourself to a conversation, you should focus all of your energy on that conversation. If you are immersed in the discussion, you may find it much more enjoyable.
Saying “Yes” Too Often
The University of California found that the harder it is for you to say no to people, the more likely you are to be stressed or even depressed. “No” is powerful and a lot of people don’t want to say it. While you shouldn’t say no to everything that comes up, it’s important to understand that there is nothing wrong with saying no every once and awhile.
Letting People Bother You
No matter who you are or what you do, there are always going to be people that get under your skin. The more you let them bother you, the worse it is going to be for you. There are enough people in your life that deserve your attention, so make sure you are giving it to them instead.
Multitasking In Meetings
Never give anything half of your attention, especially when it comes to meetings. If you think that there is a meeting that doesn’t deserve your full attention, then you probably shouldn’t be at the meeting. And if the meeting is worth your full attention, then you need to give it exactly that. Multitasking is always a huge no-no.
Spreading Gossip
This goes back to high school, but you should never spread or promote the gossip that you might hear in or around the office. The more you gossip, the more it is going to hurt people and the worse it is going to make you feel.
Not Taking A Chance
You shouldn’t decide not to take a chance because you fear that you might fail. Everything in life is going to take some time to develop, and it is important that you give yourself the time to devote to those ideas. While you may not know if you’re going to succeed, that shouldn’t stop you from trying.
Comparing Yourself
No matter what you do, the worst thing to happen would be to start comparing yourself to other people in your life or in your line of work. If there’s something that you feel good about, then make sure that you don’t let anyone use their opinion against you to make you feel bad. Don’t let those opinions bring you down. Remember, no matter what people say about you, you will never be as good or as bad as they claim.
While there are a lot of habits in your life that you may feel you need to break, these ten habits are some of the first ones you should consider breaking if they are currently part of your daily routine.