Toxic Habits To Break In Order To Achieve Success

Toxic habits eventually leave you feeling drained or distracted. They prevent us from achieving success in the long run even if they seem harmless. The best way to get rid of toxic habits is to replace them with good habits! 

Here are some common examples of toxic habits that you might not have thought of, and a solution to help you get back on track towards success:

1. Screen-time first thing in the morning

• Set a boundary. Do your morning routine without your phone beside you, or set a timer for when you can start scrolling through your phone/computer/tv channels. Waking up without the distraction of notifications or other’s conversations puts you in a better headspace to get started with your day. This is your time.

2. Apologizing for things out of your control

• Accept responsibility for things in your control, and stop apologizing for the things outside of your control. This balance will make you more aware and more confident in whatever it is you do. 

3. Overworking

• We all need downtime to perform at our best. Finishing a project early or working at an overly fast pace will only make you burn out. Take breaks to refresh your mind throughout the day. If anything, isolating yourself from your work for a short period of time could give you the chance to look at something in a different light when you get back to it. 

4. Staying seated for too long

• One of the healthiest things you can do is move your body, even if it's periodically. While we are in the zone of working we must never forget to get up and out of the chair every once in a while. Play your favorite song, and have a dance party with yourself or encourage your family/coworkers to join you! 

5. Not drinking water before coffee

• Make drinking water one of the first things you do each day. Start taking vitamins so you'll need to fill up a glass of water. Or if you do something that requires waiting, like grinding your own beans and making your own coffee, use that time to get hydrated since it takes awhile!

6. Not being in the present

• Too many people spend time obsessing over the what-ifs. Stop wasting mental energy dwelling on what happened, and what might happen when you could be living in the moment. Reserve time to just breathe and be present as you can reserve time for reflection/planning. 

7. Eating late-night snacks

• We are all guilty of having midnight snacks. Have some caffeine-free tea to curb these late-night cravings and make sure you eat a proper meal before 8 PM! This can help you get a good night's sleep and feel healthy and energized in the morning. 

8. Putting worth into one thing/person

• You are so much more than the appraisal or success of one person / thing. Putting your worth into one basket will leave you feeling disappointed because that’s life! Daily affirmations can help you believe the truth within yourself and only yourself. Head over here to read more into this practice and how to find self-worth. 

9. Touching an email more than once

• Open your email. Is it actionable? If no, delete it. Can you deal with it now? If not, schedule it. (this goes for physical mail too!) Get the business done right then and there and save yourself from email build up or disorganization that could hurt you in the future.

10. Using text instead of picking up the phone

• It is so easy nowadays to shorten conversations for convenience. But when it is with someone we love, quality conversations matter. Next time you find yourself sending over a quick text to someone you are close to just try calling them or face timing them. Holding more in-depth conversations will strengthen your connection with those around you.