13 Avoidable Habits That Will Change Your Life for the Worse

Health and wellbeing is easier to achieve than you think. Let’s check out 13 completely avoidable habits that will change your life for the worse.

Being healthy isn’t only about what you eat and how much exercise you get. It’s about the way you think, the things you do, and your general level of happiness. If you feel great on the inside, you’ll look fantastic on the outside. It’s really that simple. Avoiding habits that will change your life for the worse is vital if you want to be a calm, balanced, and centered individual.

Yoga-speak over. Let’s check out 13 habits that are sure to change your life for the worse. The good news? They’re all completely avoidable!

13 habits that will change your life for the worse, and how to avoid them

#1 Overthinking. Once you start overthinking, it’s very hard to stop. Your mind becomes like a hamster wheel, constantly moving, constantly shifting, and never allowing you to rest in peace! It is a fast track towards misery, because you lose perspective of everything.

Much of the time, you’ll be anxious about something that is never going to happen, and why waste that time on what ifs when you could be out living real life?

Avoiding overthinking comes down to not starting in the first place, but mind over matter can help you if it is already a part of your life. Practice mindfulness, as this will help you live in the here and now, and not in the past or future. [Read: 14 easy mantras to transform your life for the better]

#2 Spending too much time on social media. If you’re already a social media addict, it’s time to go on a detox. Spending too much time staring at an app or computer screen means you’re not connecting with those around you. It could be that your existing relationships and friendships suffer as a result.

You don’t need to like photos of kittens, you need to have a conversation with your boyfriend! You don’t need to search for inspirational quotes which sum up your life, you need to actually live your life! [Read: How to do a social media detox]

#3 Comparing yourself to others. Looking at someone else and pulling yourself up short on everything that doesn’t match is a fast track towards total unhappiness. Your self-worth will be sliding into the minus, and why? Because your hair doesn’t fall the same way? Because you haven’t been to Thailand yet and they have? Because they’re married and you’re not? So what!

It’s time to realize that we all move at our own pace in life, and individual in our own way. Why would you want to be a carbon copy of someone else?

#4 Watching TV for hours on end. If you’re spending more time watching TV than you are outside spending time with friends, rectify the situation quickly. You’re simply not living! Instead, you’re living life through others, and you’re not experiencing life and its many ups and downs.

You’re not going to find opportunities coming your way if you’re constantly watching TV, and you’re missing out on forming lasting connections with other people, real people. [Read: 19 genuine ways to connect with others and be more social]

#5 Not getting enough sleep. Big mistake. Not getting enough sleep isn’t just about being grumpy in the mornings, it’s about putting your health at risk. Sleep deprivation is a real thing, and it’s not something that caffeine can fix.

Aim to get at least eight hours of sleep per night, and try and establish a routine which allows you to relax and wind down in the hour or so before you go to bed. Avoid having long lay ins, and try and go to sleep at the same time every night if you can. You’ll notice you’re more focused, have more energy, and your appetite is regulated as a result. Oh, and you’ll be less snappy with those around you too!

#6 Procrastinating. Why put off today what you can do tomorrow? Erm, because tomorrow you might be busy with something else! Procrastinating is basically putting things off because you can’t be bothered to address them, or you simply don’t know how to. You probably already realize that this is one of those habits that will change your life for the worse. So face up to your to do list, whittle it down, and get it done! [Read: How to stop being lazy and confront your excuses head on]

#7 Perfectionism. Nobody is perfect, so why would you try to be? Aiming for the ideal of perfection is setting yourself up for disappointment. Why not settle for being happy with who you are and what you’re doing?

We all make mistakes, we all have imperfections, we are all individual because of our faults. The best course of action is to love yourself because of those faults, and not try and iron them out to become what you perceive to be perfect. Why? Because your idea of perfection could change and then you need to make another amendment later down the line!

#8 Putting yourself down. There’s enough negativity in the world, so why would you want to be your own worst enemy? Be kind to yourself, you deserve it!

Self-deprecating talk isn’t healthy, and it can seriously damage your mental health. Your view of yourself is what bases your armor against conditions like anxiety, depression, and stress. Without it, you’re laying yourself open for all of the above, and that is not a road you want to go down voluntarily. [Read: How to stop hating yourself and learn to love all of yourself]

#9 Spending too much time alone. There is a good side of spending a little time alone, because it allows you to connect with yourself and learn about what you really want, but spending too much time alone is not a good thing at all. Disconnecting yourself from friends and family leaves you lonely, because they’re experiencing life, and you’re sitting there with nothing and nobody to talk to.

Again, the social side of life helps in our battle against mental health problems, and our relationships are our savior in hard times. Don’t cut yourself off from the world, get out there and experience it!

#10 Gossiping. Do you believe in karma? If so, you need to cut out the gossip. What you do comes back to you, and if you’re gossiping about someone behind their back, before you know it, you’ll be the one being gossiped about!

Instead, why not choose to be kind to others, and see how great it makes you feel? Doing good deeds boosts our self confidence and that is the key to true happiness. Gossiping is easily one of the bad habits that will change your life for the worse, because no good can come from indulging in the bad or downfall of others. [Read: 12 ways you’re sabotaging your own happiness and ruining your life]

#11 Not talking about how you feel. Bottling up your emotions is a very bad thing indeed. Why? Because they fester and turn into major issues *when they really aren’t*, and you start to overthink. See item one on our list to discover why you don’t need to go down that route!

You are not weak for explaining your feelings to someone, it’s actually a strength. Not talking and keeping everything inside can leave you open to low mood, and again, do you really want to voluntarily invite that swirling mass of darkness into your life? Of course not. So, if you’re feeling low, talk about it. [Read: 15 mature ways to grow up and be an adult]

#12 Drinking or smoking too much. It isn’t big and it isn’t clever! Starting to smoke isn’t a great choice, it’s extremely bad for your body and it costs a small fortune. Drinking too much doesn’t make you look exciting or hip, it makes you look drunk, and drunk isn’t a good look.

If you’re drinking or smoking to deal with an issue, instead, focus on tackling it head on in a healthy and productive way. [Read: 10 signs stress is ruining your life and how to fix it]

#13 Overeating to deal with stress or other problems. Just like our point above, if you’re stressed out or having issues, it’s always better to talk them out and find a solution than to sink your teeth into unhealthy food choices. Overeating is going to lead to weight gain, weight gain can lead to obesity, obesity can lead to poor health and very low mood.

[Read: What to do when you’re emotionally exhausted and just can’t deal]

These are 13 habits that will change your life for the worse. They should be on your must avoid list at all costs!