5 Sneaky Habits That Can Be Affecting Your Mood… & How To Break Them
Things are bananas! Yet another COVID variant, approaching year 2 of this pandemic, and let’s face it: life has changed quite a bit since January 2020.
In this period of adjustment, it’s likely you’ve pivoted routines and adopted new habits that have aided the new normal.
Safety measure habits? Check
Social distancing habits? Check
Zoom and video conferencing habits? Check
… The list goes on …
While there are many new habits that are beneficial, there might be some sneaky ones that are doing more harm than good. Let’s take a look at 5 habits that you might want to ditch, and how you can break them.
1: Phone Scrolling
Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter… there’s a never ending amount of applications and sites to visit. It’s easy to get in the habit of constantly checking to see what new content there is. Even five minutes here and five minutes there can really add up.
Yes, it’s important to stay connected but its also vital to monitor the time spent here. There is so much research indicating a direct correlation between this time “scrolling” and high levels of stress and low levels of self-esteem.
How to break it: Try to set a timer on the amount of time you can scroll. Thirty minutes a day? Ok, break that up. Spend 5 minutes in the morning, a few 5 minutes here and there, and 5 minutes at night. Chances are you’ll feel a big difference in your overall well-being.
2: Social and Emotional Distancing
With physical distance often comes social distance. Think: You’re really not going out to parties, events, or maybe even dinners. As the physical gatherings dwindle, the social network constricts. But here’s the deal: humans are social animals! Feeling lonely has been linked to worse physical and emotional health, and poorer wellbeing. Additionally, studies show a lack of social support directly affects humans potential for experiencing happiness.
How to break it: We’re in the era of vaccinations! You can be safe and social. The hardest part here is actually getting used to being social again. We’ve all been out of the social game for a while, and it can feel daunting to get back in!
Try:
Get together with friends in a comfortable location (your house/ apartment, a familiar restaurant, or an outside area you know well).
Being in a comfortable space can help release anxiety of getting back out
Start with a smaller group hang
One friend, maybe two. Intimate gatherings can be helpful to ease back into going out
*If you’re in quarantine or unable to go out, bring back the zoom happy hours baby! Yes, even I felt sick of them, but chatting with friends or signing up for a cocktail zoom class always did put a smile on my face after a long day.
3: Too Much Caffeine
Don’t get me wrong I love caffeine. It can be everything and more. It has benefits like reducing inflammation too! But, when over ingested, caffeine can cause: anxiety, stomach discomfort, and insomnia.
How to break it: Try to limit yourself to the American Heart Association’s guidelines of two cups of coffee a day. For me, I like to space out the time so I know I can have a cup right when I get up, and then another at 11am. After that, I stick to Chamomile tea.
4: Binge Watching the News
Yes, it’s important to stay in the loop and know what’s going on in the world. Currently, data on emotions tied to the news is overwhelmingly negative. Why? Because currently the news is overwhelming and negative! Keeping it on all day or watching too much has a direct effect on your mood and outlook on day-to-day life.
How to break it: Try to limit the amount of news you watch each day and your overall screen time. Most news stations give you a concise overview of state & national news in 30 minutes or less. This is enough for one day.
5: “I’ll Clean That Up Later”
We’re spending more time than ever at home. Working from home, eating more meals at home, just being AT HOME (like all the time!) From putting off making the bed to leaving dishes in the sink, a mess can easily be created.
Whether you’ve heard it or not, messes can directly affect your stress levels. Why? When the physical environment you’re in is messy, you psyche senses the mess and this leads to feelings that you are at a “loss of control.”
How to break it: Set aside clean up time. You can have your family members help or put on music if you’re at it alone. Personally, I like to make my bed first thing in the morning and I always put my dishes directly in the dishwasher (which makes a big difference)
The bottom line: Making a conscious effort to break these habits can improve your mood and boost your sense of self-efficacy. So… what can you try to address these sneaky habits?