7 Draining Habits I Avoid to Stay Insanely Mentally Fit
My head stays uncluttered if I avoid these things
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7 Draining Habits I Avoid to Stay Insanely Mentally Fit
Do you ever get emotional hangovers?
The days when your mind spirals with so much nonsense that your productivity gets cut in half like an old library card.
I got one the other day. I couldn’t write for shit and couldn’t focus on anything for more than 10 minutes. I discovered the source of my anxiety only after reviewing my journal (thank god for journals).
What happened? I spent that morning scrolling Instagram like a little gremlin. Not great.
I believe many of our anxieties are self-inflicted. There’s usually a trigger caused by a bad habit. And just like bad eating habits affect your physical health, some habits negatively affect our mental health.
Here are seven habits I try to avoid to stay mentally fit.
1.) Staying out late
I never had issues with drugs and alcohol. FOMO, however, that’s a different story.
I stay out late not because I want to keep drinking or suppress some unprocessed emotion but because I don’t want to miss out on anything.
The wiser I become, the more I realize how ridiculous FOMO is. You’re not missing anything. Successful people already know this. There’s a time to have fun with friends, but at some point, enough is enough.
It’s ok to go home early in order to protect your mental clarity.
2.) Stalking social media profiles
Apps are literally designed to compare yourself to others, and comparing yourself is like masturbation — It feels good for a few minutes, but it ultimately does nothing.
Here’s an exercise that will help reduce stalking and scrolling: Before I open social media, I ask myself, “How do you want to feel over the next few hours? Do you want to feel like crap, or do you want a clear mind to you can actually get shit done?”
Harsh, but I usually put down my phone after that question.
3.) Not going out at all
Did you know there’s a government agency in the UK called the Department of Loneliness? And No, this isn’t from Harry Potter. There’s actually a tax-funded bureau dedicated to reducing the mental health effects caused by loneliness.
Their most successful program is called Men’s Shed. A program that funds over 500 public auto garages where men can go and work on projects, drink tea, and shoot the shit with other men.
It’s all comical till you read the statistics. 52% percent of Men’s Shed participants gain a new sense of purpose. 24% feel less lonely, and 75% reduce anxiety.
We tend to get in our own heads when we’re alone for too long. That’s why I work hard to do things that make me feel less lonely.
My friends and I play Spikeball every Thursday after work. We get together, play a few rounds, but mostly sit around and talk about dumb stuff that solves nothing. It reminds me so much of Men’s Shed.
Loneliness sucks your soul, and having positive relationships in your life is vital to mental health. Take it seriously.
4.) Talking down to people
Have you noticed that one of two things happens when someone you know is doing well.
1.) You think, “I’m so happy for them! But that’s not who I am.”
2.) You bring them down to your level by talking shit.
The latter is a horrible habit. Not only does it get you nowhere, but you’ll feel worse about yourself.
Here’s the thing, we all have our challenges. Everyone has their cross to bear. Maybe their marriage is toxic. Maybe their job sucks their soul. Maybe there’s family drama.
I used to be jealous of a friend. He traveled the world, writing blogs, dating girls. Meanwhile, I read his blogs while stuck in a boring cubical at my boring real estate job. But I got to know him more and discovered that even he felt low and insecure sometimes and for all sorts of crazy reasons.
Everyone has their shit.
Show empathy and compassion, even towards those you think are doing better. You never know.
5.) Half-assing a workout
I asked my friend and fitness instructor if I could listen to music during a workout.
“No music.” Was his reply. Implying that music diminishes focus.
Fitness strengthens the mind like steel strengthens armor. It builds willpower so you’re equipped to endure the stress of work, relationships, and just the daily grind.
I notice that I’m less sharp whenever I half-ass a workout. How you do anything is how you do everything, as the saying goes.
6.) Leaving your room a mess
I know plenty of people who function perfectly well in dysfunction.
I’m not one of them.
A cluttered apartment equals a cluttered mind.
7.) Failing to plan the day
Preparation is important. It might be the most important thing you do all day.
Why?
We need agency. Imagine if each day started under a giant cloud of uncertainty, and you think to yourself, “Wait, what the hell I’m I doing today?”
If that’s what you’re thinking, you’re probably not doing anything important.
Like a professional golfer reading a green before a putt, your schedule and prioritizing your day frees your mind from the burden of winging it. The exercise prepares you for the challenges ahead, which reduces your anxiety about them.
As Ryan Holiday once wrote, “Are they braver or just more prepared?”
Takeaways
I hope my list provides a fresh take on bad habits maybe you haven’t thought about.
Staying out late.
Social media stalking.
Shutting yourself in.
Talking down to people.
Half-assing a workout.
Leaving your room a mess.
Failing to plan your day.
Now go out and enjoy your day with clarity and happiness.