Most Inconvenient Habits to Change Your Life!
Happy New Year! As we all welcome 2019, it is hard to get away from conversations revolving around New Year’s resolutions. For some people, making resolutions is a great way to start the year. For others, it is such a pain! Which side of the debate do you fall on? Do you love or hate resolutions?
In truth, New Year’s resolutions are a great way to help you focus in the new year. What are your goals for the year? What is something you have put off doing that you really want to make happen this year? It is a great idea to really put some thought into these resolutions – and write them down! Even the simple act of writing them down can help hold you more accountable and make you more likely to actually make them happen.
Are you determined to succeed this year with your resolutions? We want to help! In fact, we want to challenge you to break some bad habits of yours. Will it be easy? No. Will it be worth it? Absolutely! The reality is that we all are guilty of certain habits that simply make our life harder. Do you always feel tired? Stressed out? Are your eating habits less than perfect? We can all admit to some (or all) of these things. This is the year to finally make a change!
Like we said, it isn’t going to be easy. Especially with these habits. We have selected the 5 most inconvenient habits that you should break as part of your New Year’s resolution. These are common habits that most people do, meaning it will be hard to stop. But we challenge you to give it a try. We are challenging ourselves too!
Let’s dive into the list.
1. Going to sleep late
We are starting off with one of the most common habits that we should all focus on breaking this year. We are all sleep deprived! As tired as we all are, have you noticed that it is actually difficult to make a change to get more sleep? The solution is simple, but making it happen is harder. And it’s understandable. After a long day, of course you want to spend some time relaxing. Perhaps meeting up with friends, watching TV, or reading a good book. Whatever it is that helps you relax, it makes sense you want to engage in those activities. Or perhaps, you simply have a long list of things that you need to get done – go to the store, pay bills, do laundry. We get it, life is busy!
However, not getting enough sleep can cause so many issues in all parts of life – at work, in your relationships, and simply in your overall health. This year, make it a priority to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Once you get into a routine, you will notice that even with sleeping more (and therefore having less hours of the day available) you will be more energized and able to get everything done that you need (and want) to!
2. Using your phone too much
This is a very inconvenient habit to break, but I think we can all agree that it needs to happen in 2019. We have all become so absorbed in our phones that we really lack meaningful interactions with people in person. While smartphones have changed the world in so many positive ways, it is also doing damage to our relationships.
We are all for using our phones to connect with family who lives far away and for plenty of other daily tasks- both at home and at work. However, when it comes to spending time with people, put the phone down! Sitting at dinner? Don’t look at your phone. Out at a concert?
You don’t need to record the entire show. Late at night? Put the phone down at least 30 minutes before going to bed. That isn’t easy, but the payoff is huge. Your relationships will be better, and you’ll be more energized as well. Staring at a screen all day isn’t great. Challenge yourself to lessen your screen time in 2019 (there’s even an app on your iPhone to help hold you to it!)
3. Eating out
Going out to eat and sharing a meal with family and friends is absolutely great. We are not suggesting that you should stop eating out entirely. Rather, set a limit for the amount of times per month you will eat out, and stick to it. The problem with eating out all the time is that it is not only not good for your health, it is also not good for your bank account!
Be intentional about when you go out – say for date night, or to celebrate a birthday. Really challenge yourself this year to not go out to dinner simply out of convenience. Yes, it is easier to go out than to go to the grocery store and cook, but that is about the only benefit! By setting a limit and only going out for special occasions you will also notice that you appreciate it a lot more.
4. Worrying about what other people think
This next one is admittedly not easy. It is one thing to stop going out to eat or to put your phone down, but to change your way of thinking is much more of a challenge. However, it is one of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself! It is certainly inconvenient, or just plain difficult, but the end result is worth it.
Thanks to things technology, and especially social media, we are all constantly comparing ourselves to everyone else and worried about how people will perceive us – how we look, what we say, what we are doing. Everything from the clothes we wear, to the jobs we have, to the way we raise our children. We are always worried about what other people think! It’s exhausting, and we’ve decided 2019 is the year to change.
It is one thing to ask for advice when going through a major life change. It is another to constantly wonder what everyone will think about your decisions – especially people online that you don’t even really know. You haven’t spoken to Sarah from 6th grade in 15 years- why do you care what she will think about your new house, or your new job?
Like we said, it isn’t easy, but the result is a much happier life that isn’t bombarded with negative thoughts and worries about what people are thinking. Make your own decisions, be confident with them, and don’t focus on what other people will think.
5. Saying ‘yes’ to everything
Finally, we have noticed that these days it seems like everyone always feels pressured to say yes to everything. From extra tasks at work that you really don’t have time for, to agreeing to show up to each and every social event you are invited to, the result is sheer exhaustion. And why do we do it? Because we don’t want to say no. We are worried we will upset the other person and that there will be negative consequences.
It is certainly inconvenient to start saying no, and it can feel uncomfortable, but it is one of the best ways to improve your mental and physical health! You are not obligated to say yes to everything. It is okay to sit out on a night out, or to decline watching your neighbor’s child. It feels mean, but it is sometimes necessary in order to give yourself some time for – you!
Wrapping Up
Yes, these 5 habits are certainly inconvenient to break, but it will be totally worth it in the end! We have all fallen into these patterns where we don’t sleep, are attached to our phones, constantly checking social media, comparing ourselves, and agreeing to everything that comes our way. It won’t be easy, but we challenge you all to break these habits as part of your New Year’s resolution.
Which habit are you most guilty of? Which do you think will be the most difficult to break? Let us know!
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