While we frequently focus on poor habits like eating fast food, smoking, or not exercising, we seldom ever consider the potential effects these bad habits may have on our mental health.
Some unhealthy behaviors can hurt your mental health just as some bad habits can harm your physical health. For instance, these practices can make you more likely to experience melancholy or make you experience greater anxiety or tension.
“Modern life is not good for mental health.” – Jean Twenge, sociologist
THESE COMMON HABITS HURT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Here is a list of fifteen terrible behaviors that affect your mental health yet which we all have. To live a happy life, make these small changes to your daily habits.
1. POOR EATING HABIT
The relationship between food and our psychological health is being revealed by the area of nutritional psychology. Consuming a lot of processed foods, such as cookies, chips, bread, etc., for instance, greatly increases the risk of depression.
This also involves eating too little or too much, not getting enough of the nutritious nutrients we need daily, or consuming an excessive amount of foods and beverages that are heavy in fat, sugar, salt, and/or fat substitutes.
Therefore, if you suffer from depression, changing your diet alone may provide some help. Eat more fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, seafood, healthy fats like olive oil, and other minimally processed foods (the “Mediterranean diet”), according to recommendations.
2. BUYING STUFF WE DON’T NEED
We are readily swayed by the behaviors of others around us, and tragically, many of us make unnecessary purchases either out of habit or in an effort to fill a hole in our lives. More “things” can never make you happy, studies have repeatedly proved. In actuality, acquiring an excessive amount of stuff we don’t need can lead to tension and stress. According to research, purchasing experiences rather than material goods might make individuals happier because they relate to them on a deeper level.
3. LACK OF EXERCISE
Our waistlines, hearts, and, it turns out, our mental health are all negatively impacted by a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise should be thought of as “nature’s mood booster,” nevertheless.
Through the release of endorphins and other “feel good” chemicals, the suppression of immune system chemicals that exacerbate depression, and an increase in body temperature that has a soothing effect, regular exercise may help those with depression. Regular exercise may also boost your self-esteem, help you deal with stress in a healthy way, enhance your social interactions, and divert your attention from problems.
Exercise infrequently or not at all, work out until you’re exhausted, have poor technique, and just do one type of exercise are all negative exercise habits that might have an impact on your mental health.
4. SEARCHING FOR PERFECTIONISM
Being a perfectionist is a good habit. However, when your pursuit of perfection takes a bad turn, it may amplify worry, tension, and undermine your sound limits. It’s simple to become lost when we have no guidelines on how to get there and are completely focused on being flawless. To turn your perfectionism in a constructive direction, try practicing mindfulness.
