Your everyday habits shape your whole life. Worst habits lead to disappointments and good habits improve the quality of your life as you perform them even for some time every day. In this blog, you will learn about 15 of your worst habits that are holding you back from all the growth and how you can fix them. 

A habit is a routine, a pattern you follow on a day-to-day basis. Your habits define you and your story. The worst habits of your life need to be identified early on, to fix and improve on them. Otherwise, they can be the reason for your downfall in the long run. 

Based on your lifestyle, you might be meeting new people every day or staying intact with the old ones. But, did you know that you pick up the habits of others as you spend more time with them? 

You never know when you have developed the worst habits that are stopping your growth and success. Overcoming these worst habits can have a greater impact on your life than adding new, good habits. You need to be mindful to take steps to change your worst habits for the better.

If you want to excel in the new year, read on to be aware of the 15 worst habits and address them to make 2024 your best year yet. 

 

15 Worst Habits You Can Fix to Grow Better in 2024

 

1. Spending too much time indoors 

As a blogger, I usually spend most of my time in front of a laptop, working day in and day out. But it’s not healthy., building a sedentary lifestyle can lead to many serious health concerns. 

Hence, I am trying to fix this habit by going out for a walk even if it’s for 10 minutes only. 

Not only, it’s extremely therapeutic it also refreshes. It gives me my me-time to think better which ultimately leads to more ideas, both personally and professionally. 

If you also have a sitting job or you are a remote worker and you prefer to stay inside your house, you need to take some time to get the fresh air and be out and about in nature.

 

2. Trying to remember everything

Your brain is not made to remember things but rather to get ideas and get things done. You cannot depend on it to remember every idea that pops into your head at random hours. 

So, whenever ideas come to your mind, write them down in a notebook or note them down in your phone’s notes app instead of struggling to remember them. 

Make a To-do list of what you need to do and keep adding to that list. Do not occupy your wonderful mind with the constant struggle to remember every little thing. Let it rest. It deserves it. 

 

3. Not having a routine

If you are mindlessly waking, sleeping, or eating whenever you want, then this will keep you stuck for your whole life. This is the worst you can do to your mind, body, and soul. 

Build a discipline in your life to do the required things at the right time. Divide your day into different slots like morning, evening, and night. Allocate dedicated tasks to each slot including your work, enjoyment, and leisure.

 

4. Always saying a Yes

Saying no is an essential life skill. However, I believe to an extent, all of us have this innate need to say yes because “what will they think of me”. But, the truth is, it is important to know when to say no and when to say yes. 

You don’t have to be a people pleaser by saying yes to everything all the time. I know it’s difficult but it’s not impossible. This is one of those things where you challenge yourself for your own good. 

Do not bother about what people will think about you if you actually have some other priorities and want to say no. Set clear boundaries. If you don’t prioritize saying no when needed, you will end up neglecting what is important to you. 

5. Complaining every time

Complaining has become our nature. The constant need to seek validation from others, the undying need to fit in, and the unwavering feeling of superiority; all easily lead you to complain more often. 

You are complaining all the time about small or big things. You lose your patience over the smallest of things, find faults, and get dissatisfied. This harms your mental health and well-being. If you don’t work on this worst habit, you will lose power and control over your entire life. 

 

6. Mindlessly scrolling on social media

Your social media addiction and mindless scrolling are killing your time without even realizing it. In the long run, it will only destroy your life. It keeps you distracted all the time. 

As much as social media is a blessing in disguise, it has its disadvantages too. To improve this bad habit and save yourself from this unneeded distraction, you can set your scrolling time to maybe 30 min or 1 hour a day.  

This has helped me a lot. Since I have set my evening time for scrolling Instagram as it is not related to my work. 

 

7. Fear of Change

Everyone is scared of changes. You are too. You don’t want to leave your comfort zone and experience the discomfort. But, here’s the truth: Growth lies on the other side of comfort. 

Being too comfortable will only cost you your growth in life. Hence, you must adapt to changes in your life and witness the magic unfold yourself. You never know what life has in store for you beyond your comfort zone.

 

8. Self – Doubt

Self-doubt has cost me the most. I always thought that I wouldn’t be able to do a certain thing or that I was not capable enough. People are ahead of me and achieving everything and I am not.

All these self-limiting thoughts have only kept me away from my growth. They have held me back from the most thriving times in my life.   

The reality is that if you don’t believe in yourself, no one ever will. People will only cheer for you when they will see that self-advocacy in you. 

It’s not always others who make you feel less worthy, sometimes it’s your negative self-talk that leads to it.

As far as people are concerned, there will always be some of them who will make you feel less worthy. The least you can do is not be one of them. Believe that you can and give your best. 

9. Disruptive Sleep Schedule

Irregular sleep can impact your overall well-being. Using a phone before sleep can disrupt your sleep pattern as the blue light messes with your sleep. It’s important to switch off your phone or keep it in another room for at least an hour before you sleep. 

Create a relaxing bedtime routine and calm down before bed. You can read a book before bed or do your nighttime skincare to relax and unwind.

 

10. Unproductive Multitasking

Even though multitasking is glorified in the present work culture, switching between tasks in the name of multitasking can lead to bad memory and productivity. 

Your brain doesn’t function that way. Multitasking reduces your focus and leads to poor quality of work. Hence, It’s better to focus on one task at a time to increase your efficiency and output. This will instead help you get your work done faster. 

I had this habit of multitasking to complete my work faster but in reality, it loaded my mind even more and drained my energy. Now I like to stick to one task at a time and it has been better since then. 

 

11. Checking phone first thing in the morning

If you check your phone first in the morning, you are harming your brain by loading it with information and taking it to alert mode when it has been in relaxed mode all night. 

Instead of getting inside your phone as soon as you wake up, spend time with yourself. Stay in the “slow down” and involve yourself in healthy activities like yoga, walking, or reading a Book. Do whatever makes you feel alive instead of bombarding yourself with information. 

 

I know this is easier said than done, but your conscious efforts will help you do it with time. One trick that works for me is to keep my phone away from me so that I only wake up to switch off the alarm and sit down for my yoga without checking it. 

 

12. Procrastinating 

Overthinking and overplanning can lead to procrastination. Chasing deadlines until the last moment can lead to stress and anxiety.  Hence, it’s better to manage your time in such a way that you complete your most important tasks when your energy levels are the highest. 

If you wish to understand more about your peak energy levels, then make sure you read about your sleep chronotypes for that. 

13. Lack of Physical Activity

Not exercising or moving your body daily can harm your life. According to Physical Activities Guidelines for Americans, it is recommended to exercise at least 30 minutes for 5 days a week. Start small and slowly increase the time and frequency.

A 20-minute Yoga routine can also do wonders for your body. Since I am not really a fan of intensive physical training, I practice Yoga and stretching to add movement to my daily routine. 

 

14. Being Ungrateful

Adopting negativity, being ignorant towards others, and being ungrateful for what you have, can have severe effects on your mental well-being. This can make you more prone to depression.

Thus, you must cultivate the practice of gratitude daily. It helps you to keep a positive attitude towards life and situations. Hence, focus on what you can control and be thankful for it.

 

15. Eating late at night

The food delivery apps have spoiled the eating routine for so many of us. They play a strong role in messing with your food habits. Your metabolic rate slows down as you go to sleep. 

If you eat late at night, it interferes with your metabolism and leads you to burn fewer calories due to this. It can also cause digestive issues as stomach acid and digestive enzymes are secreted to break the food.

I stopped eating late at night last year and since then I haven’t eaten past 8 pm on most days. Yes, there have been very few days when I ate past 8 but even then I have completely stopped late-night snacking. 

How to Overcome Your Worst Habits?

As Good habits take time to build, fixing your bad habits may take even longer as your body hates putting in effort or doing something different than usual.

However, here are the 3 R’s to help you fix your worst habits

• Replace

Your worst habits cannot be removed easily until you are mentally strong and well-determined. More than your physical strength, it requires a lot of mental strength to give up your bad habits and form new ones. 

You can replace your worst habits with other good habits and activities. Your mind won’t give up or stop your bad habits instantly, but replacing them with good habits can amplify your efforts to eliminate them permanently with time.

 

• Repeat

Keep repeating your new habit for at least 7 days without a break. Whenever you feel like going back to your old habits, remember the adverse effects and sufferings it can cause to your life. This will give you a purpose to stick to your good habits and transform your life completely.

Yes, it will be hard sometimes but you will have to adopt strong willpower to achieve what’s best for you. After all, you will not fall into the pit when you know the consequences. 

 

• Reward

Before going to sleep, write about the positive impact the new habit has created in your life. Write in your journal about how different you feel ever since you have started improving your worst habits. Highlight how it is impacting other areas of your life. 

You will be amazed to see the answers you get. If you continuously write about the results you are achieving while following your daily habits, your mind is more likely to follow them as it gives you some kind of reward.

Conclusion

Breaking free from your worst habits won’t be an easy thing to do. It will take time, patience, perseverance and determination. 

I hope all the negative habits I have shared with you here, you will be able to move past them and give them up. 

If you want 2024 to be your best year, then commit to breaking these habits and you will see how your life changes. 

Always remember that growth that lies ahead of you if you fix your bad habits. Don’t hesitate to take action and target one poor habit at a time. Take control of your worst habits and achieve the best life you have always dreamt of.

What are your worst habits that you are planning to overcome to grow in the new year?