6 Common Modern-Day Habits Destroying Your Mindset

 

Prolonged Seating

Sitting still messes with your brain to the point if you sit for too long over a long period of time, it can resemble the same brain as someone with dementia.

You can’t avoid seating, I’m not saying don’t ever sit down.

Instead, what I’m saying, is to be mindful of how long you are seated.

Instead of sitting for hours and hours on end, for days and days, try doing these every couple of hours:

• Go for a walk
• Stretch
• Push-ups
• Yoga

 

Anything that can get you moving.

Because besides your brain looking like the same brain as a dementia-inflicted one, the serious side effects of too much seating include:

• Obesity
• Increased blood pressure
• High blood sugar
• Excess body fat around the waist
• Lowered metabolism
• Increased risk of muscle injury and trapped nerves

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Reacting and Speaking

Yes, this is a habit. People nowadays are so sensitive that any little hint of negativity can cause them to explode into a fit with no foresight of their collateral damage. Reacting and speaking over listening and then responding is immature.

This is all too common nowadays.

All people want to hear is their truth and not the actual truth.

If it doesn’t conform to what they believe, you’re cast out and forever ignored. People like this love echo chambers and can’t generally handle any moment of hardship.

But you’re not like that, are you?

Hardship is a powerful moment for growth.

It’s not even about people, you can react to a situation and your action speaks for itself.

Learn to take moments slowly and don’t let your thoughts go into overdrive.

Listen to and understand the situation. Then, respond accordingly.

Never react instantaneously and start speaking purely out of an emotional fit, or even acting out of one for that matter.

Be mindful, and aware of yourself and your surroundings, and navigate the circumstance with some dignity and integrity.

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Snacking

One habit you should change is your snacking habits. Whilst I know we spontaneously end up craving random bits of food, it’s important we remain mindful.

An indulgence can quickly become an overindulgence that will just prompt guilt and self-deprecating thoughts after the fact.

Here are some methods to cut back on your snacking:

• Drink more water

 

The same part of your brain controls the signals for thirst and hunger, so it doesn’t often tell you which one. A rule of thumb is to eat every 3 hours or so, and if you’re hungry between, drink some water.

• Intermittent Fasting

 

Intermittent Fasting is the process of abstaining from food for a certain amount of time, but then giving yourself a limited window to eat food.

I fast for 16 hours and have an eating window of 8 hours. However, to begin with, abstain from food for 2–3 hours after you wake up, and then 3 hours before bed to get you in that rhythm.

• Consume more protein

 

Protein is more filling and satiating than carb-heavy meals. Consuming more protein will not just also help you from feeling fuller for longer, but high protein meals will help with muscle building and recovery too.

 

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Technological Distractions

The modern-day has infested our daily lives with persistent distractions that sap us of the necessary attention that we should put towards better things.

Distractions technologically come in the forms of:

• TV
• Phones
• Computers
• Handheld Video Game Devices

 

Since they’re everywhere, and most of us own nearly all of the aforementioned pieces, we can be prone to distractions.

I say these are habits because we all indulge in them.

— For TV, we want to catch up on the latest shows.

— For Phones, we want to hear the latest gossip or controversy.

— For Computers, well… it’s too broad in indulgences.

— For those handheld video game devices, it’s quick and easy to get lost in another world.

They are all distractions from reality and can quickly sap us of our time.

I absolutely do not say to give these up because whilst I do preach we need to embrace and seek discomfort for growth, we can’t neglect our vices.

Want a more constructive way to get lost in another world, learn more about society or another topic, and just kill time productively?

Pick up a book and read.

Centuries’ of life lessons can be compiled into one simple book.

A whole world that can spur your own imagination into acceleration is contained within a compilation of pages.

Reading will get your mind active and not numb like it would with the current technological distractions surrounding us.

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Complaining

Complaining makes you consistently live within the worst-case scenarios and will blind you from actually seeking and acting upon solutions.

I touched on complaining in a recent article, but to recap its points, complaining leads to:

• Decrease in ability to solve problems
• Weakens your mental wellbeing
• Unable to see the good in the worse of situations

 

Instead of complaining, you need to try being more mindful about what it is that’s truly bothering you.

Once you can figure out what’s irritating you so highly, you can begin to identify the solutions to navigate your way out of your current bout of strife.

You may also need to let go of the notion you can control everything.

Some things you just can’t control.

However, what you can control is yourself and the thoughts you act upon. This means you’re responsible for finding your own solutions and if you’re an adult reading this, then it’s expected of you.

Complaining will make you seem emotionally unstable and generally unreliable. So, start proposing solutions.

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Morning Media

Every time you wake up and start scrolling all forms of media — the news, social media, etc. — you are risking starting your day off negatively.

This is because you’re setting yourself up for external factors impacting your day, and if you witness media that provokes grief or anger, it can affect how you may start your day.

You see something sad, you begin demotivated.

You see something that angers you, you begin stubborn and sensitive.

You see something that you compare yourself to, you begin demotivated.

Stop picking up your phone and scrolling through the morning.

Rather, neglect it for an hour, get yourself prepared and ready with a good mindset, and awaken to your reality, not anybody else’s.

Don’t start fearing a new war, get caught up in other people’s overly glamorized lifestyles, or roll your eyes at the next big agenda plaguing us, just wake to yourself and your day.

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It doesn’t help that the modern-day has so many easily available indulgences that if we aren’t mindful of them, can stop us from achieving great things.

Not to mention the fact that overindulgence in any of the aforementioned things, or even a lack of awareness of them, can lead to completely destroyed mindsets.

Lack of a good work ethic, zero motivation, laziness, depression, hopelessness, etc.

I had my own bouts with these habits, and it took me a good 4 years to get clean from them.

I was depressed, demotivated, and hopeless, and it wasn’t until I started looking within and recognizing what was keeping me that way.

You have to start learning to do the opposite of everything keeping you from making good steps toward what you want.

Mistakes are there to teach us, so even if you slip up, it isn’t the end of your journey. It’s just a little bump to ensure you’re still on track.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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