8 Frequent Yet Highly Ineffective Habits You Should Stop Right Away

In today’s article, I want to bring your attention on 8 ineffective habits that actually doom your productivity.

If you’re a frequent reader, then perhaps you already know that I’m a big fan of reminiscing about what is not to be done. I mean, sure – we usually read all kinds of advice that teach us what we need to do in order to upgrade and improve and there’s nothing wrong with that. I often check with myself over valuable listicles where I stumble upon beneficial improvement hacks.

But today I wanted to really focus on some ineffective habits that I’ve witnessed the majority of us take upon. The thing is that most of the time they are not the best actions you can focus on. So if you want to elevate your concentration and overall upgrade your day-to-day, then continue reading and discover those 8 small but highly ineffective habits that actually stop you from your personal and professional development.

The thing with small habits is that we oftentimes don’t even realize we are doing them

It’s been said that it takes 28 days for a person to implement a new habit, but how about the years after we spend doing that same activity without even realizing it?

When it comes to beneficial and elevating habits it’s more than okay to do them without even realizing it – it’s like we are wiring ourselves on a subconscious level and that can further help with our personal development.

But, sadly, the same lack of awareness is valid when it comes to the not-so-valuable and worthy habits as well.

That’s why, above everything, it’s important to always be aware not only of your surroundings but also completely aware of your actions and thought processes all the time. Because sometimes that’s exactly the key to your future self-growth.

So if you’re struggling lately with your energy levels, your focus, and concentration, or just with your overall state of well-being, then I’d suggest you run through the list down below and check whether or not you do some of the activities listed. If you stumble upon a habit, then my advice would be to try to get rid of that setting-back action. I’m almost certain that your life will sky-rocket shortly after.

So what are the 8 ineffective habits that you should stop doing right away?

1. Focus on the moment you wake up. Is the first thing you’re doing grabbing your phone? Unfortunately, the majority of us do! At first, you may be wondering what’s so wrong with that, but hear me out. The mornings, especially those first awake minutes, should be dedicated to us and us only. What you do when you immediately grab your phone is you actually transfer all your energy to other people. Who sent you a message? Are there any new emails waiting? How about all the social media notifications? I’m not saying your relationship with the outside world is not important – all I’m saying is that you should start your day prioritizing yourself first. That’s how you set the tone of your entire day.
2. Are you neglecting physical activities? We all can become lazy and procrastinate at some point but what this does to us has a lot to do with our health and overall energy levels. Think about the last time you worked out. If a week passed by without you engaging in any type of physical activity, then you should reconsider your sporting routine. Anything can count as doing sports – from walking, running, and going to the gym to riding a bike or going for a swim. Find the option that best suits your schedule and personal preferences and try including sports at least two or three times a week.
3. Do you pay attention to your thoughts? Let’s discuss negative thinking for a second. If you’re someone who is overly anxious and often tends to overthink things, then you should be really careful and aware of your thought process. Not paying attention to what is going on inside our minds can really set us back on our development journey. So the next time you catch yourself thinking negatively, try to set boundaries and immediately refocus your thoughts on something else and more pleasant.
4. Do you happen to be in the company of toxic people? Sometimes we are so got used to communicating with a certain individual, that we fail to see that they might not be exactly healthy for us. The habit of keeping toxic people close is one of the most destructive ones since your daily communication and relationships can drastically affect your mood and well-being. Pay close attention to your friends’ circle and if someone expresses some toxic traits, make sure to reevaluate your communication with them.
5. Perhaps you often engage in unpleasant activities? The power to say “No” is actually quite crucial for your long-term well-being. Sadly, many people simply find it way too hard to reject someone’s request or invitation. That’s how we end up doing things we are not particularly keen on doing. Essentially, this greatly decreases our energy and mood, making us incapable of actually enjoying most of our days. Try acknowledging whether or not you engage in certain people-pleasing behaviors.
6. Do you constantly compare yourself to others? Comparing with other people often comes with a negative connotation about ourselves. We rarely express admiration for our own accomplishments. Usually, we tend to focus on our disadvantages merely because we compare ourselves to people who share curated content online. What I mean by this is that what we see on social media is usually only one side of the coin – rarely would someone share their own mishaps. But constantly comparing ourselves to others also has another weak point – this way we lose focus on ourselves which can downgrade and slow down our own personal development.
7. Is procrastination your thing? Now, let me be clear about something – sometimes we all need some time to actually procrastinate and relax – this enables us to fully recharge and get ready for our next big work thing. But if procrastination has turned into a habit of ours, it’s about time we take action – reminiscent of your past month and try to figure out your own production levels. If it appears that you’ve been too lazy, I’d suggest you implement some productivity tactics and hacks right away.
8. Do you think you own the proper mindset? I witness many people simply forsake their mindset care because they prioritize other things all the time. But the truth is that your mindset is essentially what is your fundament in life and in your personal development. If you suspect you do little in terms of nurturing a healthy mind, my advice is to try to change that as soon as possible.

The bottom line

We all tend to implement ineffective habits in our day-to-day. Essentially, that’s not the issue – the issue is when we fail to pay close attention to our actions and when we lose our awareness and self-consciousness. That’s why it’s rather important for us to always be on the right track when it comes to all the little things we do in life. I definitely believe that this is the right path to growth, productivity, and, of course – happiness.