6 Habits That Constantly Drain Your Energy
How to fix and/or avoid them to get back your energy
Your habits will determine your future. — Jack Canfield
I love building sustainable, healthy, and productive habits to live better.
By keeping this notion in mind, I started experimenting with new 30+ day challenges to build healthy and productive habits. Here is the complete list.
Along the journey, I am also learning that there are many habits I do daily that are actually draining my energy.
The following article is going to explain those habits and how to fix or avoid them to live your best life. Let’s dive into the learning part.
You are trying hard to impress everyone.
I grew up in a culture where the people-pleaser term is pretty standard.
It’s just in the DNA; you don’t learn how to say NO. I grew up learning the following.
It’s rude to say NO to elders.
It’s rude to say NO to your colleagues.
It’s detrimental and rude to say NO to your manager/boss.
You learn to apologize when you know you did do anything wrong.
It’s a big No to tell people that your feelings are hurt.
It’s embedded in your system always to find a way and try to impress people.
At one time, I actually started feeling good when other people praised me.
How to fix it?
All you have to learn is how to say — NO. The word “NO” is really powerful.
It’s time to step up and know your self-worth. I follow this simple priority approach at work and in my personal life.
- Every single day I have to do three of the most important tasks
- If I am not done with the tasks, I learned to say NO and that there is enough on my plate
- After completing the 3 most important tasks, if I have energy, I can do favors, but I want to please someone.
You are badly waiting for the weekend life.
I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious. — Albert Einstein
When I moved to North America, I learned that people badly wait for the weekend, and weekends mean fun.
When I was growing up, I learned many bad habits, but living your life on the weekend was not one of them.
I discussed with many people here in North America why most people live for the weekend. Here are a couple of answers.
- People think weekdays are sucking our life.
- Weekdays mean chores.
- Weekdays mean you are not free at all.
- We embed in our unconscious that weekend is the real fun.
- Our brain tells us that the whole week was hard work and BS.
How to fix it?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with living for the weekend if it refreshes you.
The problem is if you feel tired or sick when the weekend ends.
Just do Two things.
- Prioritize your days: Start your day with the most challenging thing first in the morning.
- Stop in the middle of the day (lunch break) and go for a walk (preferred int he nature) to recharge your battery.
You don’t embrace change.
Let’s accept it change is hard.
We also know that change is inevitable for progress.
My grandmother used to say that look at the water reservoir. If it’s motionless, soon it will start stinking.
Your life does not get better by chance; it gets better by change. — Jim Rohn
You are afraid to change because you don’t want to lose control.
No one likes feeling powerless.
How to fix it?
Take baby steps.
Rely on your support system — friends, family, and sometimes a great boss.
Meditate to cope with negative thoughts.
Let go of perfectionism.
You are a prisoner.
When I say you are a prisoner, I mean if you are living paycheck to paycheck. One unexpected bill or purchase will put your budget out of your control.
According to this report, 1 in 3 adults is having trouble paying basic expenses: food, rent/mortgage, car payments, med expense, student loans, etc.
The following image shows adults having difficulty paying basic expenses based on their income.
It clearly shows that regardless of income, 34% of adults face difficulty covering basic expenses.
How to fix it?
There are many financial guru rules.
I personally believe it’s just a bad habit that we develop over time. I follow this simple rule not to spend more than I earn.
You are welcome to explore budgeting rules. But make sure, in the end, never spend more than your income.
You are not moving on.
Living in the past can be difficult if some hurt still requires healing.
Everyone has a past. I learned that living in the past makes us lose sight of the present and prevents us from living in the present, especially in building a happy future.
How to fix it?
Find your pattern; yes, emotions come in patterns.
- There is always something that reminds you of the past.
- It may be the right time to let go of that materialistic thing.
- It’s time to teach yourself to be present. Go for a walk if such a bad emotion is stuck in your brain.
- Learn to meditate.
You are scrolling too much.
Our moods and energy are affected by how we use social media.
When you’re scrolling through any social media platform, your newsfeed will either inspire you or make you feel bad.
Surveys show that, on average, people spend 4+ hours on their phones per day.
How to fix it?
I follow this simple strategy.
Check your screen time daily.
I make sure not to spend more than 90 minutes daily on the phone, including important calls + aimless scrolling.
To avoid overindulging, one of my friends keeps most directed apps in different folders, away from the home screen.
Some people even delete the apps and have a scheduled social media check-in time — for example, every Saturday between 6 to 8 PM.
Breaking bad habits takes time and effort.
It’s a try and fails strategy until you overcome it.
Book recommendation: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do: Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears, and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success — (Amazon affiliate link)
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