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When our self-esteem is poor(due to bad habit), as is typical in codependency, we are more likely to suffer from depression. Self-esteem, like the ideas and behaviors that lead to it and codependency, is learned. Self-esteem encompasses both good and negative self-evaluations. A realistic, positive self-concept is required for healthy self-esteem. It displays self-esteem and suggests a sense of value that is not decided by comparison to or acceptance from others.
Self-acceptance (which some writers regard as a component of self-esteem) is much more profound. It’s a sense of being well enough, both perfect and sufficient. We believe we are valuable and lovable for reasons other than beauty, ability, success, intellect, prestige, or popularity. It’s a sensation of inner peace.
We all have intrinsic value, regardless of how we perform, what we do, or how much we provide. We are all unique and deserving of love, just like every infant and every type of animal. Unfortunately, many of us codependents grew up in households where affection was absent, conditional, or had to be earned. We thought we had to earn or acquire a parent’s affection. As a result, we are frightened to be genuine for fear of being despised. We may desire those who cannot love us while rejecting those who do. We “over-do” or “over-give” in relationships and at work, which leads to feelings of resentment, being used, or being exploited.
1. Rushing in the morning.
When the morning rush becomes a habit, it may harm your overall productivity and well-being.
Why this habit is bad:
When you start your day in a frenzy, you don’t give your brain time to unwind, reset, and prepare for the day. Instead, you flood it with adrenaline first thing in the morning, which might lead to a crash later.
How to break this bad habit:
If you don’t have time or space to breathe in the mornings, consider getting up 10-30 minutes early and starting with a small meditation session.
To begin, download the free app Headspace: It offers ten free guided meditation sessions with the option of subscribing every month.
2. Skipping breakfast.
Eating a well-rounded breakfast isn’t a priority for many individuals, whether it’s due to being too rushed or not feeling hungry.
Why this habit is bad:
When you sleep, you are fasting, which means you wake up with low blood sugar. That low blood sugar is precisely why many of us wake up feeling weak, indifferent and irritated. It’s not you; it’s your innate desire for nutrition, which is what keeps you alive as a person.
How to break this bad habit:
What about substituting coffee for food? The caffeine spike from your morning coffee may help mask the symptoms of low blood sugar, but it will not fulfill your hunger. It will almost certainly lead you to give up later in the day, severely affecting your productivity.
Making a nutritious breakfast a priority will help you be more productive throughout the day.
Eat nutritious breakfast foods with fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Breakfast items containing added sugar, such as sugary cereal and pastries, should be avoided.
3. Tackling the easy stuff first.
It might be quite tempting to do all the simple jobs before tackling the difficult ones. This is especially true if you are dreading the difficult tasks.
Why this habit is bad:
Your total productivity should tackle the most challenging activities on your to-do list early in the day. According to the book The Willpower Instinct, researchers discovered that willpower is a finite resource that diminishes slowly during the day. So, when you’re more concentrated in the morning, your brain is far better at managing the most difficult jobs.
How to break this bad habit:
Mornings also have fewer interruptions, making it simpler to get things done. My coworker James Gilbert suggests making the most of the morning time to work on important tasks without interruptions. It’s a good idea to reserve the afternoon for phone calls or online meetings. Creating a to-do list is the simplest approach to prioritize things efficiently. Everyone has their to-do list style, so go through our list of the finest tools and apps to determine which ones work best for you.
4. Reading and replying to emails as soon as they arrive.
The email was developed to assist us in our job, not distract us from it. So, why do I constantly feel like I’m wasting my time?
Why this habit is bad:
It might be tempting to monitor and answer every email as soon as it arrives to remain on top of a continually filling inbox. Receiving email messages in real time is not beneficial. However, frequently jumping between work and email might harm your productivity.
How to break this bad habit:
Turn off those annoying email notifications and limit checking your email to preset breaks to help you focus in chunks of time.
If you’re concerned about missing an essential email, turn on “Important mail notifications,” Gmail will inform you of emails it believes are important to you based on your previous behavior.
To turn off Outlook notifications, Navigate to the “Tools” menu and choose “Options.” Click the “Preferences” tab, then “Email Options,” then “Advanced Email Options.” Under “When new items arrive in my Inbox,” deselect the “Display a New Mail Desktop Alert (default Inbox only)” check box.
5. Keeping your phone with you at work.
Raise your hand if you fear when you realize you don’t have your phone with you, whether at your desk, at a meeting, getting coffee, or even going to the restroom. (I’m also guilty of this.)
Why this habit is bad:
Smartphones are one of the most visible sources of distraction in the world. When you keep your phone with you at work, you are risking your productivity.
According to research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, when participants were undertaking a task that required intense attention and got a text or phone call, they had more wrong responses and were more prone to make rapid estimates. People who received a phone notice, even if they did not answer it, were 3X more likely to commit errors. Whether or not they answered the phone or texted, mistake rates were almost the same.
Why does receiving that text or phone call have such a negative impact on our productivity? According to the study’s researchers, while the physical interruption is brief, our thoughts are interrupted much longer, making it difficult to refocus.
How to break this bad habit:
There are several methods for overcoming your phone addiction. The most basic is to silence your phone and put it away while you’re at work. If that’s not enough, try an app like Forest. When you start working, this program prompts you to plant a virtual tree, which “grows” over 30 minutes. The longer 30-minute intervals you go without using your phone, the greater your forest will grow, but if you exit the app, you’ll have to start over.
6. Blackhole browsing.
Do you know how it feels to search for anything connected to your job, then click on a linked video, and before you know it, you’re knee-deep in TikToks about building a tiny house amid a remote forest?
Why this habit is bad:
It’s a dangerous side effect of doing a profession requiring online research. It’s one thing to idly surf the web while you’re not at work or on a break. (In fact, I have a terrific list of the top sites and applications for squandering time on the internet for moments like this.) It’s quite different when you’re meant to be performing actual work.
Tousley refers to this as “black hole browsing,” it has become one of the most time-sucking psychological addictions.
How to break this bad habit:
You may believe that falling into a black hole is unavoidable, yet methods are available to assist you in avoiding it. Stay Focusd, for example, is a Google Chrome plugin that breaks the black hole surfing cycle by blocking distracting websites after a certain time.
7. Not active listening.
One of the sad side effects of being continuously distracted is the plague of merely paying half attention – and thinking it’s OK. You could believe that if someone else is talking and you aren’t, it shows you’re listening. But the important thing to consider is whose words you are paying attention to when someone else is speaking, he stated. “I’m willing to bet you’re listening to the voice in your head a lot of the time.”
That, or you’re reading the most recent email and investigating why your phone buzzed. How much can you truly pay attention to when your laptop is open in a meeting?
Why this habit is bad:
Not only can failing to listen properly cost you relationships, but it may also cost you time to make up for any information you missed.
How to break this bad habit:
Becoming an attentive listener is an important element of developing emotional intelligence. This entails paying close attention to what others say – a talent that will set you apart in your career and personal life.
8. Saying “yes” to every meeting.
Being “in the zone” is losing yourself in whatever you’re doing to the point that you lose track of time. It’s one of the keys to both job satisfaction and productivity.
Why his habit is bad:
A conference, on the other hand, completely stops that flow. Especially one that is superfluous. According to research, the average person loses 31 hours monthly in ineffective meetings. These are meetings when you or the organizer need to prepare; you don’t need to be there, and so on.
How to break this bad habit:
Do you want those 31 hours back? Here are a few recommendations:
Make certain that you only attend necessary meetings. If you don’t see yourself actively participating in the group, inform the meeting requester carefully that you cannot attend.
If you’re calling the meeting, provide a message, description, or other information with your calendar invitations. This will help them understand why they were invited or needed to be there. Use an app like Do or Solid to keep your meetings organized and actionable.
If possible, schedule meetings in bulk. Because it takes individuals 23 minutes to refocus after switching jobs, this is an effective plan to ensure that the time you have outside of meetings is utilized as productively as possible.
read an interesting article about 6 Exercises That’ll Seriously Improve Your Posture
