15 Habits You Need to Quit for a Stress-Free Life
We all feel stressed some of the time, but no one should feel anxious and stressed every single day. If you are feeling like you have endless amounts of stress with no end in sight, you may want to assess your life and see if you are guilty of doing any of these 15 things. These bad habits will cause stress and make you feel constantly on edge. Always remember that you can seek professional advice if you are feeling incredibly overwhelmed, as a licensed therapist may also be able to give you fantastic advice and tips. But, for now, start here and see if these little things may be the source of your stress.
Note: The content of this article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Always consult with a qualified professional for advice tailored to your individual circumstances.
Emotions Bottle-Up
Suppressing your emotions instead of releasing them by expressing yourself can lead to a buildup of stress over time. When you do not express your feelings, your mind carries the weight of them, which can manifest as anxiety, tension, or even physical ailments. Finding positive ways to represent your emotions is essential, whether talking to a friend you trust, writing in a diary, or seeking help. Addressing your feelings rather than ignoring them can reduce the emotional baggage contributing to stress.
Schedule Overload
Stacking your schedule with back-to-back commitments leaves little room for relaxation and no time to hang out in between. When every minute of your day is a deadline to reach, there’s no room for rest, recharge, or handling unexpected outbreaks. The key is to organize your time and not take on extra commitments that may push you to the limit. Creating a more manageable timetable can reduce stress, make more time for what you love, and enjoy a better balance between work and personal life.
Seeking Approval
Constantly seeking validation from others can increase your stress levels, as it places your self-worth in the hands of others. Trying to meet everyone’s expectations is exhausting and often impossible. Focus on your values and goals rather than relying on external approval. When you stop seeking constant validation, you’ll feel more confident in your decisions and less stressed about pleasing everyone else.
Consuming Caffeine
While a cup of coffee might give you that little jolt, if overdone, caffeine can create anxiety and interfere with your sleep—both stress-causing factors. Caffeine stimulates your nervous system and can cause you to become more jittery or anxious. Paying attention to how much caffeine you consume and opting for calming herbal teas instead can help manage your stress hormones so they do not interfere with your overall health.
Reliving Past
Constantly ruminating on past mistakes or regrets can create a vicious cycle of negative thinking that fuels stress. Thinking over what you can’t change keeps you stuck in a loop of guilt and influences your anxiety level. Practice self-compassion, concentrate on taking the good from your past experiences, and remind yourself that everyone makes mistakes. Focus on what you can learn from the past and how to apply those lessons to the present, allowing yourself to move forward stress-less.
Neglecting Boundaries
Not setting boundaries at work or in our personal lives creates resentment and leads to being overwhelmed, which are both keys to stress. If you do not set boundaries regularly, you will often find yourself overcommitting and sacrificing your health to meet the needs of others. Practice voicing your boundaries and communicating your limits to save time and energy. Healthy boundaries can help reduce stress by allowing you to take charge of your life.
Perfection Focus
For many people, seeking perfection causes stress; the elusive standards lead to frustration and, inevitably, burnout. Strive for progress, not perfection. Understand that you will make mistakes because it comes with the journey, and give yourself the approval not to have everything right. Adopting the attitude that you are not perfect takes the pressure off yourself, which can lower your stress.
Ignoring Rest
Rest is often seen as unproductive or pure idleness in our productivity-driven society. However, pushing yourself without adequate rest will lead to burnout and worsen your stress. You need a good amount of rest to relax your body and mind. Make sleep, breaks, and downtime a priority in your daily routine. Giving yourself some time off will make you stronger and better equipped to handle stress.
Overusing Technology
Addiction to screens and digital devices can create information overload, adding further anxiety in our lives and worsening stress. Whether scrolling social media, checking emails late at night, or endlessly reading news articles, bad tech habits put you in a state of vigilance and stretch the inability to relax. Assign specific tech-free times in the day – particularly before bedtime; screen time can overstimulate our minds, making it more difficult to rest through the night.
Eating Unhealthy
Your eating habits can also increase your stress level. Eating over-processed or refined food, sugar with no nutritional value, and bad fats can lead to a negative mood, making it harder to cope with stress. A rich combination of whole foods, fruits, vegetables, and protein derived from lean sources supports optimal mental health and coping behaviors. Choose healthier food options to keep your energy even and prevent stress’s physical and emotional effects.
Self Isolation
It is easy to shut down when stress takes over, but that worsens the problem rather than solving it. Support from other people is also essential when managing stress, as sharing your troubles with friends can help you feel better and see things more clearly. When you feel overwhelmed, ask for help from your friends and family support system. It can be relaxing to share your experiences with people and share some of the emotional weight you carry.
Neglecting Activity
Physical activity is one of the most valuable ways to take over stress, yet it is often the first thing to go off-list when one gets occupied with life. Exercise produces hormones that are natural stress killers; it can also help you sleep better, improve your mood, and increase your stamina. An everyday stroll, meditation, or workout session, try to make physical movement a non-negotiable part of your daily ritual. The more active you are, the easier it is to de-stress and maintain a positive outlook.
Constant Comparison
Do you often compare yourself to others? Whether you do this at work, through social media, or with your group of friends, comparing your life to that of other people doesn’t make any sense. Everyone has his own unique set of struggles, and while you may think everyone else is better than you, we can assure you there are plenty of things you excel at.
Not Focusing On The Now
Just think about it. Most of the time, we stress over something, it’s either a situation affecting our past or future. For instance, you may feel stressed because of something you said to your manager or may be extremely concerned about an upcoming deadline. This is why learning to focus on the now will help you a lot in your healing journey. Meditation is key.
Binge Watching the News
We all know that we live in a chaotic world that is full of unfortunate events. Every day, terrible things happen around the world that can make us feel helpless and depressed. But binge-watching the News on TV every day will not help. When you see those tough images or hear the awful stories on the nightly news, it can be very hard to stay cheerful and upbeat. While it is good to stay up to date with current events, you may want to limit how much news you watch or your stress may never go away.
Reducing stress means making more positive lifestyle changes and discontinuing bad habits to satisfy our need for relaxation as effectively as possible. Instead, ending these things can create space for calm and well-being. Always remember that stress management is a continual process that requires you to be conscious of your behavior. By making your mental and physical health a preference, you can quickly reduce the burden of stress and live a fulfilling life.
