Life’s challenges can often feel overwhelming, and it’s natural to seek comfort in simple pleasures to escape daily stresses and concerns. However, some activities that seem relaxing or enjoyable at first can actually end up draining your energy, time, and resources. This article checks out some common habits that may be more exhausting than uplifting, helping you identify where to make changes for a more balanced approach to self-care.
Collecting Knick-Knacks
While it can be fun to collect small souvenirs that remind you of special places or times, obsessively collecting knick-knacks can quickly lead to clutter, creating a chaotic living environment and increasing stress levels. These items also often lose their appeal over time, which can be costly to your finances and the environment.
Taking Excessive Photos for Social Media
Focusing on getting the perfect shot often detracts from living in the present and can reduce your enjoyment of events and experiences. It also promotes the idea that self-worth and memories are tied to the number of likes or comments you get, leading to a continuous cycle of comparing yourself to others and seeking their approval.
Frequent Shopping for Fun
Shopping without need can create a materialistic mindset and lead to financial strain or a cluttered living space. According to Gitnux, “90% of shoppers have made an impulse purchase within the last 3 months.” So, next time you go shopping, try to stick to your shopping list.
Binge-Watching TV Shows
Watching TV excessively can create a sedentary lifestyle, and this is commonly linked to various health risks, including obesity, heart disease, and mental health problems. Watching TV late into the night can also disrupt your sleep pattern, which can negatively affect your mood.
Pursuing Perfection in Personal Grooming
Excessively focusing on your appearance and personal grooming can be extremely time-consuming and costly. On top of this, becoming obsessed with high standards of beauty can lead to anxiety, low self-esteem, and a constant feeling of inadequacy as you constantly compare yourself to others.
Attending Every Social Event
Supporting your friends and socializing is an important part of life, but overcommitting to social engagements can lead to burnout. As well as leaving you feeling stressed, pursuing friendships with lots of people and groups can also limit your ability to form deep, meaningful relationships with the people you really align with.
Tanning
Regularly tanning your skin, either outdoors or in tanning beds, increases your risk of skin cancer and accelerates skin aging. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, “Worldwide, there are more skin cancer cases due to indoor tanning than there are lung cancer cases due to smoking.”
Reading Every Bestseller
Reading bestsellers might give you something to talk about with friends, but often they won’t align with your personal interests or offer any depth in the content you’re reading. It also might mean that you’re missing out on a diverse range of reading that could provide you with more value, insights, or enjoyment.
Constantly Rearranging Home Décor
While it can be refreshing and positive to change up your living space, focusing on it too much can lead to you spending unnecessary money on home furnishings and decorations that often quickly lose their appeal. This leads to financial stress and excess waste that is harmful to the environment.
Waiting in Line for the Latest Tech Release
The excitement and anticipation of buying the newest tech models often overshadow how much you will genuinely benefit from an upgrade. This can lead to wasted money and create a cycle of constant upgrading, which creates a lot of electronic waste and is damaging to the environment.
Engaging in Gossip
According to Verywell Family, “gossip and rumors can alienate friends, ruin reputations, and even lead to ostracizing behavior and other forms of relational aggression.” This can distract from personal growth and meaningful conversations by focusing on negativity and judgment rather than constructive or supportive interactions.
Overindulging in Comfort Food
Enjoying comfort food occasionally is harmless, but frequently overindulging in unhealthy foods can lead to bad eating habits, weight gain, and potential health issues. Using these foods as a way to manage your emotions often masks the real issues, and you’re better off addressing the root cause of your stress or anxiety.
Scrolling Through News Feeds Endlessly
Endlessly scrolling through news feeds can create feelings of stress and anxiety, as well as a distorted perception of world events. It’s also time that you could spend on productive or fulfilling activities instead to help with your personal growth.
Watching Reality TV
Reality TV might help you switch off, but watching it too much can lead to unrealistic expectations of your life, relationships, and appearance. Studies even suggest a link between watching aggressive reality TV content and an increase in aggressive behavior among viewers.
Chasing Social Media Likes
Pursuing likes and comments on social media can lead to a constant cycle of posting and checking for approval. According to a BMC Psychology study, “concerns have been raised that social media may lead to body image dissatisfaction, increase the risk of addiction and cyberbullying involvement, contribute to phubbing behaviors, and negatively affect mood.”
Playing Mobile Games Excessively
Reaching for mobile games too often can easily become a habit that takes away your time and focus from your career, education, or personal relationships. On top of this, a lot of free games encourage you to make in-app purchases, which can become expensive.
Following Celebrity Gossip
Fixating on celebrity news often creates a diversion from focusing on your own personal development or more significant world events. It can also create unrealistic standards of wealth, beauty, and lifestyle, which can cause you to suffer from low self-esteem.
Chasing the Latest Fashion Trends
Costly and time-consuming, keeping up with ever-changing fashion trends diverts your energy and resources from more fulfilling activities. It also creates a cycle of consumption and disposal, something that is harmful to your finances as well as the environment.