Did you know that sometimes a happy and healthy mental health can be undermined by some bad habits? Here are 4 common habits that you can change for better mental health.
1. Perfectionism
Pursuing perfectionism, for psychologists can be described as something positive or negative. That is because it can affect some people beneficially while harming others. It really comes down to how realistic you are with the pursuit of perfectionism. Positive perfectionism includes making realistic goals, keeping anxiety and stress at healthy levels, and making mistakes opportunities for growth. It is a beneficial mindset that helps increase your chances of success. But sometimes perfectionism can undermine your efforts. This is negative perfectionism which is defined as a goal people try to pursue that is way beyond their reach. They can also be defined as people who are ungrateful with anything lower than their expectations, having a mindset of failure and disapproval, and seeing mistakes as a sign of unworthiness. If you ever find yourself with these habits, you should definitely try to stop them because it can cause an unhealthy fear of making mistakes, and anxiety of being judged, all factors that can greatly deteriorate your mental health.
2. Poor Posture
A poor posture is often associated with low self-esteem and laziness. But sometimes, it can be the other way around. Poor posture can cause your mental health to decline. It may already be in your interest to stop slouching to look better but if you find it too difficult remember that you have another reason to improve your posture. It can also increase your positivity, reduce fatigue, and reduce depression. It never hurts to even give it a try now. You will see how one little change can make a big difference.
3. Failure Mindset
If you ever felt like a failure, just remember that this is a very common feeling. You are never alone when you feel like your life is miserable and hopeless. But only when these negative thoughts are fostered, will your mental health suffer. They can even get in your way of success by discouraging you from setting goals you can achieve, diminishing your awareness of your natural talents, and making your mistakes bigger than they really are. Instead, try to focus on the positive side like your talents and strengths.
4. Overuse of Social Media
It is a well-known fact that teenagers who use social media can find themselves struggling with low self-esteem and anxiety. Research from The Telegraph found that out of 1500 Facebook adult users, 60 percent felt jealousy by comparing themselves to others, 32 percent felt that social media made them feel lonely and 62 percent felt that social media lowered their self-esteem. This is a great sign of how harmful social media can be to someone’s mental health. To lower our risk for depression, anxiety and improve our mental health, stop overusing the media. Social media should never define anyone’s happiness. Don’t let social media take away your happiness.