4 Everyday Habits That Quietly Harm Your Mental Health

Everyday Habits That Harm Your Mental Health

We all know about some of the major causes of mental illness. Whether it is genetics, a difficult upbringing, or the effect of substances, people can point to a range of causes. However, mental health is actually impacted by a multitude of factors. While some of them have a massive impact on their own, others cause significant harm over time.

Unfortunately, there are habits that are commonplace which put your mental health at risk. Today’s world is fast-paced and stressful, and some of the things we do both to keep up and to switch off are just not healthy.

It can be difficult to change some of these habits, especially when they have formed from necessity. However, there are ways to counteract the following 4 everyday habits that harm your mental health.

1. Working After Hours

Let’s be clear: we’re not talking about taking overtime hours or extra jobs to make ends meet. Many Americans have little choice but to do so.

But for those of us who are lucky enough to go home at a reasonable hour, there is often a temptation to leave some of our attention in the workplace. For some people, this is due to a love of what they do. But, most of the time, it is either a result of anxiety over deadlines or avoidance of feelings of loneliness or melancholy.

The problem is that, regardless of why you continue to respond to emails or refine a presentation, not having a clear break from work erodes your mental health. Work is stressful and the body and mind go into overdrive in response. Feelings like anxiety are amplified while other emotions are suppressed. Over time, you start to feel burnt out and numb, at risk of mental illnesses like anxiety and depression.

Practical Tips

If you don’t have to work after hours but find yourself doing so anyway, try the following to change this habit:

• Set clear boundaries with colleagues
• Turn your phone to Do Not Disturb when at home
• Avoid checking emails outside of work hours
• Meditate or relax in a way you enjoy for fifteen minutes after you get home, marking a clear break from the stresses of the day

2. Checking Out or ‘Vegetating’ at Night

The flipside of not working after hours is that you now have unscheduled time every night. You may feel too tired to do anything substantial or maybe you are avoiding difficult emotions that come up when you are not busy. And so, you end up checking out by scrolling for hours on social media.

Social media platforms provide a great way of distracting yourself and can become a comfort zone. However, social media and mental health are not good bedfollows. These platforms cause people to make negative comparisons with others whose profiles make them seem perfect. They show us all the negative news, both local and international. They play host to aggressive arguments on politics, religions, identity, and just about everything else.

And it’s not just social media that is the problem. Spending your free time checked out in this way keeps you from fully experiencing your non-work life and having meaningful interactions with family and friends. A sense of meaninglessness can start to seep into your day-to-day mood.

Practical Tips

• Set time limits on social media apps
• Find activities that don’t require too much energy but are more interactive and meaningful. Reading is one such example, as you have a more active role in taking in the content. Other examples include listening to some new music, baking a sweet treat, and strumming on a guitar.
• Have dinner at the table with your loved ones rather than in front of the TV. Put your phones away and have some meaningful conversation.

3. Skipping Exercise

Another consequence of the stresses of modern life is that skipping exercise is both tempting and dangerous. It’s normal to feel mentally exhausted after spending hours sitting at a desk. Working up the motivation to go to the gym or take a walk can be tough.

Not only does skipping exercise do tremendous damage to your body, it also harms your mental health. Emotions are experienced in your body and exercise can help process the difficult ones, both by releasing endorphins and getting you in motion.

Over time, you might start feeling increased stress, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.

Practical Tips:

• Aim for an achievable goal, such as a short walk once a day, some stretching exercises, or a yoga session.
• Work this time into your schedule, making it a priority that has as much importance as everything else you have planned in a day.
• Find a partner to exercise with and hold each other accountable.

4. Isolating Yourself

It is said that humans are social animals. In modern life, however, it is possible to go days without any social interactions. It is especially common for those who work from home. If you’re shopping online, you don’t even have basic interactions at the store.

Isolation might not feel so bad at first, as social activity can be tiring. But gradually, the impact of isolation on mental health is severe. You find that you feel lonely, which leads to sadness and anxiety. You don’t share what you’re feeling with others and are left to carry the weight on your own.

Isolation can also lead to existential struggles, with questions of meaning and purpose having an impact on how you feel and live life. You become more vulnerable to depression and lose motivation.

Practical Tips

• Commit to going out with a friend at least one day a week.
• Join a community initiative.
• Find a club where you can meet likeminded people.

Conclusion

Mental illness is not just the result of genetics or major life events. It can be caused by the buildup of negative habits which you may be doing every day. These habits are very common and not the result of a personal failing. Still, it is important to change these habits affecting mental health if you are to keep yourself happy and well.

Sources

• News Medical: Out-of-hours work can have a significant impact on employees’ physical and mental wellbeing
• Mayo Clinic: Depression and anxiety: Exercise eases symptoms
• Tulane University School of Public Health: Understanding the Effects of Social Isolation on Mental Health
• UC Davis Health: Social media’s impact on our mental health and tips to use it safely