There are some actions in our daily lives that we do even if we want to try to be better. Some of the things we do are things we don’t admit out loud. Even though a lot of us do them we still feel a bit ashamed or guilty of them. Here are six things we do that a lot of us are guilty of doing and some ways to improve our actions.
- Procrastinating
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A lot of us postpone doing the things we have to do for later, but when the deadline rolls around, we end up regretting it deeply. Sometimes we procrastinate because we think the task at hand is an easy thing to do, so it won’t take a large amount of time; but mostly, we procrastinate because the task will take A LOT of time and seems extremely difficult. While procrastinating, I actually complete other tasks that make me feel very accomplished, like cleaning my room or baking a dessert. Other people spend time on social media, have a(nother) coffee break, or make a list of the chores they have to do. Everything seems more important and interesting than the actual assignment you need to do. If you want to stop procrastinating, you will need to commit yourself to the job and try to avoid any distractions. An easy way to make the chore seem easier is by breaking it down into smaller parts. Here’s an article that will help you break down your responsibilities.
- Eating junk food
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It seems that junk food surrounds the life of college students, especially those that don’t live with their parents. Even though junk food doesn’t fulfill much in the nutrients department, healthy food is harder to find and more expensive, and we sometimes don’t have the time to cook. As a consequence, we tend to eat a lot of fast food. Another thing that makes us give in to things like bags of chips, cookies, burgers or brownies is the stress of classes. Whenever I feel really stressed, I get cravings for chocolate or chocolate-flavored foods. I’m not saying you need to stop eating junk food altogether, but you do need to make healthier choices, like drinking more water and choosing grilled instead of fried. Another thing you can do is meal prep for the whole week, so you won’t have to worry about cooking. There are some great meal prep ideas.
- Canceling plans just because you don’t want to do anything
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I know how good it feels to cancel plans at the very last moment. There’s a thrill in not wanting to do anything and not being tied up to anyone. The thought of driving or getting into public transportation, actually talking to people, and not staying home to catch up on assignments (or realistically, watch some Netflix) is draining. The problem is that canceling plans last minute is kind of rude. Next time someone invites you to hang out, think about it before saying yes. Are you actually going to go? Do you want to go? Answer honestly from the beginning.
- Winning arguments in your own head
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Sometimes, we are just so angry at someone that we rehearse the fight you want to have with them in our mind, even if most of the time we don’t go through with it. We come up with arguments that would surely win us the fight. Other times, we actually have the fight and, later, think of all the possible comebacks that we could have said. I’ve caught myself doing this a couple of times and I have realized that sometimes it’s detrimental. Doing this can bring a lot of negativity into your life and take away from your peace. Next time you notice you are doing this, try to convince yourself that the argument doesn’t matter.
- Investigate people online
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You’re sitting in your lecture and suddenly, you see this absolutely cute guy or girl walking in. Somehow, you find out their name and you start searching for them on social media. You suddenly catch yourself immersed in their posts from 2012 on their Instagram account, knowing almost everything about them. I must admit I do this (very often, I must add) but I know it’s not the best habit. A little stalking is not that bad, but it definitely becomes a problem if you are checking their accounts too frequently. You start fantasizing about a person that you are probably making up to be perfect (which is the side normally shared on social media) and sacrificing your own happiness over the obsession. To try to control this, you can distract yourself with other things like watching a movie or reading a book.
- Bought something just because it was on sale
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Yes, I know getting a good deal on something is amazing but, do you really want that top? Do you really need that notebook? Are you actually going to use that hair straightener? These are some of the key questions to ask yourself when you are shopping and you see something on sale. When we buy things that are on sale, we think about all the money we are saving by not having to pay full price but, are you actually saving money? To stop this, try to not go to the mall that much and to ignore all the emails that flood your accounts about these so-called “great deals.” Here you can find some inspiration to stop buying things you don’t need.
- Read an email right after you hit send
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Doesn’t it happen to you that after proofreading an email about 50 times, you hit send and suddenly feel the urge to read it again? It’s already sent! It’s not like anyone could do anything about it. Take a breath, relax and try to go with the flow.
- Turn down the music when you arrive somewhere
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I turn down the music in my car to read signs, when I’m going to park the car and when I’m arriving somewhere. My best friend always laughs at me because I tell her that if I don’t turn the music down I’m not able to see properly.
I know we all have some weird and bad habits, but at least we don’t have to feel that bad when we do them because a lot of other people around the world might be doing them too.