Five habits that are making your life harder

It’s interesting what being forced to stay home can force you to do. The coronavirus pandemic has made me think about my life in ways I hadn’t done before. Habits that I previously thought were important now seem insignificant. I’m now realising that life is too precious and if you take it for granted, time can pass without you actually living it.

This got me thinking about my life, my past decisions, what I want for my future and which habits I need to adapt and let go of so that I can reach my goals. Did you know that there are certain habits that can make your life harder?

1. Failing to budget

It’s one thing to make a budget and quite another to live it. The way we choose to spend our money might seem insignificant at the moment however, in the long run, it will add up. Constantly eating out or taking a cab when you can use public transport might seem okay at the moment but how many times have you sat down on the dreaded third week of the month and wondered where all your money has gone? If, at the end of the year you add up every Sh300 you spent on cab fare it will come to a significant amount of money which could have been channelled towards an investment, paying off a student loan or put towards that vacation you’ve been planning.

Make your life easier by making and sticking to a budget. Include savings, bills, an emergency fund as well as a certain amount for entertainment. Remember that once the amount set aside for say going out has been depleted, you should refrain from going out.

2. Not sleeping enough

I once tried to sleep for about six hours every night all in the name of allocating more time to hustling. The result? I was too tired during the day to work well and I was perpetually cranky. 

You need the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep every day. Lack of sleep affects your productivity, mood, immunity, elevates your stress levels and can negatively impact your mental and physical health. 

We’re all trying to live healthier, happier lives. Start by getting enough, good quality sleep. Keep your phone, laptop, tablet, etc. out of your bedroom as the blue light can affect the quality of your sleep.

3. Listening to too many people

It’s tempting to tell anybody and everybody all your woes. Who doesn’t like a bit of pity and comfort? Someone once told me that not everyone has your best interests at heart. There will be people who support you and want to see you succeed. Then there are those people who will rejoice on hearing about your struggles and will do anything within their power to sabotage you. If you’re always telling everybody all your business, and then you follow their advice, how sure are you that it is well-intentioned?

Have one or two confidants who you can trust with all that you hold dear. These are the people who you know will give you good advice and who you’re sure won’t go telling all and sundry all that is going on in your life.

4. Stalking your exes

Social media has made it so easy to keep tabs on old friends and ex boyfriends but this doesn’t mean that you should. These people left your life for a reason and it does you no good trying to keep up with what they are doing now. So you want closure, what for? As I discovered, there’s really no need to look for closure. 

The truth is that people come into your life for a reason and when their purpose is fulfilled, they exit it. Holding onto them will keep you from moving to the next phase of your life. So avoid going through your exes' feeds and if you know you might fall into temptation, simply unfollow or block them.

5. Living in the past

In line with stalking your exes, train your mind not to focus on your past particularly on your mistakes. This is easier said than done, I know. I struggle with controlling my thoughts on a daily basis. But when you do manage to channel your mind to focus on the good that happened rather than the bad, you will be happier. It’s so easy to be bitter, making decisions based on things that happened in the past. But when you do this, you’re allowing your past to control your present. You can’t change the past but you can learn from it. Remember how you choose to live your life now will set the pace for the future. The past is gone but you still have a bright future ahead.