Shake off Nasty Habits

For greater productivity and peace of mind, all of us may need to abandon some of our bad habits to effect a positive change in life Your habits define you. When negative behaviour is rewarded, it becomes more contagious and is difficult to shake off. Your life is progressively taken over by poor habits, and you may not even be aware of the harm they are causing you.

Self-discipline and willpower are key components in the process of changing undesirable behaviour. Exercising self-control is one of the most important factors determining achievement. Self-control is required for exceptional productivity, developing good habits and breaking negative ones. Willpower is a 'muscle' that may be strengthened through practice.

It is necessary to give up the bad habits in order to control one's unproductive urges. We have cultivated some of these nasty habits thanks to the increased use of electronic devices. So, let us break free from them.

Using a device while lying down in bed

Majority of people are unaware that this habit affects their sleep quality and pattern, and their productivity. Your attitude, energy level and ability to sleep can all be affected by the blue light that an electronic device emits. The wee hours of the morning are characterised by predominance of blue light. Melatonin, also known as the sleep hormone, is suppressed by blue light which, in turn, increases alertness. Because the sun's rays produce less blue light in the afternoon, the body's production of melatonin is triggered to increase throughout the course of the day. After sundown, the human brain is no longer used to the blue light it normally sees.

Blue light with a short wavelength and a direct beam is emitted when electronic devices such as computers, tablets and smartphones are used in the evening. A decrease in melatonin synthesis has an impact on both the time it takes to fall asleep and the amount of time spent sleeping. We have all learned the hard way that not getting enough quality sleep can have far-reaching consequences. Put aside your cell phone and any other technological device while on the bed.

Random browsing of websites

You need at least fifteen minutes of undivided concentration in order to participate completely in an activity. When you are successful in doing so, you will enter a state of 'flow', which is characterised by positive emotions and increased productivity. When you take your attention away from the task at hand to check Facebook, news, or the score of a sporting event, you are no longer focused. Continue concentrating for a further fifteen minutes in order to get back into the zone. If you are continually switching and clicking, it is possible that you will not feel like you are in the flow for a whole day.

Looking at phone during conversations

It is impolite to text or look at your phone while another person is speaking to you, and doing so will make you appear impolite. When you are chatting with someone, you should avoid getting distracted. When you give your full attention to a conversation, you make it more pleasurable and fruitful.

Constantly checking notifications

Multi-alerts are inefficient. According to the findings of a number of studies, attending to notifications on one's phone and computer diminishes one's productivity level. It may make you feel more productive to have your phone set to chime whenever you receive a new text or email, but doing so will actually divert your attention from the task at hand. Instead of basing your workday on the notifications you receive, collect your texts and emails and check them only at the times you have designated. This approach has been shown to be effective.

Saying 'yes' when you mean 'no'

Studies found that individuals who struggled to say 'no' were more likely to experience symptoms of stress, burnout, and despair. Saying 'no' is difficult for a lot of individuals. When it is proper to do so, you should never be afraid to say 'no'. People who are emotionally wise are able to say 'no' without qualifying their responses with phrases like 'I'm not sure.' If you say 'no' to taking on additional commitments, you will have more time to concentrate on fulfilling the ones you already have. Your ability to exercise self-control in the future will improve if you reject an offer now in order to avoid the unfavourable consequences that come with over-committing oneself.

Paying attention to offensive people

You just have to learn to live with the fact that some people will always be able to get under your skin. When people have more authority, they are able to commit more unsavoury acts. Gratitude towards others should replace any negative views you have about your co-workers. You may find that doing this helps you redirect your anger. It is counterproductive to focus attention on unimportant people.

Multitasking at conferences

Attending meetings requires extra work and 100 per cent concentration. Do not waste your time by attending a meeting that is not beneficial to you. You will want to take in as much information as you can if the conference is going to be worth your time and attention. Attendees of meetings who demonstrate their ability to multitask send the impression that they are more important than others. This does not actually make for a good first impression.

Revelling in rumours

Those who gossip take pleasure in learning about the misfortunes of others. Investigating the personal or professional failures of another person will, in the long run, wear you down, make you feel uncomfortable, and cause harm to other people. Complaining about the misfortunes of others is a waste of time when there is so much to achieve and find out for oneself.

Taking hasty action

The majority of writers spend hours thinking of story ideas and take down notes that they do not actually use at the end. They do this because they are aware that giving fresh concepts some time to mature is the best course of action. The realisation that our ideas and efforts may not be successful, stops us in our proposed course of action. If you never get started, how can you ever expect to finish anything?

Comparing self with others

When the enjoyment of your life is dependent on the actions of other people, you give up control over the quality of your existence. You should not let the opinions or successes of other people take away from the value of what you have achieved. It can be challenging to stop caring about what other people think, but you do not have to judge yourself on the basis of how others see you, and you do not have to take their thoughts seriously. Your sense of value does not depend on the judgments or actions of other people.

You should never let the opinions of other people sway you since you are neither as excellent, nor as horrible as they say you are.

Ensure that you consider and implement all of these steps in your practical life and abandon as many bad habits as you can.

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