10 Mental Habits That Make Life Harder

Sometimes life seems harder than usual, but on many occasions it is our own mind that makes us see things that way. This is because we have certain mental habits that make life harder.

We can, for example, not always choose to stay away from toxic people. We also sometimes have to face moments of great loss or difficult situations. If everything is already complicated, it is important that our mental habits do not complicate things even more.

Discover the mental habits that make your life harder

Many people have developed a strong attachment to negative emotions. This makes them suffer more than they need to. In fact, it is such that the terrible mental habits begin to take shape.

To think that everything is about you

While you may feel tempted to believe that it’s all about you, it’s just not true. If you have an egocentric view of things, you may end up complicating your life even more.

Do not expect people to respond to your messages right away or give up everything to please you. This is called the spotlight effect, and it has been studied by experts at Cornell University. It has been shown to be both harmful and painful.

“All or nothing” mindset

This is another habit that ends up being your enemy. Few things in the world are either black or white. Thus, thinking in extremes is a source of frustration.

According to a study conducted by Waseda University, “all or nothing” thinking creates irrational expectations, which in turn leads to very disappointing results.

Postpone instead of making important decisions

Case Western Reserve University studied procrastination and discovered that it is not always our enemy as it helps to reduce stress levels temporarily.

But when you have to make an important decision, you usually feel scared. In these situations, procrastination will only end up nourishing your anxiety and blocking you.

Constantly complaining

It is one thing to complain about something specific and another to complain constantly. If you make the complaint a permanent behavior, it loses its redemptive effect. It can be a nightmare that can create changes in your brain that encourage you to focus only on the negative.

At Yale University, neuroscientists showed that people who are often depressed or furious have a lower neural reconstruction rate. It is as if their brains have slowed down over time.

Have irrational expectations

Just as it is not good to see the negative in everything, neither are unrealistic expectations. Some degree of positivity helps us keep our heads high, but too much of it will only result in disappointment that can lower our self-esteem.

If we have very high expectations, we are likely to feel frustrated if we do not reach them.

Other habits that suppress your cognitive skills

In addition, there are other habits that make life harder, for the simple reason that they suppress your cognitive skills:

• Chewing gum. It is not good to reproduce frustrating events over and over again in our heads. This tends to lead to emotional turmoil.

• Guilt. Feelings of excessive guilt or shame keep you from releasing your emotions. They thus become a distraction.
• Think excessively about rejection. If you stop to analyze every single time someone rejects you, you become your own worst critic, which is detrimental to your self-esteem.
• Concern. It is important to worry about something, but try not to make it a habit. If you focus only on worries, you may fall into a negative emotional state.
• Constantly comparing yourself to others. It is not productive to focus more on the lives and achievements of others. Strive to get better every day and use others as inspiration.

Some habits help us to be productive and happy. But it is worth eradicating the mental habits that attack your well-being and keep you from reaching your goals.