11 Toxic Habits to Quit For a Happier and Healthier YOU

Welcome back, beautiful warrior! Today we will be looking at 11 toxic habits to quit for a happier and healthier YOU. Life is short, so let’s cut to the chase and get right into it.

First of all, let me tell you that we all have toxic habits, so you are definitely not alone.

And most of the time we are not even aware of our toxic habits. Yet, these toxic habits lead our lives as they guide our decision-making process and behavior on a day-to-day basis.

What are toxic habits?

Toxic habits are negative behavior and/or thought patterns that can be harmful to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

And as toxic habits influence our behavior in our daily lives, they can also have a ripple effect on the relationships that we have with the people around us.

Overall one can say that toxic habits or bad habits prevent us from living life to the fullest and they hold us back from living and creating our truth.

Why do we have toxic habits?

Toxic habits develop over time and the reasons for having toxic habits can vary from person to person.

It might be behavior patterns that you picked up from your parents, it can be a lack of awareness, it could be a coping mechanism that you developed over time to deal with negative thoughts, a coping mechanism to deal with stress and anxiety, a traumatic experience, etc.

However, breaking these toxic habits is important for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

And in addition to this, it will help you to create a happier life overall. A life that matters to you, a life with more purpose and meaning.

And the good news is, you can break these toxic habits. It might not happen overnight, but with some self-awareness and self-reflection, you can identify these toxic habits and break the vicious cycle.

11 Toxic habits to quit

When looking at toxic habits to quit, the most important thing is to give yourself enough time and don’t rush the process.

Below I outlined 11 toxic habits that many of us have/had (me included). And for each toxic habit listed below, I also give tips and tricks on how to quit this specific toxic habit.

Some of the toxic habits to quit that I listed below might resonate more with you than others. Allow yourself to be honest with yourself. You are doing this for you.

Again, give yourself enough time in the process, as long as you are aware and committed, success will follow, I have no doubt about that.

Toxic habits to quit #1: Negative self-talk

Negative self-talk refers to the negative internal dialogue that you have with yourself. We are all guilty of this one and I am sure many of you can relate. I can for sure!

Examples of negative self-talk are:

• I am not good enough to do this. I don’t have the necessary skills.
• I always mess things up. I am so stupid.
• I will never find a partner, no one wants me, but that’s ok, I don’t deserve love anyway.
• No point applying for this job, I won’t get it anyways.

But what if you had applied for this job and would have been offered the job? How different would your life be? How different would your life feel?

Negative self-talk can have a huge impact on your mental health and well-being. E.g. low self-esteem, decreased motivation, difficulty making decisions, anxiety, and promote depression, etc.,…this is just to name a few.

How to quit this toxic habit:

• Be aware of your negative self-talk when your inner critic comes up.
• Confront your inner critic and question him/her.
• Think like a friend: what would you tell a friend in this situation?
• Keep in mind that your thoughts are not always reality.
• Have compassion for yourself.
• Learn how to Cultivate self-love.

Toxic habits to quit #2: Spending too much time on social media

Our mobile phones seem to have become an extension of our physical bodies these days. And the first thing most people do in the morning is to reach for their phone.

And boom! Your mind and thoughts are right back to where you left off yesterday. Whether you want it or not.

Social media puts a lot of pressure on us and causes feelings of loneliness, low self-esteem, anxiety, and even depression.

You might have experienced this firsthand already.

Less screen time or even a digital detox can have so many benefits for your physical and mental well-being at the same time.

Less pressure of being what you are not, no fear of missing out, and just imagine all the time you suddenly have to do things that really matter to you and can have an actual impact on your life.

How to quit this toxic habit:

• Think about how much actual lifetime you are losing while you are scrolling through your phone.
• Reduce your screen time per day.
• Introduce a digital detox once a week.
• After three weeks, do a recap: check in with yourself and notice what has changed for you. What are the benefits of having less screen time? Etc.

Toxic habits to quit #3: Messy environment

We have all been there…laundry that needs folding piling up on the couch, empty coffee cups in the kitchen sink, the mail from the past two weeks is still sitting on the cupboard in the hallway, the reminder on the fridge to pay the electricity bill, etc.

Yes, sometimes, life takes over, but if you live in a cluttered environment, the chances that your life feels messy and cluttered (aka stressful and overwhelming) are so much higher.

Living in a messy or cluttered environment can increase your stress levels, decrease motivation, reduce productivity, make it difficult to relax, etc.

How to quit this toxic habit:

• Start by organizing your wardrobe.
• Clear out your beauty products.
• Declutter your home room by room.
• Always make your bed in the morning.
• Do a 20min surface cleanup around your home once a week to get rid of any clutter that is piling up.
• Look at your daily routines and find ways to optimize them.
• Look at your social commitments, is there anything you can reduce? Delegate to other people?
• Get more decluttering tips here.

Toxic habits to quit #4: Comparing yourself to others

Growing up in a society where you are constantly judged by your appearance, your education, your job title, your income, etc. doesn’t generate the confidence to be yourself.

Comparing yourself to others changes your mood instantly. It makes you feel inferior and insecure and as you always focus on the lack/the things that you don’t have you always end up losing out.

Constantly comparing yourself to others can hugely damage your mental and emotional well-being.

How to quit this toxic habit:

• Understand that we are all different.
• Understand that not everything is as shiny and perfect as it might look on the outside.
• Focus on your own journey.
• Start to practice gratitude.
• Get to know yourself better and Define your personal core values.
• Limit your time on social media and focus on creating a life that matters to you.

Toxic habits to quit #5: Worrying about what other people think

Truth is, people will always judge you or talk about you. No matter what you do or don’t do. So you might as well give them a show.

Look at wonderful Wednesday Addams, she is showing us that no matter who you are, what you look like, where you are from, etc., you already have a place in this world. And all you have to do is take it. 

You are the only one who is accountable for your life, make it yours.

You owe it to yourself.

How to quit this toxic habit:

• Understand that you cannot please everyone in this world.
• Make self-care part of your daily routine.
• Start to Cultivate self-love.
• Focus on your own values and goals.
• Set healthy boundaries with the people in your life.
• Speak your truth.
• Shine your light.

Toxic habits to quit #6: Binge-watching TV shows & series

Sometimes a Sunday of binge-watching TV shows or series to recover from a busy week or weekend is just what you need. But watch out, this can easily turn into a bad habit.

Keep in mind that what you consume, consumes you! All information/content that we consume has an impact on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Think about it: when you consume information about e.g. personal growth, ’10 steps to live a healthier life’ or ‘Tips on how to create a side hustle’, etc. you feel more motivated, your mind starts to focus more on these things, and there is certainly truth about the saying what you focus on you create.

How to quit this toxic habit:

• Make TV time special, make it a treat.
• Carefully select the content that you are consuming.
• Do something else while watching TV, e.g. fold the laundry, sort out your mail, etc.
• Start an audiobook or a podcast around a topic that inspires you.
• Define your passions.
• Do more of what makes you happy.

We are more than halfway through our list of toxic habits to quit. Let’s keep going, but keep in mind, you don’t have to tackle all of the toxic habits to quit at the same time. Changing a habit is not always easy and will require time and patience.

Toxic habits to quit #7: Being with people who don’t appreciate you

Instead of being with people who are constantly late, criticize you, and keep complaining about everything, be with people who match your values.

People who inspire you, people you can learn from, people who cheer you on, and people who appreciate you for who you are.

You might end up with a smaller circle of friends, but it is worth it!

How to quit this toxic habit:

• Value and appreciate who you are.
• Be selective when it comes to friendships.
• Set healthy boundaries in your relationships.
• Be ok to spend time with yourself.
• Be yourself when you go out into the world – energy attracts.

Toxic habits to quit #8: Not letting go of the past

Letting go of the past, e.g. a person, a relationship, a job constellation, etc. can hurt. But if you keep living life in the past and cannot let go of it, it will always affect your present (and your future).

Letting go takes courage, time, and practice. The rewards for letting go are change, transformation, growth, and development. Give it a chance, there is nothing to lose.

How to quit this toxic habit:

• Identify why you are still holding on to something/someone.
• What is holding you back from letting go?
• What are the emotions that are coming up?
• Where in your life have you maybe experienced these emotions before?
• Forgive and let go.

Toxic habits to quit #9: Leaving everything last minute

Are you one of those people who always need to leave things last minute?

I have to admit that it works for many people and some people use this tactic to actually become more productive, but it also comes with a few consequences.

Leaving things to the last minute can cause unnecessary stress and anxiety. You end up doing things, not to your best capacity and knowledge as you don’t have enough time.

Last-minute surprises might come up and cause even more stress and dealing with the aftermath….regrets, is not easy.

How to quit this toxic habit:

• Stop procrastinating.
• Plan ahead and break bigger projects down into smaller milestones along the way.
• Eliminate distractions.
• Work on your time management skills.
• Create a to-do list/weekly planner to get things done consistently.
• Think about introducing a Sunday routine.
• Reward yourself.

Toxic habits to quit #10: Not taking a risk

As human beings, we love our comfort zone. It is what we know, it gives us a sense of safety and control.

But this way of thinking keeps us small, prevents personal growth and development, and holds us back from opportunities that might lead to an even better life. A life filled with a sense of deep purpose, a life worth living.

How to quit this toxic habit:

• Define what safety means to you. Question your definition.
• Be open to opportunities that come your way.
• Imagine what could change in your life if you finally took that risk….whatever it is for you. What would your life look like? What would your life feel like?
• Embrace life. You are here for a reason.

Toxic habits to quit #11: Waiting for the right moment

We all know it,….but we still hang around waiting for the right moment to come.

Yes, there is no right moment. There is no right moment to start your own business, sign up for that hip-hop dance class, or take the photography course you have been looking at for the past 6 months……there will always be something, do it now!

How to quit this toxic habit:

• Stop procrastinating.
• Say goodbye to perfectionism.
• Set yourself a deadline and make it happen for YOU.

3 Supporting pillars that will help you to quit toxic habits

We, humans, are creatures of habit. This is one BIG reason why these toxic habits can stick with us for so long.

In order to support you on your mission, below are three supporting pillars that helped me over the years to practice awareness, better understand my triggers and emotions, and finally quit toxic habits once and for all.

1. Start a morning routine

For a lot of people, mornings are the most stressful time of the day. But how you start your day sets the tone for the rest of your day.

If you for example start your day feeling stressed and rushed, the rest of your day is likely to feel the same.

A morning routine can help you to take back control over your mornings, start your day off right, set an intention for the day, and continue the day with a positive mindset.

A positive mindset will boost your well-being overall and help to promote awareness so that you can spot these toxic habits whenever they sneak up.

In addition to this, you will feel that you have more control over your life which also shows you that you can choose. You can choose to stick with this toxic habit and let it guide your life or you choose to quit this toxic habit and live life the way you want it to be.

Start your morning routine today: 3 Do’s and Don’ts to help you Start a Successful Morning Routine.

2. Start a journal

Journaling promotes self-reflection and inspires self-awareness. It invites you to connect with yourself on a deeper level. You will get to know all aspects of yourself: strengths, weaknesses, imperfections, and flaws, all will be revealed to you, unfiltered.

By getting to know yourself on a deeper level, you will understand more about yourself, why you are living life the way you do, what guides your decision-making process, and why you act as you act in certain situations.

And by knowing all this, you have an opportunity to invite change into the areas that you would like to change and transform moving forward.

Having a regular journaling practice can help you to become aware of your toxic habits and give you valuable insights about the triggers and once you know the triggers you better understand how to quit a toxic habit of yours.

Check out my blog post How to Start Journaling – The Ultimate Guide for Beginners, and get all the information you need to establish a regular journal practice, journal prompts to help get you started as well as a few recommendations on journal notebooks in general.

3. Include self-care into your daily routine

Work hard, play hard is what they say, right? But how are you doing with your current self-care rituals?

Taking care of yourself is so important and a little bit of self-care every day goes a long way.

Self-care is pretty much anything that you do for yourself to contribute to your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. 

Practicing self-care means that you value and respect yourself and in addition to this, practicing self-care will also help to improve your mental health.

If you are in a better place mentally, you are in a better position to spot these toxic habits and the next time you notice a toxic habit sneaking up, time to quit right there! 

Looking to up your self-care game? Check out my blog posts below:

• 12 Ultimate Self-Care Ideas for Spring
• Splish, Splash – 12 Fun and Exciting Self-Care Ideas for Summer
• 12 Feel-Good Self-Care Ideas for Autumn (Bonus: Self-care kit how-to guide)
• 12 Self-Care Ideas for Winter

These supporting pillars are great tools to have in place. Not just to help you quit toxic habits or bad habits, but if you are into personal growth and personal development in general, these three pillars are great to have in place to support your physical and mental well-being in general.

There is a beautiful quote by Bob Marley: ‘Strong roots, sweet fruits!’ The stronger your foundation, the more you will get out of this 3D experience.

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These are the 11 toxic habits to quit immediately for a happier and healthier YOU.

When looking at your toxic habits to quit, don’t forget to also look at toxic habits in relationships.

And keep in mind to be patient with yourself along the process. Changing a toxic habit takes time, courage, and commitment.

Allow yourself the time that you need and enjoy the journey. As always, the more you lean in, the more you will learn.

Did you notice any of the toxic habits above in yourself? What are your toxic habits to give up? 

What are your techniques when it comes to toxic habits to quit? It would be great to hear from you, feel free to leave a comment below.

Stay wild warrior and until next week.

Nicolle

Featured image: Photo by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash