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Lyn Bailey – Life by Design

Category: Mental Health

  • How Journaling Can Help with Mental Health Issues

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    Keeping any type of journal will help with improving any mental health issues. However, if you really want to tackle a specific problem youíre having, it will help to determine the right type of journal to keep. Keeping a particular kind of journal may work best for your issue.

    * Boosts Your Mood ñ If you really want to boost your mood, keeping a gratitude journal is where itís at. All you have to do is once a day, preferably before bed, write down what youíre grateful for today. It might not seem like much but itís very powerful for going to sleep, thinking positively about your life.

    * Increases Your Sense of Well-Being ñ As you write out your thoughts, youíll start seeing issues from a new angle just because youíre opening your mind to think about it. This is going to make you feel more capable of dealing with whatever happens.

    * Lessens Symptoms of Depression ñ Understand that depression is something different from sadness, and that you likely need a counselor. Writing it all down can make it seem less horrific so that you can feel better. Plus, you can look back at days you thought life was “over” and see better days after.

    * Reduces Anxiety ñ The problem with anxiety is that it was designed to help us get away from immediate danger. It triggers the “fight or flight” response. If each time you have that anxious feeling you choose to write in your journal how you are feeling and why, youíll start to control it better.

    * Lowers Avoidance Behaviors ñ Many people who have mental health issues practice avoidance behaviors such as not going to places that cause them anxiety, or not doing the things they need to do due to how they feel. When you write it out, it helps you get the feelings out but do the thing anyway.

    * Youíll Sleep Better ñ Pouring your heart out into a journal is a great way to get things off your chest. However, for sleep, go to the gratitude journal and write down what youíre thankful for today and go to sleep thinking of that.

    * Makes You a Kinder Person ñ Exploring your own emotional state and accepting your own feelings while you work through what makes you who you are in your journal is going to make you naturally more empathetic to others too. Letting go of judgment for self improves your thoughts for others also.

    * Improves Your Memory ñ This is almost a situation where you want to say “duh” but it has to be said. Writing down things helps you remember them because you can go back and read it, but also because the act of writing something down enables you to recall it.

    One thing that can really help you make your journaling work is to learn how to keep one effectively. Make some journaling rules, do it every day to create a habit, and keep it private unless you decide to let your therapist see it or you decide to use it to help others. This is for you and only you for the most part.

    Click here for your FREE Gratitude Mini Journal
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  • How Journaling Can Help with Achieving Your Goals

    Journaling can help you achieve your goals because it will force you to think about them, consider the why and how, and delve deeper into the situation so that you can examine all sides of it. Read on to find out how journaling can help.

    * It Forces You to Write Down Your Goals ñ When you start a journal, it basically is a way to force yourself to document your goals. Whether you write them down on paper or you use technology to get it all down doesnít matter. Once theyíre written, they are ready to tackle.

    * It Makes You Consider Why and How ñ As you enter data into your journal, youíll be forced to face the why and how of your goal. This is especially true if you write down a goal and focus on it in your journal. 

    * It Enables You to Examine the Opportunities and Threats ñ When you are focused on goal making with your journal, youíll also explore opportunities and threats coming your way due to your goals. It helps you avoid roadblocks in advance. 

    * It Makes You Develop Steps for Success Based on Your Goals ñ When you see it written down, youíll want to notice and pull out any steps youíve developed in your journal and put them in your calendar for scheduling. 

    * It Helps You Improve Goal Setting and Achievement ñ Each time you intentionally set goals, define steps to achieve the goals, and perform them, you are setting yourself up for being able to improve your skills. 

    * It Provides Accountability ñ Even if no one else is reading your journal, a private journal can help you become accountable to yourself. If you develop the habit of looking at your journal each day and put something else in there each day, itíll work great for helping you become more accountable. 

    * It Provides a Permanent Record ñ Having a permanent record of the things youíve done in your life, whether itís personal or work, is a beautiful thing. Hardly anyone has a perfect memory, so youíll maintain the lessons learned better with the record to look back at.

    * It May Be Inspirational ñ Depending on the journal, you might even be able to take the information inside and compile it into a real book for others to read to inspire them. You might also take from it steps for your success for a project and turn it into a course to inspire someone else.

    Journaling is an excellent way to work toward achieving all your goals. It will even help you make better goals because the process of entering facts in your journal will cause you to see them in a more logical way that is more useful.

    Click here for FREE Mini Gratitude Journal
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  • Is Journaling Right for Everyone?

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    Is Journaling Right for Everyone?

     

     

     

    Journaling is an effective tool often used for self-reflection and personal growth. Self-reflection is the process of thinking about and evaluating one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

     

    It is a way of assessing oneself to make changes and improve one’s life. Self-reflection can be done through journaling, therapy, or simply taking time each day to think about your experiences and how they have affected you.

     

    Self-reflection is critical because it allows you to see yourself objectively and to understand your thoughts and feelings better. It helps you identify areas in your life that you want to change. By practicing reflection, you can make positive changes that will lead to a happier and more fulfilling life.

     

    Journaling can also be used to help improve your mental health, physical health, relationships, work-life and more. However, it’s not suitable for everyone.

     

    If you’re not ready to truly look at yourself with an objective eye, act on the information you gain from this insight and do the work necessary to become the person you want to be, journaling may not be right for you at this time. When you’re ready, then journaling can help.

     

    Below are some characteristics that may indicate that journaling could be a struggle for you. We’ve also included tips to help you overcome the problem so you can try to make it work.

     

    You have trouble focusing

     

    If you have trouble focusing on one task for an extended period of time, journaling may seem frustrating to you. The act of writing can be very calming and therapeutic, but it requires a certain level of focus and concentration. If your mind wanders, you may find it challenging to stay on track while journaling.

     

    Tip to overcome this: If you have trouble focusing, try setting a timer and concentrate on writing for that amount of time. Alternately, rotate how you journal. One day, focus on what you’re writing. The next day, let yourself freely write whatever comes to mind, whether or not it makes sense. 

     

    You are not comfortable with self-reflection

     

    Journaling involves self-reflection, learning to be open and honest with yourself. Getting to know yourself on a much deeper level. If you’re not comfortable looking inward and examining your thoughts and feelings, you may find journaling an uncomfortable experience.

     

    Tips to overcome this: If you’re not comfortable with self-reflection, try journaling about topics other than yourself. You can write about current events, your favorite TV show, or anything else that interests you. Share your thoughts, opinions, and feelings on the topics and even how the topics affect your life. 

     

     

    You are resistant to change

     

    If you’re resistant to change, journaling may be less effective than you wish. The act of journaling can be compelling and transformative, but it requires a willingness to reflect on your life and make changes. If you’re not ready to change your life, you may find journaling tedious.

     

    Tips to overcome this: If you’re resistant to change, try journaling about your resistance. Why are you resistant to change? What are your fears? You may find exploring your resistance is not as impossible as you thought.

     

    You are not comfortable with emotions

     

    If you’re truly honest with yourself when writing, journaling can be emotionally intense. If you’re not comfortable dealing with your emotions, journaling may be an uncomfortable experience when first starting out. 

     

    Tips to overcome this: If you’re not comfortable with emotions, try writing about them in a detached way. Don’t judge your emotions. Just observe them. What do they feel like? What are they telling you? By observing your emotions without judgment, you may find that they’re not as scary as you first thought.

     

    Journaling is a fantastic way to improve yourself and your life. While it can be a struggle and may feel uncomfortable at first, if you’re in the right mindset and willing to do the work, the benefits can be rewarding. If you try it and find it isn’t right for you, that’s perfectly okay. Use the tools that work best for you to overcome the roadblocks that limit your ability to live the life you want.

     

    To find out if journaling is for you, download your FREE Gratitude Mini Journal below and give it a try.

     

    Click here for your FREE Gratitude Mini Journal
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  • 5 Benefits to Starting Your Day with Gratitude

    5 Benefits to Starting Your Day with Gratitude

    Why Start Your Day With Gratitude and Positive Thinking?

    Did you know that starting your day with positivity is one of the best things you can do to improve your life? It has an immediate, powerful impact on your life. The benefits are numerous, and you start experiencing them from the first day you deliberately begin your day being positive and grateful.

    These are the top five benefits you gain from a positive start to your day.

    Better Mood

    Starting your day with positivity increases your mood and helps you have a better day. Being positive brings you inner peace, lowers your stress levels, increases your optimism, and makes you feel good. All of these benefits combine to put you in a better mood.

    Taking time out to inject positivity and gratitude into your day improves your mood at all times of the day but it is especially effective first thing in the morning.

    Increased Health

    Positive people are healthier than their peers. This is partly due to the lower stress levels experienced by those who practice positivity, but there is more to it than that and scientists are still working to understand it. Positive people are healthier on every level and tend to live longer as well!

    Starting your day with gratitude and positive thinking sets the tone for your entire day and will lead you to be more positive throughout everything in life.

    More Success

    Being positive and grateful first thing in the morning helps clear your mind and allows you to focus more on your tasks for the day. This leads directly to having more success every day and over the long term. Positive people, as a whole, are much more successful than others. This is true in every aspect of life, from careers to relationships.

    Happiness

    Not only does starting your day with gratitude and positive thinking increase your mood, but it makes you happier. It boosts all of the “feel-good” hormones in the brain that make you happy. This isn’t a transitory effect, either; it lasts all day and over the long term increases your overall, permanent level of happiness.

    Improved Relationships

    When you start your day with positivity, you clear your brain and are in a much better space to relate to the people you care about most. This makes it easier to maintain healthy, caring relationships. This improvement starts almost immediately and lasts over the long run.

    These are just a few of the benefits you can get from deliberately beginning each day with gratitude and positive thinking. You will experience many more if you make it a habit!

     

     

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  • 5 Ways Gratitude Can Turn Your Bad Situation Around

    5 Ways Gratitude Can Turn Your Bad Situation Around

    5 Ways Gratitude Can Turn Your Bad Situation Around

    Gratitude has the power to get you through difficult times and turn your life around. It can motivate you to keep reaching for your goals by constantly placing what you have already accomplished right in front of you. This is why you are always told to learn to master thankfulness and nurture a grateful mindset.

    Eighteen years ago, my marriage of 34 years broke down and ended in divorce. I was devastated. How could I manage on my own? How could I support myself? How could I ever be happy again? I felt so many emotions – guilt, shame, rejection, overwhelm, fear – just to name a few. How could I ever get out of this black hole? I didn’t know where to begin.

    So, one day a few months later, I was meditating, a practice I have been doing daily for many, many years, when this thought popped into my mind. “There is so much to be thankful for. You have 4 amazing children, 2 beautiful granddaughters, your health, a roof over your head, a great career as a midwife, food on your table, wonderful friends, just for starters. There is a way out of this. You will try and figure it out.” I started to feel a sense of relief. “I may have lost my marriage but I still have the strength to work and rebuild a new life,” Just like that, I broke free from the chains that were holding me in the past, looked to what I wanted in the future, and started to live my life in the present, knowing this is the only moment I have complete control over. Gratitude became my new way of life, as I started to see the new doors that were opening in front of me.

    One thing that enabled me to turn this bad situation around was creating an attitude of gratitude, shifting my focus from the pain of my marriage breakup to future I was free to create just for me.

    Thankfulness turns your unfortunate situation around by:

    1. Shifting your focus.

       The worst thing about hard times is erasing them from your mind or finding ways of concentrating on something else. You can’t help but focus on how horrible your situation is and unintentionally think about how everything went wrong. Nonetheless, shifting your focus is possible if you maintain gratitude in trying times. Phrases like “I am still standing” “I have survived the worst” and “I still have so and so or such and such” will get you through tough times.

    1. Encouraging positive emotions.

        Gratitude gives birth to positive thoughts. Positive thinking is the key to positive emotions because what you think determines how you act, react, respond, or feel. Mastering thankfulness gives birth to positive emotions which keep you focused on “I am strong enough” and “I can fix that.” Therefore, understand that turning your situation around is possible only when you feel you can.

    1. Eliminating your fears.

       Gratefulness encourages you to concentrate on your ability to turn things around thereby eliminating your fears. Appreciating what you have accomplished and what you can still accomplish helps you notice that you have the chance to turn things around. So, use gratitude to overcome your fears.

    1. Emphasizing your strong points.

       Paying attention to what you can do when you are in a crisis is the only way of seeing things from a different perspective and changing what you don’t like. If you focus on “I am good at ABC” and “I can use this skill to effect change” you will move your life in the right direction and see the changes you are longing for.

    1. Imparting a strong sense of worth.

        One thing that makes you realize your sense of worth is having someone show you how much they value you when you are at your lowest point. To have someone do the unexpected for you reminds you that there are people out there who care about your welfare and that alone gets you going.

    Appreciating that your life is not what it used to be because of something that someone did for you when you weren’t expecting or when you were not deserving fixes your mind on a thousand things to be grateful for.

    Anything is possible when thankfulness becomes the center of your life. For instance, overcoming negative thoughts, controlling your emotions, getting back up, as well as turning your life around.

    If you want help seeing life differently and developing an attitude of gratitude, download my FREE Gratitude Tool HERE

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  • How Much Are Distractions Costing You

    How Much Are Distractions Costing You

    You probably think you’re pretty good at multitasking. After all, you can text and walk simultaneously, right? Wrong! My daughter was doing this walking to uni one day, and didn’t notice the pothole in the road. She ended up breaking her ankle as she fell into said pothole! So, unfortunately, when it comes to multitasking, it’s more likely to cost you time and money than to save it.

    A study conducted by the University of California, Irvine found that it takes the average person 23 minutes to recover from one interruption and get back to the task at hand. And if you’re interrupted multiple times, that number can go up exponentially.

    So, how much are distractions costing you at work?

    Let’s say you’re interrupted three times an hour. That’s an hour of productive time lost every eight hours, or the equivalent of losing a whole day of work every week. And that’s just for starters.

    You will make mistakes if you constantly try to juggle multiple tasks. For instance, a study by the University of Pennsylvania found that people who were interrupted made 50% more errors than those who were not.

    And those errors can cost you, both in terms of time spent fixing them and in terms of lost business. In fact, the AICPA conducted a study that discovered that one in four businesses lost revenue due to employee mistakes. You may even be passed over for promotion due to last-minute completion of work.

    Research has repeatedly and consistently found that multitasking is not feasible with human cognitive functioning (Jeong & Hwang, 2016; Madore & Wagner, 2019). To take this one step further, in one study, only 2.4 percent of participants were found to be able to multitask effectively (Watson & Strayer, 2010). And most fascinating, Sanbonmatsu et al. (2013) reported that people who think they are good at multitasking are actually not good at it!

    Sometimes It’s The Office; Sometimes, It’s You

    Sometimes the distractions are not due to how your workplace is set up but how you use your time. When you’re constantly checking your phone or taking calls, your boss may not view you as fully focused on your work. After all, spending too much time socializing with co-workers or browsing the internet takes away from productive work time.

    To avoid these distractions, you must be mindful of your time management and focus while at work. For example, when coworkers want to chit-chat when you’re trying to get work done, you can politely say that you’re busy and need to focus on your work.

    You can also try working in a different area where fewer people are around to distract you. Finally, if the chit-chatting is bothering you, you can talk to your boss or HR about setting some boundaries with your coworkers.

    There are less aggressive things you can do even in an open office that gets the message across, such as posting a sign near your cubical or work area, or if you have an office door, shut it and put up a sign that you’re focusing on work right now to make an appointment.

    Next time you’re tempted to answer that text, check your email or chat with coworkers in the middle of a work task, think about how much it’s costing you. But, on the other hand, the thought of the cost might be enough to make you focus better on working. Distractions may cost your company a lot of money, but they also cost you in the long run if you miss out on important promotions, raises, or the respect you deserve.

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  • Organize Your Finances

    Organize Your Finances

    Organizing Your Finances for More Efficiency

    Organizing your personal finances can help increase your efficiency. Being organized lets you stay on track with your budget, make smart financial decisions, and reach your financial goals.

    Click here to get your FREE Tip Sheet – 9 Hacks to an Organised Life.

    Being organized for efficiency financially means:

     Having a budget to track your income and expenses

    • Automating your finances by setting up automatic bill payments and savings transfers
    • Keeping your financial records organized so it’s simple to track your progress
    • Working with a financial planner to get professional advice on managing your money

    The first step in personal finance is to find out where you stand financially, which will require some level of organization. You must know your income, expenses, debts, and assets. Start by getting organized so that on any given day at any given time, you can easily see where you stand financially without any stress.

    Keep track of your spending — Knowing where your money is going is the first step to being more organized. Keep a budget or use a tracking app to help you get an idea of where your money goes each month. Personally, I find using Spending Tracker a very handy way to do this on a daily basis.

    Make a budget — Once you know where your money is going, you can make a budget to ensure you’re spending within your means. Don’t forget to include savings so you will reach your future financial goals.

    Set up a system —Whether it’s a physical system like folders and a budget binder, or a digital system like Mint or Personal Capital, find a way to track your finances that works for you.

    Automate your finances — Automating your finances can help you stay on top of your bills and save money. Set up automatic bill payments and consider using a service like Digit or Acorns to save money automatically. I do this using my mobile bank app as I like to keep everything in the one place if I can.

    Keep your receipts — Receipts can help track spending and budgeting purposes. Keep them organized in a system that works for you – use either a physical folder or a digital app.

    Stay on top of your credit — Checking your credit report regularly is an excellent way to catch errors and keep track of your credit score. Clear Score sends me weekly updates and notifies me of any changes. It’s a free service.

    Review your bank statements — Reviewing your bank statements can help you catch errors and fraudulent charges and keep track of your spending. Doing this on a daily basis really paid off for me recently, as I picked up fraudulent activity on one of my accounts within hours, and my bank was able to stop it immediately.

    Invest in a good financial planner — A good financial planner can help you organize your finances, set goals, and make a plan to reach those goals. If you earn enough money to save money, this will be a worthwhile investment to get more organized.

    Get organized — Getting your finances organized can help you save money, reduce stress, and make better financial decisions. Use the tips above to help you get started.

    Personal finance includes planning for future financial security for you and your family. Organizing your finances efficiently requires creating a system for managing your money that is streamlined and easy to use. This might include setting up a budget, tracking your spending, and creating a system for paying your bills. An efficient system in place will help you save time and money.

    Click here to get your FREE Tip Sheet – 9 Hacks to an Organised Life.

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  • Handy Products for Organizing Your Home

    Handy Products for Organizing Your Home

    Storage solutions like baskets, bins, and shelves are very handy for keeping your home organized. Baskets are great for corralling smaller items like gloves, scarves, and hats, while bins and shelves can store more oversized items like blankets, towels, and out-of-season clothing. Let’s look at how you can use various products to organize your home.

    Baskets

    Using baskets is a great way to add additional storage space to your home.

    • For storing blankets, throws, and extra pillows
    • For corralling toys in the living room or playroom
    • For holding laundry that needs to be put away
    • As a catchall for items near the front door

    You can designate some baskets to organize various items or use a different basket for each room to gather all the clutter that has escaped its home and return it.

    Drawer organizers

    If you have drawers to put things, you know that they often become a mess when you look for something. With organizers, you can prevent everything from getting messed up to the point you lose things by adding spacers and organizers.

    • For underwear, socks, and other small items in the bedroom
    • For spices, oils, and other cooking supplies in the kitchen
    • For office supplies in a home office or craft room

    You can use drawer organizers to store items such as silverware, dishes, and glasses, so they stay organized and don’t get jumbled up. Use drawer organizers to store cleaning supplies, such as sponges, scrub brushes, and cleaning solutions — keeping supplies organized and within easy reach.

    Under-bed storage

    You can raise your bed to give yourself some practical storage underneath if you don’t have a bed with space under it. If you create that space, it can be used to store things you don’t use as often.

    • For winter clothes that aren’t being used
    • For extra bedding, towels, and linens
    • For out-of-season clothes

    If you aren’t using the items daily, under-bed storage is a great place to keep the things out of the way and ready for use when needed.

    Hooks

    When you lack space, consider taking things to the wall with hooks. Hooks let you hang up things in sight that need to be handy. Consider putting hooks in any area you need so your stuff is within easy reach.

    • For coats, hats, and scarves near the front door
    • For bags and purses in the bedroom or closet
    • For towels in the bathroom
    • For aprons and oven mitts in the kitchen

    If you live in a rental, you can use command hooks, and if you follow the directions, you can create space without messing up the walls.

    Nails/tacks

    If you live in your own place, you can put nails and tacks on the wall without worrying about your property owner. Nails and tacks are great for hanging things out of the way, not just your artwork.

    • For hanging pictures, artwork, and wall decor
    • For hanging coats, hats, and scarves near the front door
    • For hanging towels in the bathroom
    • For hanging mitts, aprons, and other tools in the kitchen

    Consider using double-duty artwork that acts as something beautiful to look at that’s also useful, like shelves, cabinets, and cute places to hang your hats and scarves.

    Pegboard

    Julia Child used pegboards in her kitchen to organize her pots, pans, and tools for cooking. You can use them for the organization in any zone of your house, which also looks incredible.

    • Organize tools in the garage or shed
    • Can also be used to organize office supplies
    • Great for craft supplies
    • Fabulous for kitchen pots, pans, and utensils

    You may be shocked at how awesome peg boards work. The great thing about them is that you can move things around on the pegboard; it doesn’t always have to be the same organization.

    Anyone of these organizational products will help you create a space that works for you. Consider writing down all the activities you do in every zone of your home so you can determine what you need to get organized.

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  • Why Being Productive Matters

    Why Being Productive Matters

    Why Being Productive Matters

    It is challenging to stay focused and be productive in this maximum information world where you are constantly inundated with distractions. Whether checking your phones, browsing social media, or watching television, there are always things vying for your attention. However, since you only have so much time (time is the most limited resource), it’s essential to use time wisely if your goal is productivity.

    Being productive does not require continuous motion or busy work. It simply means you use your time in a way that benefits you. It may seem strange, but doing what you love is productive regardless of what the world has taught you.

    It may mean working on a project, hobby, or task you’re passionate about. It may also mean taking care of necessary errands like grocery shopping or cleaning the house. It may also mean hacking away at your to-do list created based on your goals that match your principles, morals, and values. That’s the key—it’s up to you.

    There are many benefits to being productive.

    • You’re more likely to see progress in your life
    • You’ll achieve your goals
    • You’ll have high self-esteem
    • You’ll feel a sense of satisfaction
    • You’ll feel pride in your life
    • You’ll experience way less stress, overwhelm, and anxiety
    • You’ll feel a greater sense of purpose
    • You’ll feel as if life is worth living
    • You’ll have more free time

    When you take the time to focus on one task at a time, based on your well-researched plan, you’ll promptly get everything you need. Then, when you finish something, you can move on to the next thing feeling more successful.

    Plus, when you have things to do that you care about, you’ll realize what a difference you make in the world. When you feel important to the world, you’re more likely to live a satisfying life and live up to your true capabilities.

    There are many advantages to being productive. Productivity ensures you achieve your goals, feel good about yourself, reduce stress, and give you a sense of purpose. When you use your time wisely and focus on being productive, you’ll be able to create the life you want and live a more fulfilling existence.

    When you are genuinely productive in life, you manage your time well, which gives you more control over your life and how you want to spend your time. And that is invaluable. Plus, the better you are at being productive, the better your children will be at it too. Children learn best from the adults they are closer to and tend to model that behavior, for good or ill.

    Ask yourself, are you being productive with your time?

    What changes can you make to make better use of your time?

    How can you focus more on what’s important to you in order to achieve your goals and create a life you love?

    When you take the time to focus on being productive, you’ll be amazed at all you can achieve. Understanding why being productive matters is definitely worth your time. After all, your time is one of the truly limited resources, and how you use it will make a real difference in your level of productivity. Furthermore, when your productivity improves, you’ll see proof that it matters in the results you create.

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  • Unproductive Habits to Break

    Unproductive Habits to Break

    Common Unproductive Habits to Break

    Teenagers can fall into many unproductive habits, which can prevent them from reaching their full potential. Some of the most common unproductive habits include:

    Phone Habits

    It’s easy to get lost in your phone and waste hours scrolling through social media or playing games. To break this habit, try setting a limit on how much time can be spent on the phone each day. Once the limit is hit, put the phone away and focus on something else. They can also leave the phone in another room when they need to focus on a particular task.

    Disorganization

    If your teen’s bedroom is a mess and their backpack is overflowing with papers, staying organized and on top of schoolwork will be nearly impossible. Encourage them to take some time to declutter their space and create a system that works for them to help them feel more in control and less stressed.

    Binge Watching Shows

    It’s easy to get sucked into a good TV show and watch episode after episode. You know this. But this it’s also a huge time waster. If your teen likes to binge watch, try setting a limit of one or two episodes per day or assign certain times that binging is allowed, like during inclement weather or when sick.

    Procrastination

    Procrastination is one of the most common unproductive habits and can be very damaging to a teenager’s success. When teenagers procrastinate, they put off essential tasks, often leading to poor grades, missed deadlines, and overwhelm. It will help to find the underlying reason for procrastination.

    Social Media Addiction

    Social media connects teenagers with friends and family, but it’s a significant waste of time for the most part. Teenagers easily get sucked into scrolling through their newsfeeds or posting updates when they should focus on schoolwork or other essential tasks. On the other hand, it can help to show how you limit yourself so your kids know a successful way to deal with this issue.

    Poor Sleep Habits

    Many teenagers don’t get enough sleep which can lead to them being tired and unproductive during the day. Teenagers need at least 8 to 12 hours of sleep each night to function at their best. The problem is that often teenagers are so overscheduled it makes it hard to accomplish this. Consider helping them avoid overscheduling.

    Poor Diet

    Eating unhealthy foods will make teenagers feel sluggish and uninterested in being productive. A healthy diet is vital for both physical and mental wellbeing. Again, this is another area where you are the model for the behavior you’d like your child to emulate.

    Lack of Exercise

    Exercise releases extra energy and improves focus. However, many teenagers lead sedentary lifestyles and don’t get enough exercise which can make them feel tired and uninterested in being active. Create family routines that encourage after-dinner walks and physical activity.

    Breaking unproductive habits can be difficult, but teenagers need to focus on their goals and lead more productive lives to live the abundant life they are meant to live.

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