Top 6 Unhealthy Behaviors That Affect Your Mental Health by Aurélien Bouchet

Top 6 Unhealthy Behaviors That Affect Your Mental Health

Like most people, you are probably a lot more aware of your physical health than your mental health. This is not surprising, as the effects of a poor physical condition usually leave a tell-tale sign. Hence, it is easier to monitor the indicators. The same cannot always be said about your mental health, which is often neglected.

The effects of some of your habits on your mental well-being are mostly not glaring. Even when the consequences are apparent, it might not be so easy to identify those habits as the cause of your condition. If you desire to lead a productive life, then your mental health would have to be at its best most times, if not always.

Some symptoms of poor mental health include:

Depression
Suicidal thoughts
Confusion or inability to focus
Stress
Social withdrawal
Persistent fatigue
Being excessively afraid, worried, angry, stressed out, hostile, violent, or guilty over minor issues
Extreme mood swings
Hallucination or delusions

From the list above, you can tell why it is not so easy to identify those symptoms as a consequence of your habits. Instead, you are more likely to identify them as consequences of external factors. For your well-being, you need to identify and put a stop to these causal behaviors if you possess any. However, if you are unable to control them by yourself, it might be best you opt for cognitive behavioral therapy in a reputable sober living program.

Below, we listed some unhealthy behaviors that can affect your mental health negatively. These unhealthy behaviors may include:

1. Sleep deprivation

An individual can be said to be sleep-deprived when they get less sleep than they need to stay alert. It is one of the simplest ways to disrupt your optimal cognitive abilities, thus affecting your overall performance during the day.1 People who lack sleep tend to feel more tired, less efficient, less motivated, and less focused while carrying out daily tasks at home, school, or work.

Though several natural health conditions can make it hard for you to get enough sleep, it can also be a habit that is developed over time. You can cultivate a habit of sleeping around 2 – 3 AM because you are trying to catch up on some episodes of a TV show or game before you sleep. But then, you also have to wake up around 6 AM to face your daily tasks. Frequently depriving yourself of sleep can get you out of sync with your body’s natural clock, which affects your brain, adversely.

2. Regular use of psychoactive substances

If you are using a psychoactive substance such as alcohol, cocaine, opioids, or other commonly abused substances frequently, you probably know that they affect your mental health significantly. At an early stage, you might be using drugs as an escape from reality, but with constant use, you become reliant on them and edge towards addiction.

Addiction is a disease expressed by compulsive use of substances despite the adverse effects they cause. The ensuing adverse effects extend to both physical and mental health.

Substance abuse is a habit that can be developed over time, always starting with a sip, a snort or puff, until it degenerates into addiction. As a consequence, you place yourself at risk of all the unpleasant mental health symptoms listed earlier. You can get rid of this behavior-turn-disease, by going for a comprehensive medically supervised Austin drug detox – the first step towards addiction recovery.

3. Lack of exercise or physical activities

It is common knowledge that the lack of exercise can put some strain on your physique, heart, and cognitive functioning. A psychological study demonstrated that exercising helps enhance cognition and boosts one’s ability to undertake tasks that require complex execution.2 Engaging in physical activities within moderate limits can help in the release of endorphins, which may help ease depression. Also, regular exercises or involvement in physical activities can help you cope with stress and anxiety while boosting your confidence and ability to interact socially.

Though moderate engagement in physical activities is beneficial, care should be taken not to engage to the point of exhaustion. Doing so can cause more mental harm than good.

4. Toxic relationships

This behavior envelops a good measure of adverse optimism, when you stick to a toxic relationship in good faith, despite all the red flags therein. Co-dependency can also be a factor of such a relationship when you always forego your well-being and take extreme measures to please others.

You should note that toxic relationship does not just refer to intimate relationships; it is also applicable to familial and casual relationships.

Being in connection with people that continually make you feel miserable, disrespect your boundaries, or undermine your success despite all you do for them can send you on a never-ending journey of depression and low self-esteem. It is best to break free.

5. Perfectionism

Are you surprised that perfectionism made it to the list? What is wrong about trying to be perfect? You may ask. Well, nobody is saying that you should stop trying to be absolute or flawless. The question to ask should be, “At what point is perfectionism bad for my mental health?” Humans are born with an innate need to seek perfection and progress in their endeavors. But, as always, there is a limit of moderation in everything.

In psychology, perfectionism is classified into negative and positive perfectionism. Positive perfectionism is characterized by setting realistic goals, healthily striving towards them, and not dwelling on failures that might be encountered.

On the other hand, negative perfectionism is manifested by an unremitting and compulsive behavior towards achieving impossible goals. The attributes of negative perfectionism are mostly bracketed in irresistible, narcissistic, neurotic, or imposter tendencies. A psychological study revealed that negative perfectionism is a risk factor for anxiety and depression.3

You can tell that you are leaning towards negative perfectionism when your mind is filled with anxiety, distress, confusion, fear of errors, and judgment while obsessing over a set goal.

6. Procrastination

Procrastination is a habit that a lot of people are gradually accepting as a norm. Putting off things that you should do now until later is a bad habit that affects your mental health significantly. First, it burdens you with a constant subconscious nudge that you need to take action. Consequently, you feel nagging anxiety, and sometimes depression that doesn’t leave you until you complete the task.

When you eventually decide to complete the task, it is mostly done under a lot of pressure and stress, thus putting yourself under a lot of mental stress. As a result, you put yourself at risk of mental illnesses.

Do not let any of these behaviors become ingrained

You might have noticed that you exhibit one or more of these behaviors. For obvious reasons, this is an appropriate time to put a stop to them. Sometimes, people fall prey to substance use and addiction when trying to escape from depression, stress, failures, anxiety, low self-esteem, and other forms of mental stress caused by these behaviors.

You should seek and obtain help through proficient and competent drug rehab such as Nova Recovery Center if you or a loved one is struggling with addiction as a consequence of these behaviors or any other reason. You can break free from addiction and lead a healthy life through a series of personalized medically tested and approved therapies. Contact us now to get started.

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