We all have some bad habits; sometimes we eat too much junk food, drink to excess, don’t exercise, watch too many series, or leave cleaning the house for that moment when it seems that a hurricane passed through the place. That is not the end of the world, but you have to know that some of those bad habits can have very negative consequences.
According to Harvard University, there are some habits that can help you be happy, have a better quality of life, feel satisfied with what you have, and stay motivated to keep going, while others have the opposite effect. and they may be the reason you feel bad all the time (emotionally).
The famous university has carried out several studies related to happiness and has written articles about it, such as How to Live Well, which appears in The Harvard Gazette, and within all of them, they not only present expert testimonials that talk about what we must do to be really happy, but they also mention what we should avoid.
The thing is, many things can become happiness-destroying factors, but the good news is that sometimes you just have to recognize these things, and that leads to being able to stop them.
5 Bad Habits that Destroy Happiness, According to Harvard
1. Spend All your Time at Work without Seeing your Friends
Harvard conducted a study of more than 70 years on happiness, and with this, the experts found that one of the key elements for us to be happy is having friends and spending time with them to strengthen relationships and have a greater emotional bond.
On the other hand, socializing and spending time with your friends also helps you live longer, keeps your brain young, and makes you feel more satisfied with your life. Dedicating yourself solely to work produces fatigue and burnout.
2. Not being Present in the Moment
According to a 2010 study by Harvard psychologists Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert, living with your head in the clouds can be a factor in happiness, or lack thereof. Scott Mautz wrote an article about it and explains that the study says: “Mind wandering is an excellent predictor of people’s happiness. In fact, the frequency with which our minds leave the present is a better predictor of our happiness than the activities in which we are involved.
3. Not Paying Attention to Diet and Exercise
Believe it or not, what you eat can also affect your mental health. Science has found that there are foods that are not good for the brain and can even affect your mood, so it is important to eat a healthy diet.
In addition, exercise not only helps you stay healthy and gain muscle, but it also allows you to lower stress levels and produce the hormones that are related to happiness, endorphins.
4. Procrastinate on the Subject of Health
Having health problems also affects happiness, as it can make you feel frustrated, scared, overwhelmed, and many other things that aren’t exactly positive or happy, which is why it’s a topic not to procrastinate with.
Allowing too much time to go to the doctor can be the reason why you spend more or why a disease is complicated, and this also affects the quality of life.
5. Thinking Sleep isn’t that Important
As with diet, exercise, and health care, sleep is an essential part of happiness, as it helps protect the brain, prevents stress from escalating uncontrollably, helps you concentrate, and even lowers your productivity, which are elements that can leave you more anxious and frustrated.
Also, not sleeping prevents you from thinking clearly and makes you feel fatigued, and it also affects your physical health and can rob you of a few years of life.
