{"id":53007,"date":"2016-10-04T11:15:09","date_gmt":"2016-10-04T15:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=53007"},"modified":"2021-11-18T11:39:37","modified_gmt":"2021-11-18T16:39:37","slug":"stressed-out-daily-habits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/stressed-out-daily-habits\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Daily Habits That Are Sabotaging Your Mental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"7
Photo by\u00a0Startup Stock Photos<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I used to wake up each morning and, before I\u2019d even brushed my teeth, I would check my email. This often meant that the first thing I saw every day was a frantic message from my boss. Eventually, I realized I had to set a rule: I wouldn\u2019t check my email until after I finished my morning workout<\/a>. This small change made a huge difference in my stress levels<\/a>. Even if I still had to deal with anxiety-provoking e-mails a little later in the day, at least I had a solid hour or more in the morning where I was blissfully \u2014 and willfully \u2014 ignorant.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Phones] take these more stressful environments and put them into our homes and our bedrooms,\u201d says John Torous, MD, co-director of the digital psychiatry program at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School. \u201cI think being cognizant of the\u00a0stressors tied to your phone and how you\u2019re letting them into your life is very important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Turns out, checking your phone<\/a> first thing in the morning isn\u2019t the only habit that could be doing a number on your psyche. We spoke with a few experts, who gave us insight into other seemingly harmless practices that could be disrupting\u00a0your peace of mind.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>6 Scenarios That Stress You Out But Shouldn\u2019t<\/a><\/p>\n

7 Sneaky Things Making You Stressed Out <\/strong><\/h2>\n

1. Grabbing a donut on the way to work in the morning.
\n<\/strong>Most people don\u2019t give much thought about\u00a0what to\u00a0eat for breakfast<\/a>, says Shanna Levine, MD, instructor of internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. But you should. \u201cIf your main fuels are simple carbohydrates…that\u2019s not an efficient energy source,\u201d she says. \u201cYou\u2019ll find that you become hungry very quickly and feel tired much more quickly. If you don\u2019t have enough energy<\/a> to get through the day, it makes it difficult to keep a healthy mindset.\u201d On the other hand, if you eat a nutritious breakfast<\/a>, you\u2019ll avoid the physical and mental crash that can come with a greasy sandwich or sugary waffle.<\/p>\n

The fix:<\/strong> Choose something high in protein<\/a> and healthy fats<\/a>, recommends Levine. A smoothie with fruits, veggies and nut butter or an egg sandwich with avocado will do the trick. Also,\u00a0make sure to drink plenty of water.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>7 High-Protein Breakfast Hacks (No Stove Required)<\/a><\/p>\n

“Trying to remember everything you have to do for the day can leave you stressed out.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

2. Keeping your to-do list in your head.
\n<\/strong>Trying to remember everything you have to do for the day can leave you stressed out, whether you realize it or not. \u201cThat\u2019s certainly taking up brain space, which takes up more energy,\u201d says Torous. \u201cYou can really offload it onto paper and it can be a kind of extension of your brain.” Writing things down\u00a0seems to\u00a0give most people temporary relief.<\/p>\n

The fix:<\/strong> If you don\u2019t want to buy yourself a notebook that serves as your to-do list (which definitely works), an app like Evernote<\/a> can give you an electronic place to keep track of all your tasks.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Single-Tasking: The Secret to Less Stress, More Productivity<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Snapchatting and texting 24\/7.
\n<\/strong>Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook make it seem easier to keep in touch with friends. But a phone or computer is no substitute for human interaction. \u201cYou can feel very engaged in online or computer-based social networks, but having real human contact with people is even more important,\u201d says Torous. \u201cSometimes you\u2019ll get tricked into thinking, \u2018I have this network of Facebook friends and Twitter friends,\u2019 but it\u2019s crucial\u00a0to cultivate relationships<\/a> offline, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fix:<\/strong> Schedule a few phone-free activities you can look forward to each week. That way, you\u2019ll have regular opportunities to disconnect and engage with friends or family. Even better, the incentives will help break up the tedium that can often come with the workweek, says Levine.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>12 Keys to Achieving Work-Life Balance<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Going straight from your car to the couch.
\n<\/strong>There\u2019s a reason that people talk about a \u201crunner\u2019s high.\u201d Exercise<\/a> releases endorphins<\/a> that can energize you\u00a0and improve your mood, says Levine. \u201cEvidence shows that exercise can be\u00a0one of the most effective treatments for anything in healthcare, be it mental or physical,\u201d adds Torous. (A 2016 study<\/a> suggests it could help treat depression, specifically.)<\/p>\n

The fix: <\/strong>You shouldn\u2019t jump right into an intense exercise routine if you\u2019re in firm couch potato mode right now. Levine recommends starting with a goal of\u00a030 to 45 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity<\/a> about five times per week. The key, says Torous, is to find an exercise schedule and form of physical activity that feels sustainable to you. \u201cIf it fits in your lifestyle, that\u2019s better than saying you must go for 20 minutes a day at an intense heart rate,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

“An irregular sleep schedule goes beyond depleted energy levels and the inability to concentrate.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

5. Going to bed at a different time each night.
\n<\/strong>An irregular sleep schedule goes beyond depleted energy levels and the inability to concentrate. It also increases your production of cortisol, which is tied to stress. What\u2019s more, Torous points out that many mental illnesses are associated with unhealthy sleep patterns<\/a>. (Conversely, treating sleep issues can sometimes alleviate symptoms of the mental illnesses.) \u201cSleep is really when the brain is growing,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s also when you consolidate memories and the brain reviews or plans for the next day. It\u2019s also in part when the brain is relaxing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fix<\/strong>: \u201cI recommend getting\u00a0at least eight hours of quality, uninterrupted sleep,\u201d says Levine. \u201cThat means avoiding stimuli at night \u2014 whether that\u2019s from phones or the TV \u2014 within an hour of intended bedtime. Avoiding caffeine and not exercising too late are also helpful.\u201d Just make sure you have time to wind down before bed.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>This Is Your Body on Sleep Deprivation<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Ignoring what\u2019s stressing you out.
\n<\/strong>It\u2019s an easy trap to fall into: being so busy that you never take a moment to\u00a0meditate<\/a> on any anxious or negative feelings you might have. \u201cI think we all have a difficult time with the act of mindfulness<\/a>,\u201d says Levine. \u201cWe all have things in our life we can\u2019t control that make us tense. But taking a few minutes every day to reflect on what\u2019s bothering us, calmly acknowledging it and letting it go \u2014 a sort of a mini-meditation \u2014 makes the day feel and seem a lot less stressful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fix:<\/strong> When you\u2019re feeling stressed out, take a few moments to acknowledge and accept those feelings rather than just continuing along, business as usual. Just pushing negativity aside can lead to even more stress.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>How to Meditate (Even If You\u2019re Really Impatient)<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Quitting habits that got\u00a0you to a good place.
\n<\/strong>\u201cA lot of times, when people are feeling well and good, they stop doing the things that keep them both physically and mentally healthy,\u201d says Torous. \u201cThey\u2019re so happy that they kind of forget those little things they did over time. That\u2019s one of the main reasons for relapse.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fix: <\/strong>If a certain medication, morning ritual<\/a> or exercise routine helped you feel your best, then it\u2019s important not to neglect that habit, says Torous. Even if you think you don\u2019t \u201cneed\u201d it anymore, don\u2019t ditch a habit that makes you feel happier and healthier.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These common daily habits could be the reason you\u2019re so stressed out. Good news is simple tweaks could help you get calm again. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,12,15],"tags":[229,117,280,282,341,360],"class_list":["post-53007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-mental-health","category-stress","tag-mindfulness","tag-relaxation","tag-sleep","tag-stress","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2stress-management"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53007\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}