24 Nov Are These 3 Common Habits Secretly Sabotaging Your Happiness?
As I’m sure you know, there are all sorts of things that can damage or interfere with your happiness.
The stressors of this world in which we live, other people, and … well, to be honest, probably the greatest threat to our happiness for most of us is US! That’s right, most of us do more damage to our happiness than anything or anyone else could ever possibly do.
But the good news is that if you can become more aware of the ways in which you undermine your happiness then you can start to do something about them; to make positive changes and then enjoy more good times.
So, check out this article by Jason Wachob from MBG in which he describes 3 common mistakes you might be making…
To be clear: There is no one recipe for a happy, full life. Every person has their own path, their own set of “ingredients,” if you will, for true bliss. However, if we could come up with a game plan for those feel-good emotions, who better to turn to than happiness expert and New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Rubin?
While it’s important to discover what makes your own heart sing, she says on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, she does offer some sneaky (and common) habits that can actually hinder the process. Below, find the oft-overlooked patterns that can affect your joy:
1. Staying up late.
According to Rubin, staying up way past your bedtime is the No. 1 thing that can make you feel worse. Sure, you may feel great at the moment—especially if you’re up watching a riveting TV show—but your happiness may suffer in the long run.
“People think that they can train themselves to get by on less sleep,” she says. “But in fact, when researchers study these people, they’re quite impaired. It really does affect your mood, your memory, your sense of humor, your immune function—all of these things suffer.” We repeat: Sleep is essential for overall well-being, your happiness included.
You may be thinking: Well, what if I’m watching a goofy TV show at night that makes me laugh? Doesn’t that make me happier? Still, says Rubin, staying up too late isn’t doing you any favors. “Way past your bedtime, all TV is created equal,” she declares. It may feel good and happy in the moment, but it will sabotage your happiness later on. “Staying up way past your bedtime is usually something that’s not going to make you happier,” she adds.
Although, the right “bedtime” is subjective, depending on your chronotype. The key is to discover what bedtime works for you, and stick to it as often as possible…
… keep reading the full & original article HERE