(DailyProsper.com) – Most people are inherently born with a positive, self-nurturing attitude. It’s all the life stuff that gets in the way as we age that can lead to self-destructive behaviors and bad habits. We try to mask difficult feelings or cope, only to end up sabotaging ourselves in the process… sometimes without even realizing what’s happening.
The truth is that serious self-sabotage rarely starts as a major problem; it begins as a little niggling habit that quickly spirals out of control. What started as an innocent indulgence rapidly becomes seriously damaging to your overall well-being, putting your wallet, your health, and even your life at risk.
Sounds concerning, right? The good news is a little awareness can help you avoid the worst self-sabotaging behaviors.
These are the worst offenders.
One Drink a Night
There’s nothing wrong with having an alcoholic beverage occasionally, as long as you know how to limit how many drinks you’ll have. But if you’re a recovering alcoholic or an alcoholic in denial, one small drink can be detrimental to your health. This is because alcoholism can camouflage itself in different ways, such as:
- Strong cravings for a drink daily.
- Making excuses to drink.
- Binge drinking.
- Drinking until blacking out.
- Missing work or life events because of drinking.
Not being able to control when or how much you drink can be a self-sabotage technique that can lead to alcoholism. Seek help through rehab and follow-up care.
Diet Cheat Days
There are a ton of diet fads on the market today. Keto, Paleo, low-fat and intermittent fasting are just a few. But one popular caveat to these is to have a cheat day from your diet. While this is great at giving you something to look forward to at the end of the week, it can also sabotage weight loss.
You’ve worked hard all week and stuck to your diet, but then Sunday (cheat day) arrives. You go out and consume McDonald’s, candy bars, Pina Coladas and down a bag of Doritos. The problem is, you’re not teaching your body healthy eating habits. This makes it a lot more likely that your diet will fail.
Taking Back an Ex
In some cases, it can be good to reunite with a loved one from the past. But most of the time, it really isn’t a good idea. It’s true that time and people change. Remember how much has led to your own self-growth.
Still, going back to old behaviors and an ex thinking things will be better this time is often nothing more than a fantasy — and you could sabotage your well-being in the process. Be sure you accept your partner again for who they are today, flaws and all; otherwise, you could end up getting hurt.
Self-Satisfaction With Overspending
Do you love to shop and collect the latest fashions money can buy? That’s nice if you can afford it. But if your credit card debt is piling up and you have a utility bill shut-off notice, you might want to stay home instead of going out to the mall with the girls.
It may give you a euphoric high to shop for makeup or new boots, but when you can’t make your basic life needs and your bank account is tanking, you’re in the midst of self-sabotage. Create a budget, stick to it and stop overspending.
Unfortunately, there are several ways you can sabotage your personal well-being. The good news is you can change those behaviors. Once you recognize your weak areas, you can take positive steps to live a more empowered lifestyle.
Here’s to Your Success!
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