Bad Habits to Cut Out of Your Life 2025

While we are working on those New Years Resolutions, why don't we kick it up a notch and start working on kicking those bad habits out of 2025! All of us have many bad habits that sometimes we do not pick up on. Sometimes our friends and family tell us about them. Sometimes they just go unnoticed. Maybe you are reading this thinking you don't have any but find out you do after this. It's okay because we al have them! This year is all about challenging ourselves to do better! What better way to do that than cut out those bad habits that may be just a little more than annoying but could be holding you back! Many of these bad habits can be fixed but take time. Some of these I struggle with myself and have for awhile! As someone who struggles with many of these I find them hard to quit. They for into a habit and then part of the daily routines we have so it cant be hard t change them or replace them with better habits. However, many of them are unhealthy for us and taking a toll on our health and we don't realize it. Once you completely cut the habits you begin to notice just how much they took that toll on you! A few that are huge for many Americans is scrolling, checking our phones all the time and unhealthy snacking. With every bad habit that I list here I will replace it with an alternative for you to try out!

Unhealthy Snacking

Some of us snack more than we eat and honestly it can turn into a pretty bad habit and not only that affect our weight. Not only can unhealthy snacking affect your weight but it can affect many other things as well. Including your oral health, of course what you eat will affect your teeth especially if you snack on candy and other heavily processed food. It also can cause high blood pressure if you don't watch what you are snacking on and continuously eat heavily processed unhealthy snacks. Overtime, it can cause obesity or drastic weight changes and can even cause diabetes. Some things I notice when I eat more unhealthy snacks is I start to feel more depressed and notice mood changes. Remember that gut health and your mental health are linked. The better you eat the better you feel. The more unhealthy you eat the worse you feel. Overall, snacking can be healthy some believe it to be healthy and others not as much. In my opinion, I think it is the way we snack that matters. Here is what I do to make sure I snack healthy! I use Pinterest and Lemon8 for my snack ideas especially if I want to change things up and find something new and healthy to snack on. I am a big snacker. I also eat large meals as well so I try to make sure I balance these out to include healthy snacks with more nutritional value and even finding some that boost the mood and energy throughout the day. This is also where you need to be strict with yourself. Not to give in. Did you know that unhealthy food stimulates our brain in the same ways that drugs do? This was such a shocker for me! So when you are changing your snacks it will feel very challenging but when you keep this in mind it will overall change the way you think and feel about unhealthy snacking. In a later blog post I'll share some healthy snacking options for the whole family!

Skipping Breakfast

Breakfast is our most important meal of the day and no, I am not talking about that coffee from the coffee shop! I am guilty of this too. I think many of us are when we rush through our day and because it is yet another thing that turns into a bad habit So how bad is skipping breakfast? It's pretty bad. It can cause higher cortisol levels, cause nutrient deficiencies, migraines, can cause unhealthy food cravings which can cause the unhealthy snacking we talked about previously, and can really affect our cognitive function throughout the day. Some people say they don't feel hungry in the morning, don't have the time to eat breakfast or even because they are anxious or depressed.

Now how can this be fixed?

Starting small! Start with a smoothie. Make sure to balance what you put into it adding some protein and fruit. One I do in the mornings is peanut butter or almond butter, Greek yogurt, spinach, apples and bananas. This is a very balanced smoothie and it will give you that nutrient balance that you need in the morning. Maybe even grabbing a banana or an orange. Once you start small start going a little bigger. A breakfast sandwich, an omelet, and reaching up to a full breakfast! Once you do this you will start to notice a difference in how you feel and just how unhealthy it was to skip breakfast in the morning!

Saying "Yes" to everything

I am very guilty of this one! As a recovering people pleaser I gave in so much to others and their expectations of me. When you say yes to everything that someone either asks of you or changing your schedule around to constantly please everyone around you it brings you down so much!! Overcommitment, to other people and neglecting your own needs and priorities is not only neglecting yourself but also can cause lack of boundaries, missed opportunities, and burnout. If your a mom you should totally understand this, especially with younger children when we have to push back so much for them. It can give you the mommy burnout that we all have experienced from time to time and lead to other issues. Now how can we change from this? Easy! Say no more often! Some of you may say that it is easier said than done. Yes, it can be however having respectful boundaries will make you feel like a new and better version of yourself! If you feel guilty for telling someone no you can do it respectfully or even say we can schedule for a different time!

Excessive Worrying

Another that I am very guilty for especially suffering from anxiety. Excessive worrying is so detrimental to your mental health and it sucks the joy out of everything. LITERALLY EVERYTHING. How do we stop excessive worrying? Is it even possible? It very much is! There are actually so many ways to stop excessive worrying and it is surely a breakable habit! One of these being taking care of yourself physically and mentally! Taking the time to exercise your body, journaling, counselling, and replacing the negative thought with positive ones. This is something that will take time and a lot of energy to fix. I've had this for a few years now and still have trouble but determination and having faith in yourself is the most important thing.

Checking your phone all the time

I think this is one we are all guilty of. Check right now in your settings and see how many times on average you unlock your phone in a day. Mine is 213. I also work from my phone however that is still crazy to me! Something I surely want to work on this year. Now how can checking our phones constantly be this bad for us? Well we all suffer a bit from phone addiction. Whether it be games, social media, FOMO, or just getting a ping and have to check it. It's a leading factor of anxiety, depression, neck pain, and sleep disorders. We all are constantly on our phones or some form of technology so many of us suffer from these. Now how can we fix it? Simply by taking breaks. Finding new hobbies to get into or putting our focus into our work if we are at work or spending time with our family and friends. Turning our phones on do not disturb before we go to bed. We have to set boundaries for ourselves and be strict to really notice the difference it has on us! I will have a challenge later in the week for this! Keep tabs on it on my website!

Sitting too much

When you sit a lot through the day it can increase your risk of a few concerning things like depression, diabetes, heart complications, and can really negatively impact your mental health. It can be hard if you have to sit at a desk all day too. If you have the option grabbing an adjustable standing or sitting desk is a great option and some are affordable! You can choose to take walks, add some exercise into your day, and prefer to stand instead of sit. On average it is better for us to sit for less than 5 hours of the day.

Drinking too much

We all know the side effects of drinking too much alcohol. Between the addiction and the negative impacts it can have on us and those around us. Some of us learn this early on. Some not as much and others may never learn sadly. Alcohol addictions takes the lives of approximately 178,000 people a year in the U.S. alone. It should be a wake up call to many. If you want to truly kick your drinking habits there is always help! Never think you are alone. I, myself had a drinking problem as a teenager but as I became an adult I kicked it and to this day I seldomly drink wine and that is it. There is truly no real joy in overconsumption of alcohol and you see this as you mature and grow. If you are dealing with alcohol addiction there is many ways to stop. Always ask for help. Ask someone who has overcome it, counselling, AA meetings, substance abuse hotlines which I will add under this section, changing who you socialize with, and even quitting with a friend or family member. The most important aspect is believing in yourself and having that support.

Substance Abuse Hotline: 1(800) 662-4357

Taking too many medications

There are so many side effects to taking medication. Some are even deadly but what a lot of people do not know is taking too many medications can lead to a functional decline, more of a decline in your health, drug interactions, and even death in some cases. Many do not know that there are Nutraceuticals that can replace the current pharmaceuticals that you take. Looking deeper into Nutraceuticals you may find a more natural medication for you to take.

Playing with your phone before bed

Most of us do it and I am very guilty of this one. Not paying attention to the time and checking to see it's almost 1 and having to get up early. It is a very hard habit to break. It affects our sleep quality so much. Poor sleep in turn affects our health mentally and physically. What can you do to change this bad habit? You can start by turning your phone off 30 minutes to an hour before bed. Replace scrolling with reading a book, Crafting if you like to craft, stretching, and prepping for your day tomorrow. Find a quiet activity to do before you fall asleep is key to a good night's sleep.

"First we form habits then they form us. Conquer your bad habits, or they'll eventually conquer you." -Rob Gilbert

Have a bad habit that you would like to add? Comment below!