Daily habits reveal a lot about your overall personality and success in life. While some habits enhance your life and improve well-being, others drain you completely. 

Fortunately, examining and shifting your energy-draining habits to energizing ones can profoundly improve your life.

Most people struggle to change their habits. A new habit requires time, effort and consistency. According to neuroscience studies, it takes anywhere between 21 to 66 days of consistent focus to form a new habit. Once established, habits happen on auto-pilot, meaning you no longer need to "will'' yourself into performing them. So, what is the key to shifting your energy-draining habits and replacing them with positive ones? Repetition.

Transformation only occurs when you re-inspire yourself with the end goal, coupled with the power of repetition. Simply put: What you sometimes do won't create lasting change. What you do most of the time will. In other words, our habits become our lifestyle.

Here are the most energy-draining habits for most people and the steps you can take to fix them.

What are the 4 habits many people do that actually drains their energy?

Not living in the present

Only the present moment exists. The future is a figment of your imagination, while the past is a collection of memories.

However, most people live in these imaginary states. The human brain tends to loop on negative past experiences or future possibilities, never stopping to enjoy the present.

As a result, most people live in a perpetual state of guilt for past mistakes or worry about future circumstances. Both conditions deplete your energy reserves and deny you the benefits of mindful living.

Solution

Train your brain to focus on the present moment. Every time you find yourself looping through the past or projecting the future, pause and bring your focus back to the present.

It feels unusual at first, but the more you bring your awareness back to the present moment, the more you feel energized.

Typically, any habits that make you happy also help your brain focus on the present. For example, a lovely walk in nature, playing with your dog, being engrossed in the story, meditating, painting a picture, writing a novel, doing a craft, cooking etc.

Tips

• Release energy-draining regrets by earning from your past.
• Train your brain to focus on what you want in the moment instead of what you don't want in the future.
• Include activities that make you feel happy and energized in your day.

Complaining

Did you know that the average person complains anywhere from 15 to 30 times in a single day? They may complain about a person, a circumstance, but they often complain about themselves to themselves.

Indeed, people who complain the most outwardly to others usually complain more internally about themselves.

Most of us complain, especially now during the pandemic. It's like a free ticket to the land of complaints. However, complaining hurts you in the long run. It tends to create more of what you don't want because your focus remains there.

Solution

Focus your attention and energy on problem-solving instead of problem-creating.

For example, instead of complaining to yourself and others about how overweight you feel, use that same life force energy or creative energy in a constructive way. Brainstorm on how to change your eating habits, move more, and get the accountability you need to stick to good habits.

To get even further, make a list of everything you mostly complain about on one side of a page. Then use the other side to list everything you want instead.

Given, you won't get everything you want, but more often than not, this exercise redirects your mind into a more energizing problem-solving mode.

Sometimes your complaint is about something you can't change or have no control over, like the weather or bad traffic. In those instances, focus on what you appreciate or learn from the situation.

Ignoring your physical health

Most people have energy-draining habits that directly impact their bodies. These include staying up too late, overeating sugar, taking too much caffeine, lack of exercise etc.

From these, lack of enough sleep stands out as the one habit that significantly impacts other areas of your life.

Sleep deprivation comes with a host of health challenges:

• It drains mental abilities and causes memory issues.
• Raises the risk of high blood pressure
• Weakens your immunity
• Increases your risk for diabetes and weight gain
• Reduces sex drive
• Increases the risk of heart disease and affects balance and coordination.

Solution

Sleeping can be your number one energy booster. During sleep, your brain repairs while boosting your immune system.

What's the optimal amount of sleep? According to a study by the American Cancer Society, those who live the longest sleep 7-8 hours per night. In fact, regular quality sleep causes a domino effect in the right direction. It eases depression, lowers anxiety, boosts energy and productivity, and ultimately improves your finances.

Tips for better sleep

• Have an evening ritual or routine. For example, nighttime bath or lavender tea, gratitude journal, gentle yoga, neuro-blueprint, or listen to an inspiring podcast like this one.
• Get off devices at least 2 hours before bed. People who stay up doing email, texting, or scrolling till the wee hours tend to get worse night sleep.
• Charge phones and devices outside the bedroom. If possible, avoid electronic devices in your bedroom. Electromagnetic frequencies tend to harm your sleep patterns, while the notifications and messages disrupt your sleep.
• Keep a what-if list. Place a pad and pen on your nightstand. If you wake up in the middle of the night, your mind racing with worries, get it out of your head and onto paper to deal with tomorrow.

For example, suppose you're worried about your finances. Ask the question: What if I can't pay rent or mortgage on time this month? Then write a positive version: What if I make my rent or mortgage payments this month? Finally, write a negative okay version: What if I can't make my rent or mortgage payments this month, and it's okay?

Find a solution and make it work. That will help calm your survival brain so you can sleep. Get a free copy of the What If's Checklist here.

Always pleasing others while ignoring your needs

Living your life according to other people's needs drains your energy. You cannot satisfy or accommodate all the varying needs, perspectives and requests by other people.

Solution

Learn how to set clear boundaries. You only do that by developing self-esteem to a level where you're comfortable saying no to other people and focusing on self-care instead.

Good self-esteem comes from knowing and appreciating your true self - the version of you without all the societal programming, expectations, and obligations. It stems from a place of happiness, gratitude, laughter, having fun and feeling joy. It involves doing things you love, thinking about what you love, and being kind to yourself.

Self-esteem also helps you establish and preserve boundaries. You know you have it when you act from a calm-centred place and say what you need or say no to something. For instance, reframe saying no as caring about yourself instead of being selfish.

As a practical exercise, list all the interactions and situations that drain you on one page. On the other, brainstorm positive ways to deal with those situations that prioritize self-care.

In essence, allow yourself to think of new possibilities, then put some of those into action. Take one small step to get the ball rolling.

Final thoughts

You will remain stuck until you start making small steps towards creating better, more productive habits. Complaining, living mindlessly, trying to please others and ignoring your physical health only worsens the situation.

The sooner you replace these habits with better ones, the faster you will start living a more abundant, balanced, and happy life.

If you want more tools and tips like this, get our book MindStory Inner Coach and 2 free sample neuro-blueprints by going to MindStoryAcademy.com. You also get two free guided audios called neuro-blueprints along with the book. They are a form of mental rehearsal that helps you access your inner wisdom.