7 Ways You’re Sabotaging Yourself and How to Fix Them
You’ve been putting the work off for days now. Chores are piling up and you’re falling behind. It seems like everything is going wrong and nothing is going your way. You have no idea what to do about it.
Instead of doing anything, you do nothing, not realizing how you’re harming yourself. When things are going rough and you feel stressed, it’s easy to self-implode.
You don’t have to self-implode. You can become aware of the signs and make moves to change them. Here are 7 signs you’re sabotaging yourself and what you can do about them.
1. You avoid responsibility.
You use procrastination as a way to avoid taking responsibility for your actions. It allows you to blame your circumstances on external factors.
Stop blaming others and take personal accountability for your life. When you can do this, you empower yourself to make the right choices.
When you make a mistake, own it. Apologize for it and make a promise to yourself to do better.
2. You self-medicate.
You turn to drugs and alcohol to ease the pain in your chest. You use food to fill up the numbness inside of you.
If self-medication is a problem for you, reach out to a support group. There are great resources like NAMI that can get you the help you need.
Support groups can help give you resources like how to cope with addiction and learn more about what drives your behavior.
3. You don’t take care of yourself
You haven’t exercised in months and you can’t remember the last time you ate a vegetable. Maybe it was when you had that pizza last week.
Try and build a routine slowly. Plan to incorporate five minutes of movement into your day and add greens to your food.
Today, you could eat one salad or walk to the end of the block. Make small commitments to improve your health.
4. You don’t do anything.
You sit there paralyzed, doing nothing. Instead, you decide to watch Netflix instead of getting anything done.
Bite off little bits at a time. Complete the smallest task on your list, like calling someone. Or spend five minutes working on your essay.
What I like to do is keep a jar of tasks I like to do. When I’m feeling stuck, I’ll pick one and do that one task.
5. You want to be liked.
All you want to do is be liked. You want to make everyone happy, so you bend over backward and ignore your own happiness.
Spend less time worrying about others and focus on yourself. Allow yourself time for self-care every day and stick to it.
Take a few minutes today and journal your thoughts and feelings. It will help you gain clarity.
6. You have negative self-talk.
Negativity is like a soul-crushing vortex. It sucks away anything good in your life and replaces it with darkness. It serves no purpose.
Start looking for the good things in life. Reaffirm positive things that happen. If it helps, try mantras or affirmations.
Repeat things to yourself like, “I can do anything,” or, “There is nothing that can stop me.”
7. You criticize yourself.
You make self-deprecating jokes and comments for a laugh, hiding behind the truth. You put yourself down and beat yourself up.
Stop playing the blame game. You’re not to blame, but you are responsible for your actions. Instead of criticizing, try problem-solving.
Ask yourself, “Why?” Are you uncomfortable? Poor self-esteem? Get clear about why you are doing it and do something.
Final Thoughts
Self-sabotage is an easy path to take. From procrastination to self-criticism, we know all the tricks in the book.
You don’t have to fall for them.
Imagine having the power to say ‘no’.
Imagine being free to make the right choices.
Imagine what it feels like to have control over your life.
You can take back the power. So take it back.
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