It is normal every once in a while to have moments when you act selfishly or become too self-involved. It is another to let those emotions take over your entire behavior. By understanding what behaviors can be damaging to your mental health, you have the power to change them.
How is it Toxic to Take Too Many Pictures?
It is always good to photograph your memories, but taking too many pictures of everything you see can tarnish the memory. In a study published in Psychological Science, participants would go to a museum where some would observe objects and others would take pictures. The group taking pictures had a harder time remembering the pictures they saw compared to those who did not take pictures. It is like going to a concert and spending all of your time filming it that you do not remember what you saw, making you feel upset and disappointed after. In the future when you take a picture, take a harder look before you click on the snapshot. You can also just not take a picture at all and just live in the moment.
How is it Toxic to Procrastinate?
You may have a habit of putting things off that you do not want to attend. It can be that you have a fear of going to the doctor’s office so you keep rescheduling the appointment. You may also put off studying even though you have an important test because you are afraid to fail. Knowing that this event is so stressful will make it even more unbearable because you are training your brain that you cannot get through this. Find a way to make the activity less stressful on you like listening to music or doing a coloring book.
How is it Toxic to Take Life Too Seriously?
We all need to learn to laugh at the mistakes we make or when things do not work out. If every misstep you take makes you feel embarrassed or sad, it will make you tenser and find it hard to smile. It is important to smile even when you do not feel like it. After all, the embarrassing or intense stories you go through can end up being funny stories to tell your friends after. By trying your hardest to enjoy the moment, confront your fears, and learn to laugh a little more, your mental health will improve.
Located in Georgetown, Texas, Alma Loma is a transformative living center to help those struggling in early recovery to transition out of our Psychiatric and Substance Abuse residential center. Alma Loma believes that addiction is born from an untreated mental illness in which our facility is willing to help you. Our facility offers residency, medication management education, individualized treatment, life skills education, 12-Step support, and more tools to bring patients the confidence to be able to live an independent life. For more information, please call us at 866-457-3843.
