 You've probably heard Live Long and Prosper, the famous salute from Star Trek. Your lifespan may seem beyond your control, but identifying and giving up some common toxic habits can have psychological improvements, which can allow you to be happier and live longer. With that said, here are 6 habits to give up if you want to be happy and live long. 1. Blaming the world around you. When we're frustrated, it can be a common defense mechanism for us to blame the subject we're trying to learn, rather than accepting that some things are just more difficult than others, and we may need to take the time to learn and grow. Blaming others, the world around us and other factors such as luck or chance, takes the weight off our shoulders, but when we never accept responsibility, we make it easy to excuse our lack of action or change in ourselves. It's always easy to blame somebody else and leave our self-esteem and self-image intact. But this can have long-term consequences, setting goals for something you want to achieve can feel disheartening when it seems too hard to do. Instead of feeling that the world is unfair, try accepting the challenge the world is offering. And even if you don't get it the first time, you can always try again. 2. Seeing yourself as your own worst enemy. Being cruel and harsh to yourself can be detrimental to your happiness and lifespan. Do you call yourself horrible names, or blame yourself for everything bad that happens? You may try to berate or hurt yourself with these insults, or even go as far as to physically harm yourself. If you can imagine what it would be like for you to do this to another person, you may have some perspective on why it's so hard to heal from these mistakes when we punish ourselves so harshly. Although this habit can range from mild to severe, by showing yourself compassion and reaching out to health professionals, you can find recovery and ways to change this thinking. Self-hatred can persist into self-destructive attitudes, which can push your happiness even further, especially if you feel as though you don't deserve it. Remember that not only will you experience your mistakes first-hand, but also your greatest achievements too. And try to appreciate yourself for the small things you do have. Being thankful and showing yourself gratitude can go a long way. Are you always thinking negatively and constantly getting down on yourself, or the way you see the world? This may be avoidant behavior, and negative thinking can affect the way you chase your goals and stunt potentially happy or exciting opportunities. A study conducted by Philip Spinoven, Albert M. Van Hammert, and Brenda W. Panix has shown that repeated negative thinking is strongly associated with anxiety and depression, along with relapses of pre-existing anxiety and depression episodes. Make a point to try and think positive when things are difficult, or seek out happy things that inspire you to work hard towards your goals. Using reaffirming statements to reaffirm yourself that you are in control of your thinking, which can help inspire mindfulness. As much as taking care of your mental health is beneficial, taking care of your body's needs is half the battle. Interrupting your body's natural processes for something that may seem like a good idea just might come back to haunt you. Sometimes it can feel as though you only have so many hours in the day. So much to do yet, so little time. Why not stay up late to enjoy just a few more episodes before tomorrow? Or maybe get a few extra study hours in? While this can seem relatively harmless, disrupting your body's internal clock can cause issues with memory retention and interrupt your productivity. Repeating this process multiple times a week can cause an increased amount of issues. So before you go to bed, you may find it helpful to turn off your lights, unplug your internet, shut your phone off, or even listen to music to help fall asleep. Clearing your mind of distractions for a good night's sleep can help you feel recharged in the morning. Number five, thinking of others and not yourself. Have you been giving your attention to others lately, like chatting or texting away on your phone? And before you know it, it's already time to pack it in for the night. It can be very easy to fall into a habit of helping others without taking any time to take care of yourself or your priorities. Maybe you feel obligated to constantly give your friends a hand and that project you have isn't that important and you can finish it later, right? Letting others into your schedule at all times to help them can be disruptive to your own tasks, goals, and desires. There is nothing wrong with lending someone a hand when they need it, but it can sometimes feel like you're giving everyone the time, love and attention they need but yourself. Reassuring yourself that you deserve to aim for your goals and giving yourself the time that you give to others can open up more time and possibilities throughout your day. Try to schedule a little bit of me time. Take yourself out on a date, buy yourself a small treat that you've been craving or have a bit of dedicated alone time with a book, game or movie you've been dying to see. And number six, repeatedly giving up. When we face adversity, such as rejection, humiliation or setbacks, we may feel like just giving up. Giving up can be different from person to person. Maybe you want to stop your education or never give love a try. You might stop seeing doctors or feel unmotivated or uncaring like you've done all you can do. Working within your abilities and not giving up on yourself and your happiness may just improve the way you can handle hardships. You may just find it helpful to journal about your success and about the things that maybe didn't go so well. So when you feel like you've been failing, you can revisit some of your best moments if you write them down. Remembering your purpose and reason for doing something or working towards something can help keep your goals in perspective. And remember all the successes you've had when things seem bleak. Can you identify with any of the habits listed? Are you able to identify the habits that you may be falling into and find a way to combat them? Let us know in the comments. We'd love to hear your story. If you enjoyed this video, please share it with others who might benefit and let them know you're there for them. The references and studies are listed in the description below. Until next time, live long and prosper, Psych2Goers.