People With No Money & Too Much Time On Their Hands Often Develop 6 Unflattering Habits
Sklo Studio | ShutterstockOne would think that a person with little money and a lot of time to spare would do something lucrative or productive.
Unfortunately, not everyone makes wise choices. When they're not stimulated or challenged, these people develop unflattering, lazy hobbies that prevent them from any true growth.
Habits people develop when they have no money and a lot of time on their hands
1. They aren't bothered by messy surroundings
Cord Allman | Pexels
When someone is spending a lot of time with themselves, they can become neglectful of basic things like picking up after themselves. Maybe they'll throw their trash away, but when the garbage can becomes full, they continue piling on more trash until there are multiple piles taking up space.
And the messiness doesn't end there. They might neglect their own hygiene, not showering or brushing their teeth for days or weeks. And though it's an underlying symptom of mental illness, they may also just be so comfortable not doing much.
2. They waste their entire day sleeping
According to clinical psychologist Michael J. Breus, excessive sleep "Like insufficient sleep, oversleeping is a sign of disordered sleep. It may be connected to a mental health issue, such as depression. It's often a signal that a person is experiencing poor sleep quality."
With a lot of time and poor finances, there's many hours in the day left over. They can't venture out into the world and spend time with their friends, or even get out of bed to start their day. This can cause them to self-isolate.
3. They spend hours playing video games
Gaming is seen as a normal thing teens and adults alike do. And while there are numerous benefits to playing video games, like building resilience and problem-solving skills, a person with plenty of time to spare may be doing themselves a disservice.
People without a steady income and lots of time in their day are more likely to play games to pass the time. And when video games take up most of your time, it's not a good thing.
4. They doom scroll constantly
With everyone on social media for long periods of time, it's all too easy for people to fall into a routine of doom scrolling. It's a time-consuming process, and hours can pass by in what feels like a blink of an eye.
"The psychology of doom scrolling... is the same mechanism casinos use to keep players at a slot machine, except now the slot machine lives in your hand. This is why 'just one more scroll' turns into 40 more without conscious awareness. Your nervous system is not tracking time. It is tracking potential reward," clinical psychologist Narineh Hartoonian explained.
5. They watch a lot of television
kaboompics.com | Pexels
Aside from continuously scrolling social media and inundating themselves with bad news, people like this find themselves increasingly bored. It's not a negative thing to watch television, but too much of it is bad for your brain.
For people who spend much of their time indoors, as they're unable to go out much due to financial constraints, the only leisure time they may have is television. It can fulfill the need for the social connections they miss out on.
6. They're chronically online
No money means you can't purchase gas to drive around or spend money on dinners out with friends. Instead, it means refraining from any spending where you can, and that often leads to time spent alone.
Craving human connection, people like this might join online forums or public chat rooms. And while online interactions can feel like a good substitute for in-person interactions, it's causing damage in the end.
As behavioral health professional Chris Foy pointed out, "The chronically online mindset is characterized by several distinct patterns. There's the compulsive checking and the inability to be present in offline moments without simultaneously engaging with online content. Perhaps most tellingly, your mood is significantly dictated by online interactions."
Allison Peterson is a writer with a degree in English from the University of Nevada, Reno. She writes on relationships, lifestyle, and mental health topics.
