15 Ways to Self-Sabotage

Free tips to thwart your progress and feel bad about yourself.

Listen, I don’t like to brag, but I’m pretty good at something: I’ve been thwarting my own progress for a long time. While I often get bored with things and move on to something else, self-sabotage has been a constant companion throughout many stages of my life.

What can I say, I’m committed! 

Maybe you’re also into self-sabotage. That’s awesome, let’s be friends. But what if you’ve noticed that your recent efforts at bringing yourself down aren’t as effective as they once were? 

If so, you might be looking for some ways to upgrade your sabotage practice. Got you covered. 

As a longtime expert, I offer you these tips for your very own sabotage efforts—all at no charge!

Free Tips for Self-Sabotage, Use At Will 

• Overthink every decision, analyzing every possible outcome until you're paralyzed by indecision. Why take action when you can just sit there, stuck in an endless loop of "what ifs"?

• Engage in negative self-talk, criticizing yourself harshly for every mistake or imperfection. This erodes your self-esteem and confidence, making it difficult to take risks or try new things.

• Neglect self-care and prioritize work over your physical and mental well-being. Who needs sleep, exercise, or relaxation when you can just push yourself to the brink of exhaustion?

• Refuse to ask for help or support, even when you're struggling. Admitting vulnerability is a sign of weakness, right? Suffer in silence instead.

• Constantly seek perfection in every aspect of your life. If it's not flawless, it's not worth doing. This mindset will ensure you never finish anything and always feel inadequate.

• Dwell on past mistakes and failures, allowing them to define your present and future. Why learn from your experiences when you can just remain stuck?

• Avoid setting boundaries and saying "no" to requests that drain your time and energy. Overcommit yourself to the point of burnout, because your needs always come last.

• Constantly chase external validation and approval, rather than developing a stronger sense of self. Let others dictate your worth and make decisions for you.

• Engage in all-or-nothing thinking. If you can't do something perfectly, there's no point in trying at all. This mindset will help you remain stuck and stagnant.

• Avoid vulnerability and emotional intimacy in relationships. Keep people at a distance to prevent potential hurt or rejection, even if it means feeling lonely and disconnected.

• Hold onto grudges and resentment, refusing to forgive others or yourself. Let bitterness and anger build up, draining your energy and joy.

• Surround yourself with negative people who drain your energy and bring you down. Always a great way to end up feeling worse off!

• Compare your behind-the-scenes struggles to everyone else's highlight reel on social media. Let envy and self-doubt consume you, rather than focusing on your own unique journey and progress.

• Procrastinate on important tasks, waiting until the last minute to start or even missing deadlines altogether. This creates stress, panic, and adrenal fatigue—all great factors for self-sabotage.

But there’s always another tomorrow. 📷

• Practice codependency. Base your self-worth on what other people think and say about you. If they’re happy, you’re happy. If they’re upset, think long and hard about what you did to cause it. 

When You’re Ready to Move On 

This list could have been 57 steps or more, but I figure 15 is enough to get you started.

Oh, and what if you get tired of self-sabotage? 

I suppose you could always try something wild and crazy, like being kind to yourself. Just don’t go overboard with it. 

Feel free to share your favorite self-sabotage strategy, either from this list or one of your own.