Hypocritical Advice: 20 Things You Tell Others To Do But Don't Do Yourself
Easier Said Than Done
It's easy to play the part of the good friend and give excellent advice that actually helps improve their life as long as they try to follow it. But when it comes to yourself, those same words seem to go in one ear and out the other. Here are 20 times you might act a bit like a hypocrite and not follow your own advice, even though you know it's good for you.
1. Get More Sleep
It's easy to convince others of the importance of rest and recharging, but how much of that do you follow yourself? When you tell your friends to stop acting like five hours of sleep is okay, are you getting more than that? Because when midnight arrives, we know many of you suddenly become more awake than ever.
2. Stop Overthinking Everything
No one likes hearing their friend replay one bad conversation or accident over and over again in their heads, but it's easier to tell them to stop than to actually follow those words yourself. Because the moment you're in their shoes, it's hard not to overthink a little choice or decision you made that you didn't feel fully confident in.
3. Drink More Water
Everyone always hears about staying hydrated and drinking more water, and while you voice that sentiment to your friends all the time like you're a sponsor, you're probably not following your own advice as much as you should. After all, staying hydrated sounds simple until the day gets busy and you lose track of things.
4. Set Better Boundaries
Like the good friend that you are, you're always encouraging others to say no and to protect their time and schedule, but the moment someone asks you for a favor, it's like you forgot those rules apply to yourself, too. Boundaries always seem obvious when you’re not the one worried about disappointing someone.
5. Don’t Take Things Personally
No one wants to see their friend affected by one rude comment, delayed response, or bad tone that you know has nothing to do with how amazing they are. Yet when someone does those same things to you, it's hard to stop wondering just how deep and personal those words and actions are. It's always different when it's directed to you.
6. Save Your Money
You advise people to budget, avoid impulse purchases, and think carefully before buying things they don’t need, but then suddenly there's a small online sale for something you wanted to buy and it's in your cart before you have a second thought. Giving financial wisdom is always easier when it's not your own desires to worry about.
7. Take Breaks Before You Burn Out
The moment you see someone you care about work themselves into the ground, you'll tell them to rest and to take care of themselves. But when you get locked in and keep working past the point of it being healthy, you'll pretend to yourself that exhaustion is just "part of the grind."
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8. Ask for Help
You have no problem reminding others that nobody has to handle everything alone and that asking for help is a sign of maturity. However, when it’s your turn, you decide the problem is still technically manageable, even if you’re clearly overwhelmed. That's a special kind of stubbornness!
9. Be Patient
As the saying goes, some things take time! You'll tell your loved ones to trust the process and be patient, but eating those words yourself can be a hard pill to swallow. When it's your own progress or goals on the line, telling yourself to wait seems impossible.
10. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others
It's easy for you to see how wonderful your friends and family are, so it comes naturally to tell them not to compare themselves to others. But it's strange how we tend to be harder on ourselves despite being so kind to others, because no matter how much you say it, you can't help but make comparisons for your own life.
11. Put Your Phone Down
You might tell others to be present and limit screen time because there are so many others things to do, but when was the last time you monitored your own phone usage? Because if you're like everyone else in this digital world, we're guessing it's a lot higher than you'd like to admit to your friends you just advised against.
12. Speak Kindly to Yourself
You encourage people not to be so harsh on themselves and remind them that mistakes don’t define their worth, but when you make a mistake, your inner voice turns you against your own words. It’s often easier to offer compassion outward than inward.
13. Keep Your Space Organized
You know deep down a tidy environment can reduce stress and make everyday feel more manageable, and while you tell others with ease, you find it hard to do it yourself. The moment you step home, there's always that one desk, closet, or kitchen drawer that's far more cluttered than is good for you.
14. Make Time for Exercise
You should know by now that staying active does more than just improve your overall health, it also boosts your mood and energy too. And while you'll happily voice that to your loved ones, you find it hard to maintain a steady exercise schedule in your own routine. it's hard balancing life with responsibilities!
15. Let Go of What You Can’t Control
Sounding like a wise mentor, you'll advise people not to waste energy on things beyond their influence. Then the moment your session is over, you go back to reviewing your own outcomes, reactions, and delays as if you didn't hear what you just advised your friend.
16. Don’t Procrastinate
Way easier said than done! You're always the one to tell your friends to start earlier so that they can avoid last-minute stress and before you know it, you're in that exact position. When all those responsibilities and time management problems are on your door, it's harder to manage than to say the words to someone else.
17. Be Honest About How You Feel
A good friend will always encourage honesty and openness to express yourself without fear, but being the one to actually do that is a lot harder than it looks. Being vulnerable takes time and acceptance, and it takes more than just a few words to get it right.
18. Celebrate Small Wins
Everyone else's little wins always feel a lot more exciting and easy to celebrate than your own. We tend to be very hard on ourselves, which leads us to diminish our own progress, milestones, and achievements. For whatever reason, they never seem to be as amazing as when someone else does it.
19. Stop Trying to Please Everyone
People-pleasers have no problem telling other people to stop doing it, but struggle to follow those words themselves. It's that fear of disappointing someone else that always kicks in, preventing yourself from stopping the very thing you told someone else not to do.
20. Practice What You Preach
You tell others to live by their values, follow their own advice, and stay consistent, but of course, that becomes much more challenging when the advice applies to your own habits, schedule, and decisions. Nobody gets it right all the time, and that doesn’t make the advice useless, it just takes genuine dedication and effort on your part.
