What’s One Habit That Looks Helpful but Actually Slows You Down?

I’ve been noticing something strange: a lot of habits we think are “good” or “efficient” often end up doing the opposite.

Some examples I’ve seen in myself and others:

• Making endless to-do lists but never prioritizing the top 1–2 things
• Checking emails “just to stay on top of things” and losing an hour
• Constantly switching between tasks because it feels like progress
• Keeping every tab open because it feels like you might need it
• Saying yes to too many small commitments because they only take “a few minutes”

Individually, these habits seem harmless even responsible.
But together, they create mental clutter and drain the day without you noticing.

So I’m curious:

What’s a habit that seems helpful on the surface but actually slows people down?

Is it something you personally had to unlearn?
Or something you see friends or coworkers doing all the time?

And once you dropped that habit, what changed for you?

Would love to hear real stories especially the subtle things people don’t question until they finally break the pattern.