We all have bad habits that we vow to break every year, piling them onto our endless list of resolutions. Most of the time, however, that list gets forgotten as we get caught up in the everyday minutia of our hectic lives. As tempting as it is just to blame it all on the fact that it’s difficult to change and that we just don’t have time to work on ourselves, it’s actually very important to re-evaluate certain habits that prevent us from enjoying life on a day to day basis. Here are seven things that we should all stop doing in order to be happier with ourselves.
- Criticism
You are your own worst critic. I think the majority of us have a mental list of everything we want to accomplish by a certain age. Obviously, plans change. However, this doesn’t stop us from being hard on ourselves. Become your own support system and give yourself a break! The same goes for critiquing other people. We should learn to accept others the way that they are and in the process, maybe we will learn to accept ourselves.
- Overthinking
This is a big one for me. I have a horrible habit of over exaggerating and being overly dramatic about the tiniest problems. If you have a problem of overthinking you know how irritating it is to go through crazy scenarios in your head only to realize that maybe it really was nothing to worry about. So try to not over stress for nothing because most of the time we just play up our problems in our head.
- Grudges
Being mad is pointless if you can’t do anything about it. You are just wasting your time and putting a mental strain on yourself. If you are unhappy with someone, it’s always better to confront that person instead of holding onto something that can end up gnawing at you from the inside out. The person you are holding a grudge against might not even realize the anguish you are putting yourself through. So is it really worth it to hold onto something like that?
- Procrastination
We all do it. The problem is when procrastination becomes a way of life. It’s sometimes difficult to get started on something because the thought of failure might sneak into our minds. However, you’re only setting yourself up for failure if you don’t try. It’s also difficult to get started on a task when you don’t know where to begin, so having a plan and trying to be a bit more organized on a day to day basis might help with that.
- Stress
No one likes to be stressed. It’s not like we do it on purpose. However, if you really want to get rid of stress there are tons of ways you can try to cope with it from meditation, to exercise, to aromatherapy. The important thing is to find something that fits your lifestyle and your personality. So even if you’ve tried meditating and it did nothing for you, try the hundreds of other stress relief methods until you find the perfect one.
- People who have a negative influence on you
Unfortunately, friends and relationships have expiration dates. Even though it might be difficult to accept that the person you were once close to might not be the best person to be around anymore, the break up has to happen. As cliché as it sounds, just rip that wax strip off. Having people around you who do not share the same values as you can be damaging and it might just be a waste of your time.
- Blaming others
Let’s face it, sometimes it’s difficult to cope with certain struggles life throws our way and we have a tendency to blame the universe for everything bad that is happening to us. If you didn’t do so well on an exam, you might want to blame the professor because he/she is a tough marker or your friend who chatted with you all throughout your study session. Sometimes it’s important to just accept the blame and stop making excuses for yourself. By accepting your faults you are opening up a new relationship with yourself.
Leading a happier life can start with a simple lifestyle change. The difficult part is to keep at it and not go back to the old ways as tempting as it is. Breaking bad habits is a great way to start fresh and open up more doors for yourself!
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