Happiness is a common goal of many people, from all areas of the world to all walks of life. Your life is pretty short relatively speaking, and unhappiness can make what time you have difficult when it doesn’t have to be that way. But you may not realize just how much your habits impact your quality of life, as many habits can directly affect your happiness. Check out the following 12 habits to avoid to keep yourself happier, and learn some tips to get you there!
1. Constantly Complaining
Successful, happy people don’t complain constantly. But chronic complainers, on the other hand, always say something negative, even when everyone else around them is happy. To avoid falling into the chronic complaining habit, try to keep in mind that everyone has different circumstances in life, whether fair or unfair, but these circumstances are yours alone. Instead of devoting time and energy on complaints, focus on seeking solutions and improving your own.
2. Being Overly Critical
How you talk to yourself is what largely defines your self-image. Self-worth is a necessary part of happiness, and you have the right to feel good about yourself. When you make a mistake, accept it and move on instead of talking yourself down over and over again. When you’re considering other people, keep in mind that not everyone is the same, and you don’t need to criticize others all the time, either.
3. Spending Too Much
Society is fairly materialistic, so it’s easy to start spending money, hoping to get the fulfillment promised to you by advertisements. But buying things doesn’t bring true, long-lasting happiness or satisfaction. The good feeling you get when you buy a new item will soon vanish, so instead of opening your wallet, go for a free experience to lift your spirits.
Take a walk in the park, visit a local landmark or just make a movie night date with friends or family. Having financial trouble is stressful and can be a happiness drain of its own, so get your spending habits under control so you’re not inviting unnecessary hardship into your life.
4. Having Negative Addictions
Many things are fine in moderation, including food, video games and a couple of drinks. But if something like that is taking all the focus in your life, it’s become a problem. Many good people have come to a bad end because of addictions, particularly when it comes to drug and alcohol dependency. While there’s no one cure for addictions, you can help prevent them by finding and living out your true passions in life.
5. Regretting Your Past
Regret is a common emotion, and it can actually be harmful if it is dragged out. According to Psychology Today, prolonged or constant regretting can lead to stress and a drop in self-worth levels. To cope with regret in a positive way, learn from your mistakes, but don’t get stuck on them, and let it go if you can’t change the situation.
6. Fretting Over The Future
You’re not in full control of your future, as things may happen that will be out of your hands. Instead of panicking over the future, live in your present and do your best to live life to the fullest. Don’t ignore all the wonderful things you have today because you’re worried about tomorrow, as that will have you essentially missing out on your own life.
7. Being Led By Fear
Fear can absolutely drag you down the road of unhappiness. Don’t let fear of the unknown or unavoidable damage your quality of life. This is an emotion that takes over the driver’s seat if you’re not careful, so work on facing yours and moving forward. Living in the present can prevent fear, especially if your fear is centered on the unknown or the future.
8. Putting Off Dreams And Goals
Getting caught up in a daily routine is easy to do. You work, eat, sleep and maybe even get a day or two to relax. Sometimes, you go to the gym or out with friends, but there’s not a lot of variety. When you don’t focus your energy and talents on a tangible goal, you may just be discarding a wonderful thing before it even had the chance to come to pass.
Living out your dreams and goals isn’t easy, and taking that first step can be difficult. However, you won’t ever be able to see all the possibilities until after getting your game plan together and taking that initial step toward your ultimate dream or goal. It’s easy to fall into the relative comfort of routine, so you need to get ready to break yours so you can achieve what you’ve always wanted to.
9. Giving Into Gossip
Negative small talk about another person almost screams insecurity and unhappiness. It’s hard to imagine why a confident, happy person would do something that offers no benefit, and that’s because they simply wouldn’t.
Gossip is best left back in the schoolyard, as it does nothing for adults who want to make their lives better and help improve the lives of others. It can even have a negative effect on someone else’s life, so keep that in mind the next time you’re tempted to engage in some.
10. Clinging To Grudges
Like fear and some forms of regret, animosity offers no real benefits and can just weigh you down like a rock. Everyone sees negative behaviors from other people at one point in their lives, and they may become angry as a result. Sometimes, that anger is justified.
But when it comes to your own happiness, the ignorant behavior of other people isn’t a determining factor. Instead of holding onto grudges, try ignoring, forgiving or forgetting so you can move on with life without someone else acting as a weight around your neck.
11. Not Eating Well
When you’re eating bad food, it’s usually about the instant gratification that comes along with it. Eating poorly is definitely not about how you will feel in the long term, since it can result in low energy, decreased productivity, weight gain and depression.
When you have a well-balanced diet, you’ll have more energy, be more alert and just feel better overall. Improve your diet so you can both feel and look great while avoiding health risks.
12. Magnifying Your Problems
When you aren’t content, the first reaction is usually just about emotions, so it’s easy to blow things right out of proportion. When that starts happening to you, step back and look at the problem more objectively. You just may realize it’s not as bad as you thought, and you’ll be better able to find a real solution.
If you’re ready to be happier and live a more fulfilled life, start dropping the habits covered above. Only you can make yourself happy, and you won’t want to sabotage it before you even get started!
