Give Up These 7 Habits and Boost Your Happiness
Well-being is not about addition, but reduction.
With minimalism on the rise, decluttering has become a hot trend.
It got me thinking: shouldn’t we make an inventory of habits that sabotage our self-growth?
As reported by Market Research, by the end of 2022, the self-help industry will have an estimated growth of $13.2 billion with 5.6% average yearly gains.
We seem so eager to work on ourselves. But do we really utilize tips and tricks found in the depths of the self-help section? Or do we just read through them?
If you are hungry for some practical advice, cut out the following habits from your life today.
Get Rid of Toxic Relationships.
Attracting toxic people into your life is not the issue. They are not picky. They will try approaching everyone.
The question is: why do we let them linger?
People who constantly bring you down and abuse your boundaries are indicators that you’re being held back by limiting beliefs.
Ask yourself the hard questions:
- Do you feel unworthy of a better relationship?
- Do you spot any people-pleasing tendencies?
- Do you sacrifice your well-being for the comfort of somebody else?
If the answers don’t come easily (to at least one of these questions), it is a red flag that a relationship is dragging down your happiness.
There is no “but” to justify the abusive bondage. You are not serving anyone by making yourself smaller. You are wasting your potential.
Self-care starts with a firm “no” to those who disrespect your comfort.
Stop settling for less than you deserve. You will soar.
Quit Criticism.
Negative self-talk, as well as shaming others, spreads like poison in your life.
Thoughts become things. When you wreck your self-worth, you become your worst enemy in creating a better life.
Criticism is exhausting.
When you are preoccupied with the bad and the ugly, how are you supposed to be energized throughout the day?
Judgement robs you of happiness. You will be surprised how effortless your life becomes once you quit judgement.
Focus your energy on the good stuff in your life.
Yes, it takes discipline and awareness.
Direct your thoughts toward the silver lining in every situation. But once you get the hang of it, you will dive in the flow of gratitude.
Be Done With Crappy Food.
We live in a fast-paced world of instant food and instant gratification.
Food is not just the physical stuff you put inside your body but the meaning you attach to it.
- Does eating a specific meal bring memories of home?
- Does it make you feel loved?
- Are you missing someone when you’re eating?
- Or are you missing a piece of your self-worth?
How you perform basic actions in your life represents the quality of it. When you neglect your body, you abandon yourself.
There is no love and affection in stuffing your body with processed food, quick fixes, or ready-made pills to burn fat. Those temporary solutions will not yield long-term satisfaction, let alone any happiness.
I have never met a person who treats their body poorly and enjoys a satisfactory lifestyle.
Swap your fast pace for slow and mindful eating. Incorporate powerful smoothies and simple meals to keep you satisfied and full of energy.
Observe how the quality of your life magnificently expands.
Stop Feasting On the News.
No, it does not make you ignorant. It shapes your self-respect.
Modern television is ripe with sensationalized stories to attract your attention. Our brains are hardwired for negativity.
Studies show that horrific commentary is more likely to be perceived as truthful. It sells better.
I haven’t watched the news for two years and still counting. I cannot count reasons for avoiding television anymore:
- more time to create,
- improved quality of life,
- stress gets diminished,
- sleep quality gets better.
After all, the news can be misleading and wreak havoc in your head. Most of it does not concern you at all. It only adds unnecessary strain to your mind.
There is hardly anything you can do about negative news and events that have already happened. Plus, with unlimited access to the web, you can google anything you are interested in. No need for mindless TV gawking.
Be picky. Be selfish with how you feed your psyche.
React Less.
Sometimes, non-reaction is the most powerful form of an answer. It requires strength, courage, and trust in your intuition.
Many people mistake walking away for an act of cowardice. I have never perceived it this way. Somehow, whenever I acted out, the person who walked away seemed more powerful and classy. I was left burning with rage, ashamed of my anger.
Walking away takes a lot of courage, especially in the world of hustle culture, where productivity and reactivity seem to define our worth.
Master the art of non-reaction.
It is never what you do but how you take care of your mental peace, stability, and emotions.
When you choose to break the loop of reacting to somebody’s comment, or unresolved emotions, it becomes impossible to throw you off your game.
Care Less About Others.
Spend less time on social media.
Participate in your life instead of prying on everybody else.
Social media exploits your vulnerability. Using these platforms activates the brain’s reward centre by releasing dopamine, a “feel-good chemical” linked to pleasurable activities such as sex, food, and social interaction. The more likes you get, the more validation you chase.
We are defenseless once we start scrolling through the endless feed. Our minds, like a sponge, soak in all information that program our assumptions about the world.
A study published in the Journal of Computers and Human Behaviour estimated that people who used numerous social media platforms displayed severe anxiety symptoms.
The picture-perfect life presented on social media encourages comparison and unrealistic standards for our lives. Comparing yourself to others has become a destructive habit we cultivate daily.
Social media is not the root of all evil. But I am sure there are better ways of investing in your self-growth.
Establish a fixed amount of time for your scrolling. Even better, go cold turkey and cut it out for a month. The result in your productivity and mood will be spectacular.
Say Goodbye to Perfectionism.
We are bombarded with the chase for the perfect body, ideal job, the dreamy relationship. We get sucked into a destructive spiral of not-enoughness.
Perfection became our substitute for pleasure, the holy grail.
We believe that once we get the job and attract a special person, we will stumble upon happiness. Once we are perfect, we will be done.
I can reassure you of one thing:
Perfection is for losers. It strips us of the ability to enjoy life to its fullest.
Rejection can be a blessing in disguise.
Dare to make mistakes and ask questions. Dare to embrace your imperfections and blunders. Your self-growth will skyrocket. Real happiness comes from approaching the challenge and enjoying the win.
Let go of what people think.
Let go of labels.
Let go of what should be.
Why would you be tempted to impress people who do not even inspire you?
And just like that, you got rid of clutter in your life.
Hasn’t the path got clearer? Finally, you can see the bigger picture.
Life becomes simpler when you let go of things that weigh you down instead of chasing the next thing that is supposed to boost your happiness.
Thank you for being here, — Kate