Everyone is looking for a way to be happy forever, but the truth is that there’s no magical formula. However, a lot of the things we do can affect how we feel. Without knowing it, you might be indulging some habits that are frustrating your shots at happiness. Are you guilty of any of these?
- Obsessively overthinking everything When you worry about things, you get the false sense that you’re in control. There are so many things in life that we’re helpless against. Yes, something bad could happen to you, your partner could leave you. Worrying is not going to change the outcome of anything. It’ll cause anxiety and keep you from finding joy in the things you can control.
- Avoiding conflict instead of standing up for yourself I hate confrontation, so I tend to just go with what other people want and neglect my own needs even if I ended up with the short end of the stick. I’ve since realized how damaging this is. Other people’s opinions and wants are not more important than mine. If standing up for my ideas, needs, values, or wants is going to cause trouble, I say bring it on. I highly recommend this approach.
- Taking on much more than you can handle Whether it’s at work or in your personal life, if you’re overburdening yourself with responsibilities, you’re going to be exhausted and far from happy. Try to cut down or resolve the things that are causing you stress. Say no more often. Take a break, soak in the sun, and smell the roses. A balanced lifestyle is the key to happiness.
- Selling yourself short How can you be happy if you don’t have a healthy and loving relationship with yourself? You’re quick to say something deprecating when someone pays you a compliment. Constantly putting yourself down and underestimating your abilities leads to a negative belief system that’ll only hold you back.
- Always holding out for something better The grass is greener syndrome wants you to keep believing that there’ll always be something better than what you have. If you refuse to give yourself completely to the wonderful moments and people in your life in case a better option comes along, you might find true and lasting happiness. Appreciate what’s already in front of you.
- Expecting the worst to happen. You can draw a straight line from one insignificant error to the destruction of the entire universe. The first thing you think about when faced with a new opportunity is all the many ways it could go terribly wrong. You live and breathe pessimism and catastrophe so much that they start to color your moods as well. Your happiness will always be under threat until you change your outlook on life.
- Constantly comparing yourself to others More than ever, it’s getting hard to escape the trap of comparing your life to someone else’s. Thanks to television and social media, we can peek into the lives of celebrities and people who seem to have it much better than us. It makes you forget you’ve got achievements to be proud of. There’s not much room to be happy when you’re thinking of the ways you fall short.
- Refusing to show vulnerability Many of us have learned to build walls to protect ourselves. We project this tough exterior at all times because we think we cannot afford to fall apart. We refuse to feel the full extent of our emotions. Suppressing your vulnerability doesn’t mean you’re strong. It means you’re bottling up feelings at the expense of your mental and physical health.
- Being desperate for love Desperation is not a good color on anyone. It causes you to develop other unhealthy habits like avoidance, neediness, and manipulation in order to get what you what. You deserve to be loved, but being obsessed with finding love, however possible, is probably going to take you farther away from it. Your mood will suffer greatly for it.
- Holding yourself to unreasonable standards. It’s okay to set standards for yourself as long as they’re within reason. Perfection is hardly ever an attainable thing, so stop being too hard on yourself. Challenge yourself in a healthy way and congratulate yourself when you do a good job. You’re less likely to force yourself into a state of unhappiness.
- Running away from your problems Procrastination doesn’t always make things better. Yes, you’re a little scared of what might happen. Maybe you’re afraid of failure or you just don’t want to have to face your problems. Whatever it is, the longer you put it off, the bigger the dissatisfaction you’d feel.
