We all know life wasn’t meant to be easy. We got that brief long ago. But you know what? We also contribute to the degree of stress we experience on a daily basis by continuing to repeat old, negative behaviours and putting up with our own worst habits – like these:
1. Not letting go of the past
How can we start the next chapter of our life if we keep re-reading the previous ones?
2. Staying in toxic relationships
Life is too short to waste time on toxic people, whether they be a partner, friend, colleague, or employer. The people you get to choose to be with should support you, help you and lift you up. Deep down, we all know that uneasy feeling we get when we continue to make excuses for – and keep associating with – the wrong people.
3. Telling lies. To yourself
Everyone lies. White lies can be good – sometimes – especially if they’re used to prevent hurting another’s feelings or to let someone down more gently. But nothing good ever comes of lying to yourself.
4. Settling for less
I can’t think of a better way to cause stress in your life, actually! Keep putting your own needs last, and putting them on the backburner for someone else and watch how quickly resentment and frustration builds. Go on! Give it a try it if you want to experience more pain…I can assure you it really works!
5. Letting your fear of being less than perfect take hold
Trying to be perfect is a sure-fire way to make you feel constantly anxious. If you’re scared of making a mistake you won’t pluck up the courage to try. It’s far better to do something and get it wrong than to never try at all. Don’t let your fears get in the way of who you are meant to be and what you want to accomplish. “Every success story has a trail of failures behind it; every mistake can lead to success”.
6. Being jealous
There’s always going to be friends or colleagues whom you perceive to be smarter or more successful than yourself. Stop concentrating on their talents and start focussing on your own “PB’s”. Success is a battle between you and yourself – not them. Measure yourself only against yourself.
7. Putting yourself down
Oh, am I the QUEEN of this one! Stop talking yourself down, because believe me, there are enough people out there willing to take on that job for you, and usually behind your back. Ignore your small-minded thoughts and focus on some big-picture goals to start getting yourself in the healthier habit of building yourself up instead of tearing yourself down.
Now don’t get me wrong…I’m not sitting here behind my laptop, languishing in any sort of ivory tower of happiness, telling you how to live your life ‘cos I’ve got all my shit together. Far from it! I’m just sharing with you the things that I know deep down I/we shouldn’t be doing if we really do want to avoid the stress trap.
So, what’s the take-away?…
“Don’t give the things that stress you out the power to stand between you and your happiness”
