Things that could be causing you to be unhappy without you realising
- Diet and exercise are a biggy, if you're continuously eating shite and never getting off your arse you are going to feel low about yourself, you're also not getting all the nutrients you need from that Big mac.
- The people you surround yourself with could be having a massive effect on your well being, if they are constantly knocking themselves and everyone around them down, they are going to be a bit of a downer to be around.
- Putting yourself down - If someone compliments you, accept it with open arms, don't try and find flaws within yourself before anyone else does.
- Closing yourself off - there are probably people around you who are aware you aren't quite feeling yourself and they want to help you. But if you close yourself off from them, they can't knock down your walls, thats up to you.
- You worry - as the saying goes "worrying won't change the outcome". Worrying just puts extra stress on a potentially already stressful time, try and let go of any anxiety about situations that could be worrying you and come what may.
- Holding grudges never made anyone happy, I am all too aware of this, someone may have really pissed you off, but build a bridge and get over it.
- Comparing yourself to others is never going to be the root of happiness, "I wish I had her clothes", "I wish I had her hair", "I wish I had her body". Rather than spending all your time and energy on things your not and things you don't have, focus on being the best version of you, something other people can aspire to.
- You don't make time for the right things - once again, I am a culprit for this, rather than spending my time exercising, reading, meeting up with friends and enjoying life. I spend my weekends being a slob, in bed watching Netflix and not being even slightly productive.
- Being a perfectionist - once again, I have such high expectations of myself and everything I do, that it's completely unachievable which means my goals aren't attainable, so I'll never be happy, it's good to strive for perfection, but don't situate your whole life around achieving unobtainable goals.
- You're in debt - A large amount of the population are losing sleep every night due to impending debts, find a way to manage your debts. Do you really need that new handbag? Or would you prefer to clear a big debt and sleep easy knowing you won't have people bashing down your door demanding money?
10 ways to improve your life and your happiness
- Stop jumping to conclusions - Not everything is the worst case scenario, your boyfriend isn't cheating on you, people don't think you're fat and you're not going to lose your job. All of this unnecessary anxiety is a massive drain on you and a complete waste of energy.
- Don't hang on to the past - There may have been some pretty shitty things that happened in your past, which may have caused you to lose faith or trust in people, or cause you to be anxious about certain scenarios. Hanging onto the past is just holding you back and stopping you from obtaining happiness.
- Manage your finances - If you can afford to do so, set up a direct debit from your current account to your savings account, that way you can save up for something that you've wanted but could never afford. Also stop spending money on unneeded crap, stop being so materialistic and stop wasting money on food (This is particularly aimed at me).
- Set Goals - Not even massive unrealistic goals, but goals that are achievable and will make you feel accomplished. Save £500, lose 10lbs, stop wasting money, etc.
- Feel good about yourself - Do one thing a day that will make you feel good about yourself, whether that is doing a work out, having a bubble bath, having a face mask or a glass of wine. Just do something which makes you feel good about you.
- Take time for yourself - Similar to the above, we all lead hectic lives and schedules, sometimes I honestly don't have time to scratch my arse. I get home after a long day at work and the last thing I want to do is the cleaning and cooking. Even if it's just an hour out of your day, take that hour for yourself. Have a glass of wine, grab a book and run yourself a nice bath, or whatever you kids like to do.
- Try and identify what has been causing you to feel unhappy - Whether its a few extra pounds you want to lose, your boss has been giving you grief at work, you don't feel like you spend enough quality time with your partner or you just feel so stressed beyond recognition due to not having a spare moment in the day. Identify what is making you feel unhappy, then create a plan of action as to how you can improve that problem. Focusing on a healthier lifestyle, having a meeting with your boss about your work load, having a chat with your partner and arranging a 'date night' so there is always time set aside for you both and trying to manage your time more effectively, by using a to-do list so you know what jobs need doing and how urgently.
- Clean your house - Out with the old, in with the new, have a massive detox and clean everything top to bottom. You'll be amazed as to how much difference decluttering can have on your mind set.
- Get off your phone - It's all well and good to use twitter/facebook/instagram, play social media games, whatever your cup of tea is. But don't let it control your life, quite often you hear people say, there's not enough hours in the day or they don't know where the time goes. Well let me tell you, it's staring at your phone. Set aside time to browse whatever social media you fancy, but then get on with your day, you'll find you have a lot more time on your hands.
- Get a good night's sleep - Also relating to the above, quite often people don't get to sleep until very late because they do their bed time routine, get into bed and just go to quickly check Facebook and BAM! 2 hours have passed which you could of been sleeping for. When it's time for bed, set an alarm for you to start getting ready for bed, then put your phone out of reach. You'll be shocked the difference it makes.
Hope this helps anyone who is in a bit of a slump and wants to get back on track.
All my love,
Bex
