Are you letting bad habits block you from becoming a happier you? Dr. Bethany Johnson gives us tips on how to quit those habits and be more joyful in our lives. Enjoy!

Bad Habits

If there is one thing I can find positive about these last few months in regard to the pandemic, it’s the fact it has made me slow down my life.

Heck, it basically stopped it in its tracks. All of us have had to adjust to a different way of being right now and how we are using this mass amount of time we suddenly seem to have on our hands. Surprisingly, I have found a blessing in the sudden stop of things. The blessing of reevaluating what I can do to become a happier me. Here are a few things I have discovered. Maybe they can help you as well!

Let’s take a look…

Stop Viewing Life as a Race

I follow @christopherkorey on Instagram and he once posted, “If you view life as a race you’re going to end up disappointed always competing against someone else. If you view it as a journey that’s exclusively yours it will all look a lot more beautiful.” My life is my journey and only mine. I need to embrace it and enjoy it, not run through it.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

It is easy to get caught up with what others have or are doing. Keep in mind that we never see the full picture of someone else’s life. I can guarantee their life is just as messy and beautiful as yours.

Stop Hesitating

Think about things, but don’t overthink them. Figure out what you want and just take that chance. It is better to try than it is to live with wondering what could have been.

Stop Trying to Figure It Out

You don’t have to have it all figured out. Sometimes just having today figured out is good enough. Keep the overall goal in mind, but just take each day as it comes. It won’t be so overwhelming, and you will find yourself feeling more positive about things.

Stop Listening to the Noise

Life is loud. There is so much chatter from those around you and in your own head. Determine what is truly important to you and ignore the rest… it is just noise!

Stop Making Excuses

Excuses are easy to come by and we all have used them to avoid or explain some negative aspects of our life. You know what I am talking about, don’t you? Some people are chronic excuse makers while others do so occasionally. Did you know that making excuses actually create life circumstances of being stagnant? Excuses prevent change, prevent movement, and prevent any type of growth. Stop letting an excuse be the reason for unhappiness.

Stop Being Lazy

It is very, very easy to get stuck in a routine. Think about it… what does your typical day look like? I bet the weekdays, especially, all look pretty similar. Am I right? This is one habit I am trying to break. Remember that laziness, by itself, never changes without some form of conscious effort. What will you do to become more active?

Stop Being a People Pleaser

Now, this habit is not a personal one for me; however, I know many people who do have this habit. Trying to please everyone is a recipe for disaster! When we make life choices based on what other people think and not what we think, it is we who lose out. Letting other people’s opinions dictate what you do or don’t do only ends in your unhappiness.

Now, as women especially, we are conditioned that putting ourselves first is selfish. Ladies, it isn’t. I am not saying to be selfish when you do what you want, but I am saying that we must start understanding if we do not put ourselves and our happiness first, no one is happy.

Stop Holding onto Grudges

Grudges are actually a natural human response to an actual or perceived wrong done to us. They are a result not of the wrong, itself, but the pain, hurt, bitterness, jealousy, etc. That is the result of said wrong. A grudge begins as an actual wrong or perceived wrong done to you, but then grows stronger and deeper because of the feelings it invokes within you. Soon it isn’t the grudge that we truly focus on, but the feelings caused by it.

Oh, we hold onto the wrong with clenched fists and blame the other person 100%, but it is the resulted feelings that keep it going. Letting go of grudges frees you to focus on the positive relationships you have. It allows you to focus on the present and future rather than the past. One can never be truly happy while holding a grudge, so let it go!

How Happy Are You?

Abraham Lincoln once said that “People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.” We actually need to remember this now more than ever. There isn’t a prescribed path to happiness. The only path to happiness is the one you create for yourself. Stop determining happiness upon material things or other people. You see, you have the power and control to determine your happiness.

I hope that during this time of quiet and solitude, you find your power and find what will make you a happier you!

What bad habits do you have that you want to quit? Let us know in the comments below at the bottom of this page!

 

Dr. Bethany Johnson is a professor of sociology with 20 years of teaching in the classroom and online. As well, she has a B.S. and a Master’s degree in sociology, as well as, an Ed.D in Workforce Education. Her passion is motivating people towards a positive and self-rising mindset in today’s busy world. Her heart also lies in helping women recognize that one’s age does not define who you are or what you can do.

She currently lives in Georgia with her husband and son. She loves reading, spending time with family and friends, as well as, traveling. If you find her on a beach, she is in her happy place! As well, she can be contacted at drbjohnson@email.com.

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Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/dr.bethanyj/

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