Stop Complaining And Use Gratitude To Make Yourself A Better Life
Have you noticed that we find it easier to complain than to show our gratitude? Sure, we all complain. Who doesn’t?
But when has complaining ever been useful? Has it ever fixed any dilemmas? Solved any problems?
While it can be good to vent and get things off your chest, too much complaining can take its toll on your mental and physical health.
Think about that friend or family member who always finds something bad in every situation. Don’t you feel worn out and exhausted every time you see them? That’s the power negativity has over our moods and emotions.
On the flip side, you’ll find that life is much easier to handle if you stop moping and start practicing gratitude.
To help become more gracious and take on a more grateful attitude, we rounded up these five tips for you.
Take a look.
1.Look At Things From A Different Perspective
Take this proverb, for example: ‘Instead of complaining that the rose bush is full of thorns, be thankful that the thorn bush has roses.’
In almost any situation, our brains are wired to immediately take stock of all the potentially harmful things around us, which in this case is the thorns. It’s almost like a survival mechanism where we scan our surroundings for potential signs of danger before we can relax and let our guard down.
Yet, in this high-tech day and age, holding on to this trait can be a stress trigger that makes us anxious and afraid. Not only that, but it also makes us miss out on all the beautiful things in life like those gorgeous roses.
2.Find Out What Makes You Happy
Surprisingly, this may be easier said than done. Yet, it’s still very much doable.
Make a list of all the pastimes and hobbies you enjoy doing. You can also include the people in your life that you enjoy hanging out with.
Use this list to come up with fun things to do when you’re feeling a surge of complaints coming on. Spending time doing a relaxing and enjoyable activity is guaranteed to put your fault-finding to rest and put you in a better mood.
3.Write Down What You’re Grateful For
Experts typically recommend that you use a gratitude journal to write down your thoughts and emotions. Yet, you can also get the same results using an app on your smartphone or on separate slips of paper then place them in a ‘gratitude’ jar.
The end result is the same for all of these techniques: solidifying your feelings and focusing on the big picture. Seeing your thoughts written out in front of you is a powerful reminder of how much we should be thankful for.
This includes all the little things like the fact that you had a good breakfast as well as the bigger things like your family and your health. Practicing gratitude each day is a sure way to put any insignificant complaints to rest.
4.Practice Self-Care
Stress piles on from all the responsibilities and obligations we have to take care of on a daily basis. After a while, you can’t help but feel tired, worn down, and dejected. This is when it becomes much easier to complain about everything rather than take action.
The only way out of this rut is to take some time to take care of yourself. For some, it’s all about enjoying a relaxing afternoon on their own to unwind and de-stress. Others like to get out, meet new people, and step out of their comfort zones.
The point is to do whatever energizes you and helps you let go of any built-up stress.
5.Train Yourself To Be More Positive
Ask yourself this: would I rather complain and be miserable or be grateful and happy?
Choosing to have a positive mindset needs determination and effort. It requires that you make a conscious decision to stay away from negative self-talk and find the good even in the lousiest of situations.
With time, you’ll notice that you’ve gotten into the habit of complaining. Your brain has been rewired to be more thankful and geared toward being more hopeful and optimistic.
