Good habits that can lead to a happier life

Self-care and self-improvement have been increasingly topical over the past few years. People are actively setting personal goals to better themselves and their lives as a whole. However, bettering oneself is easier said than done, and the methods for improvement are often vague.

These are some specific things that you should stop doing if you genuinely want to be happier in life, and some things you should do instead.

Stop Hanging Out With People You Don’t Actually Like

Maybe it’s a friend group you formed years ago or a friend you’ve just kept in contact with: things might have been good before, but you don’t really enjoy hanging out with them anymore. Stop spending your time and energy on people and interactions that you don’t actually like.

Start Reserving Your Time For The Better People In Your Life

It’s natural to have fewer friends as you grow older, so you want to have a small selection of great people around you. Spend time with friends you genuinely enjoy the company of, and who support you in your everyday life.

Stop Putting Off Necessary Tasks

Sometimes, the tasks aren’t even big, but you put off calling the dentist or actually calling your insurance provider anyway. When you put off tasks, you tend to build them up in your head and make them feel more challenging than they really are. It’s better to just face them head-on.

Start Making Plans To Get Things Done

Rather than ambiguously saying you’ll get something done in the future, actually plan time to do it into your schedule or make a to-do list that forces you to actually accomplish the task. Not only will you be more productive, but you’ll also feel less stressed.

Stop Complaining About Things Being Unfair

Just accept it: life isn’t always fair. While it’s understandable to vent every once in a while, you need to stop complaining about the issues you face all the time—complaining doesn’t really get you anywhere.

Start Seeking Justice And Change

If you’re in an unfair situation, do what you can to seek justice. Taking action is the first step to actually creating change, whether in your work life or your personal life.

Stop Destroying Your Body With Excess

When you’re young, you get away with a lot of things, including regularly eating a lot of unhealthy foods, frequently going out for drinks, and not getting a lot of sleep, but these things really do take a toll on your body and well-being.

Start Putting Your Health First

You only get one body, so you should treat it well. Start making your health a priority and stop indulging in extreme excesses. Not only will this help you stay physically healthy, but it will also help improve your overall well-being and mood.

Stop Treating Money As Something Confusing And Difficult

Unfortunately, most of us don’t get clear lessons on how to manage money, finances, and taxes, and all of these things can feel scary. It can be easy to turn a blind eye to financial realities, but it will only add stress to your life and hurt you in the long run.

Stop Avoiding Responsibility

While it can be easy to try and deflect responsibility onto external factors or other people, you’re never going to learn from your mistakes or grow. You have to take accountability for the times you hurt others or make mistakes if you ever really want be improve and become happier.

Start Taking Accountability For Your Actions

While it can be hard, taking accountability for your mistakes can help you feel more powerful because it gives you the option to change for the better. Being accountable is an important part of growing up and being more independent.

Stop Settling

You wouldn’t expect someone else to allow you to treat them this way, so why are you accepting this treatment from others? Whether it be in your work life, friendships, or romantic endeavors, you have to stop settling when you’re mistreated and devalued.

Start Demanding The Conditions You Deserve

You can’t wait for other people to respect you and your needs—you need to demand it from them. Start enforcing your boundaries and standards, and don’t cave in when someone tries to undercut them. Obviously, you can’t always get what you want, but you should at least work towards compromises that benefit all parties.

Start Holding Other People Accountable

It can be hard to stand up to some people, especially when you feel like they hold power over you, but you have to start advocating for yourself and holding others accountable. Call people out when they mistreat you, and demand that they do better.

Stop Accepting Blame For Other People’s Actions

People will often turn the blame onto others when they’re in the wrong. For example, people will get mad about you being upset rather than accepting that they’re the ones who acted poorly. Don’t accept blame for others’ shortcomings and missteps—it will only make you more miserable.

Start Taking The Reins On What You Can Control

It’s your life and you get to decide where it goes. Of course, there are many things that we can’t control—time, weather, other people, etc.—but it’s important that you take control of the things in your grasp.

The more agency you have for yourself, your emotions, and your relationships, the happier you will be in the long run.

Start Learning About Finances And Actively Guiding Your Spending Habits

Rather than remaining ignorant on financial issues, you should learn how money, income, and taxes work, and you should learn to plan efficiently to ensure that you’re practicing good spending habits, saving responsibly, and avoiding massive amounts of debt.

Stop Waiting For People To Change

The reality is that, despite wanting certain things from people, they are the only person who can get them to change. You can’t spend your life waiting for other people to change—you can only control how you act and react to them.

Start Being Supportive, But Removed

Boundaries are important, and as much as you might want to be there for someone, you can’t spend all your energy fixing their problems. Instead, empower them to resolve their issues and be supportive through the process.