Do you ever plan or do something and realize that thing doesn’t even make you happy? In the fast paced world we live in, it’s easy to get swept away in the chaos of things and then get overwhelmed, depressed, and exhausted. Whether you’re alone scrolling through social media, or surrounded by people, there are SO many things that sabotage YOUR happiness. In this article, we’ll discuss the top things to do to stop sabotaging your happiness!
Free Yourself of Bad Habits
Bad habits and addictions sabotage your happiness each time you act on them. If you aren’t sure what your bad habits and addictions are, commit to having a spirit of humility and ask a trusted loved one. Getting rid of bad habits can be hard, but it is also full of rich rewards. You become free. For example, if you had the bad habit of always being sarcastic (which is basically saying something mean but masking it as “sarcasm”), then first recognize your error. Know that you’ve made a mistake and then, secondly, commit to doing better.
Maybe you could make a plan to THINK before saying anything. Perhaps you could ask someone to keep you accountable and let you know when you’re being sarcastic. And then practice breaking this habit for 30 days. Keep notes in your planner if you need to. Whether your bad habit is sarcasm, addiction to video games, or something else, commit to a spirit of humility as you work to break them. You will find more joy, freedom, and peace as you do so.
Stop sabotaging your happiness by eliminating FOMO
FOMO is the fear of missing out, and this can completely sabotage your happiness. How many times do you say YES to something immediately, and then feel terrible because it cut into something else you ACTUALLY wanted to do? You have complete permission to PAUSE before making any decision, even those on the spot. Too much of our lives are spent doing things we don’t actually want to do—because we wanted to please someone, or because we don’t want to “miss out.” When you take the time to pause and evaluate how an activity or event will affect your life, it changes your perspective. Saying YES to one thing means saying NO to other things you could be doing with that time, so allow yourself to see the bigger picture and evaluate wheat you really want.
Catch old beliefs in the act & clear them
Every single day we tell ourselves false beliefs, whether we recognize them or not. Here are some examples of false beliefs: “I’ll never have enough money,” or “People don’t like me because I look funny” or “I can’t say what I think because others won’t listen to me anyways.” There are plenty of false beliefs that we developed from childhood, learned from our parents or others, or created ourselves. These false and old beliefs sabotage your happiness, so catch them in the act and clear them… meaning, listen to your thoughts, especially the negative ones, and ask yourself if those thoughts are true. And if they’re not, dig deeper. What made you feel that way? Is there a deep-seated belief that’s simply not true? Was there some event in your life that triggered this false belief? When you find that false belief, ask your body to clear it, and consciously make a choice to overcome this belief. You are in control.
Choose your friends wisely
A wise mentor once told me, “Be friends with everyone, but choose your friends wisely.” Yes, be kind and friendly to every person you meet, but CHOOSE your friends. You don’t have to hang out with every single person you meet. In today’s world, it seems like you HAVE to do something with all the people you meet—maybe it’s a popularity thing, or you just don’t know WHO is your real friends, or you’re afraid of being lonely… but you have a choice! You can choose your friends. Select one or a couple of people who you know will help you get where you want to be and be a good friend back. Creating and developing close relationships with a few people will bring joy to your life.
Reconnect with God
If you haven’t prayed in a while, know that it’s never too late. You can easily sabotage your happiness by forgetting about a higher power, God. Sometimes we get so caught up in ourselves, that we forget there’s a higher power of love and glory who wants to help and guide us too. Prayer opens the doorway to love, peace, and joy. If you feel you are too far from God’s light and love, recognize that this belief sabotages your happiness. You are NEVER too far from God.
Come from a place of love
When you make a mistake or recognize a personal weakness, come from a place of love. As human beings, we have a tendency to be too hard on ourselves. We criticize and judge ourselves relentlessly. This completely sabotages happiness… for everyone. Instead of injuring yourself mentally and emotionally, come from a place of love. Recognize that you aren’t perfect, but you are trying. Be patient with yourself and others, and always remember that you were made to love, and that includes loving yourself.
Serve more
Stop sabotaging your happiness by focusing only on you. Yes, it’s absolutely important to take care of yourself but… Instead of scrolling through social media in moments of boredom or tiredness, look around or take time to ponder. Who can you serve today? Truly listen to the promptings you receive, then act on them. Feel like you should text/message a friend or family member you haven’t seen in a while? Should you leave a short and sweet note for a loved one? Feel like you should go help that lady slowly putting groceries in her car? Feel like you should just smile at that person? The more you reach out, the more rich and satisfying your life becomes. When you intentionally look around for those to serve, you will be much happier. Doing mindless activities, such as staring at your phone, listening to music 24/7 with your headphones, and so forth will distract from those activities that truly contribute to your happiness.
Meditate & ponder
Do you take the time to be still? Do you have time set aside to just sit, relax your body, clear your mind, and just BE? In the fast paced world we live in, and with FOMO (the fear of missing out) on the rampant, it’s easy to always be on the go. It’s easy to fill up your schedule with mindless things, or even things you hadn’t planned on doing originally. But when you take time to meditate and ponder, you have an opportunity to unwind, breathe, and finally let your mind relax. You tend to sabotage your happiness by being too busy and not taking time to soak in the gift of life, the gift of time, the gift of yourself, the present, your mind, your body. Meditation and pondering helps you refocus, reground, and remember what things are most important to you and what you should be spending your time on.
Don’t compare
I think most of us have developed the bad habit of comparing our life to someone else’s, especially to the lives we see on social media. In my own personal life, I told myself that whenever I compared myself to someone else, I’d reframe the thought as, “I’m happy for them, and I’m happy for myself in my journey.” If we can just be happy for others, it takes all that sabotage away. Even if their post is totally fake, make a conscious choice not to judge and, instead, accept them where they are. When you compare your life to others and let those thoughts consume you, they consume your life. It’s exhausting to live your life like that. Make a conscious choice to just be happy for others and continue living your best life.
Please stop sabotaging your happiness!
You have a glorious and beautiful life, so please live it to its fullest. There are so many things that can bring us down and sabotage the light and love out of our lives. But as you focus on implementing these tips into your life, you will stop sabotaging your happiness. Your life will be even more beautiful and joyous. You can do it!
With aloha,
Jordan & Lei
What do you do to stop sabotaging your happiness?
Let us know in the comments below!
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