2. Switch up your environment and the people you surround yourself with to something that is more positive, uplifting, peaceful, loving, and has the same values as you
Negativity is toxic and draining. You can be the most positive person on earth, but put yourself in a room full of complainers, blamers, and people who judge, hate, criticize, and focus on the bad, and you will feel the effects of that negative energy. So do yourself a favor and get the heck away from people and environments like that as soon as possible and create a life that is inspiring and fulfilling!
Remember: “You cannot change the people around you, but you can change the people that you choose to be around.” –Unknown
3. Reflect instead of complain
When you complain, you are just spewing out your frustrations for the sake of complaining. There is no real purpose to it. When you reflect, you voice your concerns and frustrations as a means to find a way to move past it, change it, or improve it. It has purpose. So whenever you find yourself complaining, turn it into a reflection instead and ask yourself “is there something I can learn from this? Is there something I can do to change this? Is there something I can do to improve this? Is there something I can do to make myself feel better?”
Here is my rule of thumb: if you can’t change something, stop complaining about it and let it go. If you CAN change something, reflect on it and change it.
4. Accept the moment as it is
For when you have absolutely no control over a situation; you can’t change it and you can’t leave it (at least for the time being), all you can do is accept it for what it is. Honestly. Fighting the situation through complaining because you wish it was different will only create more pain and frustration for you. Be easy on yourself. Accept that right now, this is how life is. Accept that for some reason, you have to be in this situation without being able to leave it or change it. Accept that maybe just maybe, there is a deeper lesson that you need to learn from this. Above all, just trust that you are right where you need to be, at least for the time being, so try to flow with it and accept what is happening as much you can.
5. Turn your thoughts around
Any time you catch yourself complaining about something, force yourself to see something positive in that situation. Turn your thoughts around. If it’s raining outside and you can’t go to the pool, instead of focusing on the negative, try to focus on how cozy it would be to read a book instead as you listen to the rain outside. When you get stuck in traffic, try to see it as an opportunity for you to work on being more patient.
Complaining brings out the worst in us because it forces us to focus on the negative aspects of life. So simply by coming up with at least one good thing for every one bad or annoying thing that happens, you can start to recondition your mind to complain less, and appreciate more. A grateful mindset is the key here!
6. Don’t feed into other people’s complaining
Just as you shouldn’t feed your own complaining, when you notice other people complaining, do not reinforce it and make it worse by agreeing with them, laughing with them, or getting worked up just like they are. Rather, be a conscious bystander. Either walk away from them, voice your feelings, or try to turn their complaints into a positive. Try to offer a solution, a new and positive perspective, or a way that you can help them make an improvement.
7. Turn your complaints into action
Whatever you would complain about that you DO have control over, forgo complaining about it and come up with at least one way of how you can change it for the better. Write it down on a piece of paper or in your journal, and start taking actionable steps.
“If you have time to complain and whine about something, then you have time to do something about it.” -Anthony J. D’Angelo
8. Once you make a decision, own it
Take responsibility for the decisions that you make. Let’s say you want to get a pet. However, you know that it won’t be easy taking care of it. You know that you will have to clean up after it, take it outside, play with it, spend money on feeding it, etc. Once you have the pet, don’t complain about it being too needy or too expensive; own the decision that you made as you have already committed to it. Honor your decision and respect it for what it is.
Thank you for reading and I hope that these tips will help bring more fulfillment into your life!
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