These 9 Common Habits Are Actually Making Your Life More Difficult

Jan 02, 2019 by apost team

It's time to take control of your life and stop sweating the small stuff. Instead of trying to fix things that you can't change, spend your energy and time taking care of what you can and letting the rest go.

Are you making your life more challenging than it has to be? If you're doing the following nine things, you may need to shift your focus and work towards simplifying your life.

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Fear is a natural part of life, but it shouldn't be your only reason for making a decision (or not making a decision). For example, instead of sticking with a job you hate because you're afraid of what life will be like without it, consider how you can change your life by making a tough decision that will be better for you in the long run.

While trying to be as productive as possible is quite admirable, there is a point where we stop being productive and start wasting time. According to John Pencavel, an economist from Stanford University, this productivity breaking point is 50 hours per week.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to do work, but there's only so much that you can handle at a time. Your body and mind need time to recuperate from hard work, regardless of how much you need to get done. If you find that you've taken on too much, do what you can and learn to turn down projects that you don't have time for.

Some competition can certainly be healthy, but if you're always comparing yourself with others, you are unnecessarily pressuring yourself to do more. Similarly, these comparisons can trick you into becoming jealous or envious.

Instead of getting down on yourself, allow yourself to learn from the achievements and mistakes of others to help yourself improve.

There's nothing wrong with a little self-care and treating yourself once in a while, if you find that you are constantly purchasing things you don't need, you're making your life harder.

While it's smart to avoid dangerous situations, if you find that you avoiding risk-taking with important decisions, you'll never grow. 

Yes, there is always the chance of failure when taking a risk, but whether you win or lose, you'll always learn something in the process. There is always a potential gain for every risk taken, so never underestimate yourself.

Sometimes, our feelings get hurt. However, we are in control of whatever we find offensive.

Instead of allowing the opinions of others to get to you, simply acknowledge the way they make you feel and then move on. While you can't stop someone from thinking or saying something, you don't have to let it negatively affect you.

It's okay to look back at the past every now and then, but if you find that you're not living everyday in the present, you need to take some time to re-focus. The same is true if you're always thinking about the future. Rather than daydreaming about all the goals you have for the next few years, learn to live your life as it comes.

Working hard day by day will allow you to reach the goals you are hoping to achieve.

Much like taking offense to what others have to say, finding yourself constantly obsessing over what others think of you is another way to complicate your life.

Instead of trying to fit into other people's expectations of you, live life for yourself. Do what you need to do and follow your passions, regardless of what anyone else may think.

Sleep is important for our mental, emotional, and physical health. If you find that you aren't resting enough, it's likely that you'll suffer burn out sooner rather than later. This is where self-care comes in. Take the time to sleep, write, journal, jog, or anything else that you like to do during your downtime.

Just as you have to schedule time to get your work done, you should do the same for self care. Making time for these activities will allow you to truly relax and focus on recovering from stress. 

Not everything in life can be controlled. Instead of complicating things by stressing out over things that won't ever change, focus on what you can do to make your life easier. Make it a point to enjoy life and minimize as much of your stress as possible. As you keep this guide in mind, make a habit of regularly simplifying your life.

What did you think of this advice? Do you have any tips for making your life less complicated? Be sure to leave your thoughts in a comment below and don't forget to pass this along to your friends and family to make their lives easier, too.