People are kind of the worst, sometimes. However, by being conscious of just a few little things, we can all become slightly less sucky. It’s amazing how much just some small adjustments can change your attitude, and in turn affect the attitudes of those around you.
1. Smile More
Having come from New York, let me tell you it was incredibly disorienting when I showed up in Madison and random people on the street would just smile at me for no reason. I will say though, it’s pretty nice. If you’re having a rough day, sometimes it’s nice to find reasons to smile.
2. Say Hi to People When You Walk in a Room
It seems silly, but just one friendly gesture can go so far. Just acknowledging people when you go in a room is one little thing that makes people feel just a little better.
3. Learn when to be a little more selfish and a little less selfless
Listen, doing things for other people is AWESOME. We should all strive to do a little more in our everyday lives for someone else. However, ?excessive ?self ?sacrifice ?does ?not ?help ?anyone ?. If you want something, sometimes you just have to learn how to get it for yourself. There’s no reward for constantly making yourself a martyr, and although it can seem like the ~*~morally righteous~*~ thing to do, a lot of the time it can just create issues. The matter of the fact is that you are probably going to harbor some resentment for that friend you did that thing for/gave that thing to/etc (which you don’t want, they don’t want, nobody wants) and you also end up unhappy because you don’t have that thing you wanted. You’re a little bitter, a little salty, and it will feel like your friend’s fault, even though he/she didn’t do anything inherently wrong. Like I said, doing nice things for other people is great, but sometimes you just need to worry about you- not only for your own benefit, but also the benefit of those around you.
4. Literally Just Drink More Water
Hydrated people are happy (-ier) people. Look, I’m not gonna lie to you, drinking more water is not going to solve all of (or even close to all of) your problems. However, drinking the actual recommended amount of water will make you feel more energized, it’s going to help clear up your skin, and if you’re drinking lots of water that means you’re probably cutting back on sugary unhealthy drinks!
5. Keep Yourself Accountable
“I didn’t do well in the class because I have a bad TA,” “I was set up to fail for this exam,” “I would have done this but my friend didn’t want me to,” etc. We all do it. But no, you could have studied more and worked harder. The person with the most power over you and what you can and can’t do is YOU. Take responsibility for your actions and your choices, and do things for you! You control what you do, you are not a victim of other people’s actions.
6. Give More Random Compliments!
I mentioned this in a previous article I wrote about being a better friend to yourself (love me some self-promo, check it out here !!!!!!!!!), but it’s amazing how much you can change someone’s day just by telling them that you love his shirt, or that her hair looks great today, that she has the nicest laugh, etc. There’s so much negativity around us 24/7, and it’s amazing how far just a few kind words can go.
7. Let Go of Judgement of Others
This is an ideal, it’s something to work towards. At the very least, try to catch and acknowledge when you make a judgment about someone else- it’s the first step from separating yourself from the judgment and starting to let go of it. The sooner you let go of judgment of others, it becomes so much easier to let go of judgment of yourself.
8. Realistically, at Least Try to Balance it Out
Everyone gossips about other people. If you say that you don’t, you’re lying. Sorry. We all fall into it, we all need to vent frustrations, and sometimes those frustrations come from other people. If you catch yourself doing it, and bud I know you will do not lie to me or yourself, at least try to balance it out with a nice comment too. Like “She is such a great friend, but this thing really annoyed me” or “He is a great listener, but this thing bothers me.” Starting to balance the negative with positive is the first and easiest step to achieving #7.
Sometimes it seems like the world is out to get us, but that’s not true! If you do these little things, I promise you’ll start to see them have an impact! They might be small changes, but they can have big power when you really dedicate yourself to them! Make the little changes and you’ll see what I mean!