Courtesy: Bloglovin
Ordinarily, I’d say diets are worthless because they’re often associated with cutting carbs or calories, deprivation, and a quick-fix to achieve a weight-loss goal.
But what about a diet for your emotional wellbeing, rather than physical? Each of us probably has habits and mindsets we would like to alter that can improve our overall health.
This isn’t a quick-fix, collegiettes. Changing habits takes time, and everyone will always have a degree of doubt and negativity in her life. But, the Happiness Diet can become a lifestyle.
In order to live your best and fullest life, it’s time to cleanse!
1. Self-deprecating Talk
Cutting ourselves down has more impact than one might imagine. In You are a Badass, Jen Sincero talks about the power of our subconscious minds and their effect on daily life: “Your thoughts and beliefs dictate your reality, so if you want to change your reality, you have to change your beliefs.” Merely thinking, I’m not smart enough to get this internship, or I suck at…, or I’m not attractive enough for… is literally altering how you present yourself in the world. Would you tell your best friend that she’s stupid for failing that test or not getting a job? No? Then you shouldn’t be talking to yourself that way either. Self-limiting thoughts lead to self-limiting behavior. Be kind to yourself
2. Comparing Yourself to Others
This is the worst thing you can do to yourself. And unfortunately, it is the most difficult mindset to change because if you’re a college woman, you probably check Instagram and Snapchat 20 times daily at the very least, and are bombarded by everyone else’s awesome, amazing, perfect lives. It is crucial to keep in mind that social media shows only the highlights of a person’s life – very rarely do people post about their crappy day because they want to appear perfect in the eyes of everyone else. So, stop comparing! We are each on our own journey and I am a strong believer that the best things will come to you when you are focusing on your own growth and achieving your goals.
3. People-Pleasing
Sincero discusses the negatives of trying to appeal to everyone. “If you find yourself always seeking outside approval that you’re good enough or cool enough or talented enough or worthy enough, you’re screwed,” she says. “Because if you base your self-worth on what everyone else thinks of you, you hand all your power over to other people and become dependent on a source outside of yourself for validation.” The reality of life is, you can’t make everyone happy. If you try to make everyone around you happy – committing to things you don’t actually want to do, taking on a major you hate because it pleases your parents – you will end up being miserable and feeling out of control, when really your life decisions rest in your own hands. The sense of relief that comes from giving up trying to please others will be well worth it.
4. Living in the Past
Focusing on the past is detrimental to your current wellbeing – and stymies personal growth and makes you unhappy. Whether it’s past failures or holding on to resentment for your ex who treated you like crap, it’s time to let it go and try to live in the moment.