Need to Take Back Control of Your Life? Stop Complaining!

Everyone falls victim to complaining every now and again. That's why "venting" is such a popular pastime! However, if you genuinely believe your life isn't what it should be, complaining isn't going to help.

Excessive complaining makes everyone uncomfortable. Think about someone you know who complains a lot. Chances are you try to avoid him - and other people do too. The last thing you want is to be "that guy" - the guy no one wants to talk to, for fear he'll launch into a complaint rant.

So, what can you do to stop complaining and get your life back on track - instead of letting it control you?

First, you need to understand that complaining is a bad habit - much like biting your nails or picking at a scab; all it does is make things worse. Complaining may even be something you do without thinking, because it's become such a habitual part of your life.

Many people start complaining because they've created a bunch of negative thoughts in their own heads. They realize they're making their feelings of anger or frustration worse, so they try to get rid of it all by complaining.

Instead of falling victim to those negative thoughts, make a conscious effort to get rid of them. Promise yourself that you're not going to let some negativity define who you are. Remember, your entire demeanor is based on what you think!

Similar to the way a healthy diet can help your waist line, healthy thoughts can help your demeanor. If you truly want to take control of your life and be happier, you can't feed your mind negative thoughts. Instead, you have to understand you're in control of those thoughts - and let them go.

But how do you let things go?

If you're in the midst of a bunch of negative thoughts, simply letting them go can seem a whole lot easier said than done. Here's how you can do it:

- Relax.

Read a book, take a bath, or do anything else that'll calm you down. If you can't relax right away, that's OK. Understand that it took time for you to build up all of these negative thoughts and complaints and it'll take time for them to go away. As long as you remain dedicated to relaxing, you'll win the fight!

- Believe in yourself.

You can be your biggest critic or your biggest supporter; the choice is up to you. If you make a mistake, accept responsibility for it and then let it go. If you dwell on it, the negativity and your complaining will never go away.

- Surround yourself with positive things.

The more positivity you're around, the easier it'll be to let it naturally become part of your life - instead of always falling back on negativity. If you steer clear of negativity, eventually, all of those bad habits will turn into good ones. Like any addiction, the more you feed your complaining habit, the more it'll take over your life. For example, if you and a certain friend always get together for drinks and wind up complaining to each other, stop going out for drinks.

- Stop blaming others.

Everyone will place blame on someone else from time to time, but blame isn't going to make you feel better. Instead, deal with problems and move on. Again, you'll have to work hard to remove all of the negative feelings.

If you make a serious effort to stop complaining today, you could wind up with a whole new you tomorrow!