Article: Fixing your whole life can be an overwhelming project. Understand that meaningful change cannot be implemented overnight. Changing even a single bad habit can be challenging. Know that it's okay, and expected, for you to take baby steps. Remember the first step in meaningful change is awareness of where your problems lie. Just being real with yourself and shining a light on your habits is incredibly instrumental towards fixing these issues. To build confidence about your self-improvement project, start small. Pick one area at a time in which you would like to improve. Work exclusively in this area until you have seen marked improvement, and then move to a new area. You may find that the positive changes you make in one area of life trickle down into other areas without you even trying. To fix your life, you need to look closely at the factors that are contributing to you being stuck in this rut. It's hard to acknowledge that we are the ones standing in the way of our happiness. Nonetheless, recognizing this gives you power, since you are the only one who can make changes to improve your life. Think about which behaviors you do repeatedly that result in you feeling dissatisfied about life. People who are chronically unhappy often share similar habits. These include the following: Playing the victim Using alcohol, drugs, food, sex or other addictive behaviors to cope Feeling powerless to change their emotional state Neglecting health Having rocky relationships It's common to experience negative thoughts periodically in life. However, if your life is constantly letting you down, your train of thought might be to blame. What's running through your head all day on a loop has the power to cripple you and make you feel powerless at improving your life. Here are the 8 negative thought patterns of chronically unhappy people. Are you guilty of any of these? Self-defeating talk: "I can't" or "I'm not good enough" Ruminating negatively about the past: Rewinding or playing back horrible or stressful events that occurred previously in your life. Assuming the worst: Presuming the negative in all situations, or looking at life with a "glass half empty" attitude Comparing yourself critically to others: Viewing others as more attractive, wealthier, or having better lives Playing the victim: Choosing to look at yourself as weak or incapable of dealing with challenging people or situations Struggling to forgive yourself: Wallowing in guilt over past mistakes Blaming: Attributing your misfortunes to others Fearing failure or mistakes: Setting unreasonably high standards and being perfectionistic If your life is undesirable right now, you may need to assess your social circle. Ideally, you want to surround yourself with people who are positive, uplifting, and who see you value as a person. Such relationships are essential to happiness. However, if your relationships drain you, de-motivate you, or contribute to you maintaining unhealthy habits, then you may need to re-evaluate them. If you are an adult, then you must take responsibility for your role in any toxic relationships. Despite what you believe, you alone have the power to break free. So, if you chose to remain in such a relationship, you must acknowledge that are doing so at the sacrifice of your own well-being.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Take it slow. Examine problematic behavior patterns. Ask yourself whether your thoughts are bringing you down. Take a closer look at your relationships.