Do you complain too much? Here’s how to break the habit and focus on gratitude instead
The Yahoo Life Challenge: Stop Doing It! is about helping you stop unhealthy behaviors and start prioritizing your own self-care. Follow along with us as Danielle LaPorte shares how to change your outlook for the better and work on forming healthy habits every day this week. This is Day 2 of the 5-day Stop Doing It! challenge.
Do you find yourself complaining more often than you’d like? You’re not alone. People complain 15 to 30 times a day on average. Focusing on the negative can affect your mental and physical health by adding to the stress you’re already under. But inclining your mind to focus more on solutions and positive thinking can help.
On Day 1 of the 5-day Yahoo Life Challenge: Stop Doing It! author and inspirational speaker Danielle LaPorte, who is a member of Oprah's Super Soul 100 and offers meditations on everything from love to healing and spirituality on Sounds True, gave tips on how to say no rather than overcommitting yourself in an effort to please others.
As LaPorte puts it, this challenge is about “all of the things you can stop doing for some more ease to come into your life.”
Today is Day 2 of the challenge, and LaPorte is offering up her advice on how to stop complaining and start focusing on what you appreciate instead. It may not be easy for some, but as LaPorte says, “I promise you can do this.”
Reframing negative thoughts and trying to come from a place of gratitude can not only help reduce stress, but it also has other benefits — namely, people are going to want to be around you more often. “When I ask someone how they're doing and they say, ‘Can't complain,’ I love it,” says LaPorte. “I always feel compelled. There's this kind of old school dignity to that person. It makes me want to hang out with them more because they're in a state of gratitude.”
LaPorte continues: “So imagine if we stopped moaning and groaning about all those habitual things that we complain about. We don't complain about the weather or the world health situation or our relationships or what's happening at home.”
For today’s call-to-action, LaPorte suggests starting by asking yourself: Could you go an hour, a day, or three days without complaining? If so, what do you think would happen? “You might think you might not have much to say, but I guarantee you, there will be more to talk about along the lines of what you appreciate,” LaPorte says.
You can start out by simply trying not to complain for a couple of hours each day. “When you feel yourself compelled [to complain], just pause,” LaPorte suggests. “You can be quiet. You can switch gears and find something to be complimentary about. And then just feel what happens in your heart and watch how your relationships change. I guarantee you — it will be far less to complain about.”
For more great advice, check out Danielle LaPorte on Sounds True.
Video produced by Stacy Jackman.
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