Five Easy Ways to Make Your Life Better for 10/11/20
Yesterday I was feeling tired and unmotivated, and mentioned to my wife, “I have to work on my newsletter.”
She then corrected me: I don’t have to work on my newsletter. I get to work on my newsletter.
It was a good reminder that the choices we make in life are our own, and I assemble Five Boosts every week because I love it.
I’m thankful for the opportunity to send helpful articles out to my audience, and I appreciate you being there to read it.
How to Stop Being Offended by Everyone (in Just 13 Steps)
(Kelly Albano | Dumb Little Man | 775 words)
Getting offended is a choice that you make. Recognizing that will make your life a lot happier.
If you feel yourself starting to get offended, take some deep breaths, and consider the source. Think about whether they really meant offense.
Try and separate yourself from the situation, and examine why you feel victimized. Send loving energy to where you’re hurt.
Listen to the opposing perspective. Don’t try to change other people. Wait before responding. Focus on positivity.
Remember, getting offended hurts you a lot more than it hurts the person you’re offended by.
Related:This satirical ad for “I’m Offended” t-shirts. (Not an affiliate link, and I don’t think the shirts are still available.)
18 Ways to Make Chores Easier
(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 1875 words)
If you can get chores done in less time, that lets you do more of what you really care about. You’re essentially adding time to your life.
Suggestions include:
- Pull weeds whenever you see them, instead of waiting for them to get worse.
- Wash a dish when you wash your hands.
- Keep a stockpile of non-perishable goods so you don’t have to make emergency grocery runs.
- Use a shared shopping list app that syncs throughout your household (and smart speakers, if you have them), and add things to your shopping list as soon as you think of them.
- Listen to audiobooks while driving or doing other tasks that don’t take concentration.
10 Things to Do on Days When You Just Want to Give Up
(Henrik Edberg | Positivity Blog | 1550 words)
When things aren’t going well and you’re losing your will, try these methods:
- Tap into realistic expectations
- Remind yourself why you’re doing this
- Remember it’s darkest before the dawn
- Reconnect with the basics
- Learn more and course-correct
- Tell yourself: Just for today!
- Connect with people around you to let it out
- Look back and celebrate how far you’ve come
- Cut yourself some slack and take a break
- See if it’s time to quit and try something else
3 (Pretty Simple) Ways to Remove Yourself From Drama
(Courtney Carver | Be More With Less | 600 words)
Drama saps our energy, time, and happiness, but can be addictive. To avoid it:
- Be honest with yourself. You’re telling yourself a story, but is it a true story? Seriously ask this, and try to see things from another perspective. Also be honest about your motivations for the drama. Is it boredom, fear of direct communication, or habit?
- Be quiet. Drama requires your participation. Not everything requires your input. If you simply stay silent, you won’t be involved in the drama.
- Be selective about who you choose to spend your time with, and how you choose to spend your time. Ask if you really want to get involved, if your input will actually help, and if there are better things you could be doing.
15 Ideas You Can Steal to Make the Next 12 Months a Period of Remarkable Growth
(Tim Denning | The Ascent at Medium | 1450 words)
Some of the best suggestions here include:
- Forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it
- Take an unconventional online course to learn a new skill
- Write your thoughts down
- Notice the story you tell yourself
- Clear out your junk
- Be more careful about the books you read
Bonus Boost
Six Easy Ways to Stop Mindless Eating
(Steven Ray Marks | Self Helping Yourself | 1125 words)
You can avoid mindless eating by:
- Never eat straight from a multi-serving package
- Use chewing gum
- If you’ll be distracted during your meal, prepare your plate ahead of time
- Split your food in half immediately
- Don’t stand near the food table at parties
- Never eat while drunk or on drugs
Self Helping Yourself Tweet of the Week
Be sure to follow @YourselfHelping on Twitter.