The Life-Changing Habit of Not Complaining

I’m fascinated by the fact you can change your life with consistency. The intentional repetition of something simple can truly make a positive difference.

There are many life-changing habits you can pick up. But I think it’s possible to transform the way you think and feel by just changing one thing.

You don’t need some master plan to turn things on their head for the better.

One simple tweak can make a world of difference. And I’ve experienced this myself on many occasions.

But one habit that I would argue has made a huge, real-world difference in my life over the past couple of years is this…

The habit of not complaining.

Maturity is when you stop complaining and making excuses, and start making changes.
― Roy Bennett

I know what you’re thinking…”Everyone complains though! It’s normal!”

And you’d be right. I’d even go as far as saying that complaining is addictive. And that’s a problem.

Something goes wrong and your instinct is to grumble about it, maybe to yourself, maybe to those nearby.

Complaining is as common as the air you breathe.

It’s a way of throwing out the negative feelings you have inside. And I’ll admit, I love complaining. It feels good to get out my dismay about something.

But here’s the thing, it rarely helps.

In fact, it rarely helps anything. It doesn’t help you and it doesn’t help anyone around you.

All complaining does is make YOU feel worse, as much as it feels good to puke out that immediate dismay.

Complaining makes you feel worse about something but it also makes other people feel worse. I’m sure you’ve been around those people who complain all the time.

It’s no fun.

You can’t wait to get away from them. I’d go as far as saying complaining is a toxic virus that can quickly infect and take over an entire room.

Essentially, it becomes bad vibes all around. Everyone’s vibe ends up in the sewer.

Don’t complain, even to yourself.

The worst kind of complaining is the one you do in your own head, your inner chatter. It can be a downward spiral.

I’m sure you do it and I’m sure you know how difficult it is to calm that inner dialogue down.

Complaining could be holding you back from making positive changes, more than you realise. And so I believe it’s important to become mindful of how much you complain if you’re trying to build better habits.

Catching yourself before you complain can literally be a life-changing habit.

Being mindful of how much I complain has changed my life in a subtle yet powerful way.

After all, the most important conversations you’ll ever have are with yourself. If you can make those positive, you’re unstoppable.

So how do you overcome complaining?

Not complaining is a choice

Because complaining comes so naturally and feels so good, the only way to not do it is by choosing not to. It comes down to a split-second choice when something upsets you.

When you feel yourself about to have an outburst, catch yourself.

Ask yourself;

“Will complaining about this help in any way?”

If the answer is “No,” keep your opinions to yourself.

This is a darn difficult skill to master, but believe me, it’s so worth it. It will change your life.

When other people start to complain, don’t encourage them. Instead, ignore them or tell the positives of the situation. In my experience, this will get them to stop quite quickly. When people realise you’re not going to grumble with them, they tend to ease off before the virus spreads.

When you choose not to complain, you choose not to allow negativity into your life.

Build a positive feedback loop

Of course, there will be times when something needs to be complained about like being overcharged at a restaurant or receiving your food cold.

But, if you can stop yourself from complaining about all the little things in life, you open yourself up to a positive feedback loop.

What do I mean by that?

Responding in any way other than negatively encourages positivity to come back your way. The more negativity you put out into the world, the more you’ll get back. You’ll constantly train your mind to see things in a negative light.

When you don’t complain any longer, you open yourself to receive as much positivity as you can realistically stomach.

People are attracted to positive people. They want to spend their time with them and steal some of their glow.

When you don’t complain about anything people find it weird yet attractive. They wonder how it’s possible and they start to be nicer too without even realising it.

When you don’t complain, you only invite goodness into your life. Think of not complaining like a boomerang. You throw out good vibes into the world and they will come back to you. It works every time.

It’s a feedback loop that can change your life.

If you keep it up every day, you’ll start to feel 100% better in no time. It’s a difficult habit to master. It’s subtle at first but it is extremely powerful and can reshape your entire outlook once you notice it making a positive change in your life.