There is no excuse for remaining stuck in bad habits. There is no excuse for doing the same things over and over again. Ask yourself if what you’re doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.
To listen in a supportive way, try to understand them and respect their thoughts, don’t interrupt, only give advice if they want it, be aware of their feelings and be empathetic and supportive, not judgemental.
You’re a lot tougher than you were a few years ago. You’ve grown so much by overcoming your struggles. You are so much more well-equipped to deal with them now. Every challenge makes you stronger.
Get up 15 minutes earlier than you have to. You’ll have less stress, less rushing, and a more peaceful pace to start your day. If you’re looking after a family member, get them up 10 or 15 minutes earlier too – enough to reduce the racing around.
Too much pressure from others’ expectations can affect you psychologically (feeling helpless, depressed or low), socially (relationship problems like fighting or poor communication, or difficulty concentrating at school or work) and physically (feeling tired or ill).
Others place expectations on you: they may want the best for you, and want you to have what they couldn’t. Some may try to place their principles on you, where their values are not ones that you would choose for yourself, and expect you to live up to them as they had to.
Everyone has goals and expectations for themselves. Some feel that meeting high expectations is the only way to gain the approval of others, or that achievement is the only way to be happy. Some set high expectations for themselves to push them to strive for and achieve bigger and better things.
It’s not rude or unreasonable to ask for, or give, basic respect. People should treat you and your boundaries with some level of respect, just as you should treat them with the same.
If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed by a situation, step back and realise this feeling isn’t permanent – nothing is. Then focus on action steps – on the things you can control. What can you do today to proactively create a solution?
A lot of the drama in our life takes place in our own heads, usually because we’re too deeply immersed in a difficult situation to recognise it isn’t as dire as it seems.