Four Behaviors to Avoid for Inner Peace

Having been diagnosed with anxiety at age 21 was the wake up call that I needed to get my act together, and take control of my mental health. 

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A Lot of time was wasted mulling over this new diagnosis, and I have finally come up with 4 behaviors that contribute to my anxiety. These behaviors should be avoided at all times (or as much as possible) to nurture your inner peace, and live the happiest of lives.

                                                   Not minding your own business.

This world populates well over 7 billion souls with differing opinions. This guarantees that you may run into a few who you just can’t get down with. 

Maybe they are interested in a music genre that you do not like, or they have different political beliefs. The easiest way to avoid an angst ridden argument at every corner is to MIND YOUR BUSINESS. Simple right?

It’s as easy as realizing that there are many people who have the liberty to believe what they want, and then acknowledging that this is perfectly okay. 

Not only does that take away the pressure and need to prove your point, but it opens you up to learn from different perspectives. Who doesn’t love personal growth?

                                               Seeking validation can ruin your life

This does nothing but cause pain. I remember spending a greater amount of my young adulthood desperately trying to get on everyone’s good side. This was despite the fact that I didn’t necessarily like every one with whom I’d encountered. This left me with an extremely painful and empty feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Validation from everyone around you is a few things:

• Exhausting to achieve
• Most times superficial
• Impossible to keep up

It really is not worth your time to convince people to value your person, because the right people will be attracted to your true being. These are the people that you should cultivate relationships with.

When you begin to practice this, you will eventually witness the number of friendships dwindle over the years, but your quality of life will skyrocket. Quality is definitely better than quantity in terms of relationships.

                              Surrounding yourself with people that you do not like

We’ve all done this. I like to call it the trap of convenience. 

The convenience of spending a majority of the day surrounded by the same people can open up doors to settling into interactions that may not be the best for your mental health. 

It’s a slippery slope to associate yourself with people who aren’t for you just because there might be something to gain from these relationships, and eventually the truth will manifest.

Genuine people will not like or dislike you solely on your convenient relationships. They will assess you at your core, and then determine your value.

                                             Lacking compassion can ruin your life

Nothing teaches you more about the necessity of compassion than needing it yourself.

We live in a world where oppression and unfortunate events are showcased on social and mass media. It creates a false sense of “them,” and promotes the ideas of Murphy not knocking on your own door.

              But what happens when unfortunate events happen to you?

Living without compassion will always come around to the source. You really don’t need to believe in karma to realize that everything comes full circle, and this world does not function well without compassion. 

The lack of kindness from family or colleagues can really take a toll on one’s outlook on life. The best way to manifest compassion is to show it by paying it forward to those around you.

                                                                  Conclusion

These are the four behaviors that pull downward on your mental health. 

I like to remind myself of these four practices whenever I am feeling low, and it’s a great way to spot check your vibrations.

What are some behaviors that you like to avoid to protect your inner peace? Be sure to leave some ideas below, and I’ll see you in the next blog post! Please check out more posts like this one for more reading pleasure!