According to Robin Kowalski, a professor of psychology at Clemson University, “everyone complains, at some point, at least a little.”
However,
there are 3 different types of complainers:
1. The Venter
A dissatisfied person who is not interested in hearing any solutions to help them.
2. Sympathy Seekers
They believe they have got it worse than everyone else, and look for others to comfort them.
3. The Chronic Complainers
These people live in a constant moment of complaint, complaining about the same thing over and over again. This sort of complaining can actually make things worse.
However, it’s entirely upto you, if you keep your mind looping on self-criticism, worries, and how nothing is working out for you, your mind will more easily find that part of your brain and will quickly assist you in thinking those same thoughts again and again. And therefore, it can cause even more worry and anxiety.
Imagine a truck driving down a muddy road. The wheels create a groove in the mud, and each time that truck drives down that exact spot, the groove gets deeper and deeper.
The truck might even get stuck in that mud rut. But it doesn’t have to. Instead of repeating the same negative complaints, we can drive our thoughts on a different road so we don’t get stuck in that negative mud rut.
We ask ourselves what’s really going on and what’s exactly the solution to it? How do we respond instead of react?
Here are some of the best solutions to break the habit of complaining:
1. Catch yourself
The moment when you notice yourself ‘wandering’ around, stop it right there and bring the mind back to focus. Catching yourself is the practice. Also, do not judge or berate yourself for having a mind that thinks. All minds thinks. That’s their job.
To stop the drain:
- Catch yourself in a complaint.
- Stop complaining.
- Congratulate yourself – you’re aware!
2. Be grateful
It doesn’t matter what you’re grateful for; it can be the smallest thing, just notice.
3. Make a new groove
Just the way our thoughts created that groove to make negative thoughts easier to replicate, we can create a brand new groove for pleasant feelings as well.
The more often we allow our minds to remember the good stuff, the easier that kind of thinking becomes.
Do you want to be the person who’s never satisfied and can always find fault in others, yourself, and the world at large? Or would you rather be someone who sees things as they are and finds a way to make peace with it?
So, what do you say? Are you ready to flush your troubles down the drain?
Let’s make a promise to yourself and break the habit of complaining!
