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Feel better Self awareness Where to start

How to be happy: Get to know your true self

Why do I feel like this? How do I feel happier? Those are questions I’ve asked myself countless times. Maybe these are questions you’re asking yourself right now. I wish I could tell you exactly what to do, what to eat, or what to buy that will bring you instant happiness. That would be badass. But the truth is feeling happy is a mindset and getting there takes introspection and growth.

Happiness is knowing yourself.

Some people equate finding happiness to a journey, but I am not a fan of that metaphor. To me, finding happiness is an excavation. Imagine yourself as an archaeologist, brushing away history to reveal a beautiful treasure layer by layer. The more you sweep away, the better you understand what you’ve discovered. And you can find joy in the process.

When it comes to happiness, you are both the archeologist and the treasure. Being more self-aware will not directly make you happy, but it is the only way you will experience the personal development and growth true happiness requires.

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Connection Negativity Relationships Toxic people

Free yourself: Why you need to cut out negative people

We all have negative people in our lives. But did you know that negativity can be contagious and harm your health? It can cause stress, anxiety, heart disease, and it can even rewire your brain.

Why negative social connections are bad for you

Friendships, relationships or family ties with people who are negative will bring you down. Here’s why:

You adopt their thinking style. People are natural mimics. From the time we are babies, we subconsciously repeat movements and gestures of those around us. There have been studies that show we trust people who mimic and mirror us more than those who don’t. We also feel closer to them and like them more.

Studies have also found that spending a lot of time with someone who constantly ruminates or exhibits other signs of depression can be contagious. That’s right! You can start ruminating and exhibiting the same signs of depression, even if you have never experienced them before.

For these reasons, negative social connections are especially damaging for people who put a high value on friendships and prioritize how others perceive them.

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Loneliness Self love

5 ways self-love can feel lonely

These days we are bombarded by Pinterest quotes, cutesy signs in craft stores, and even our favorite drag queens telling us that there’s only one path to true happiness: LOVE YOURSELF!

This is what they sell us: “Love yourself and everything else will fall into place. If you focus on loving yourself, you’ll find an amazing partner, the best career path, and maybe even the perfect bra.”

Hell yes. Who wouldn’t want to jump on that? It sounds so easy and wonderful.

“Ok, I’ve got my mantras and my planner
and my self-care tips. I’m ready!”

When I was starting my self-love journey, I sat down and said, “Ok, I’ve got my mantras and my planner and my self-care tips. I’m ready!” Little did I know that I was committing to serious hard work and energy, letting go of certain people, and embracing loneliness in a way I had never experienced.

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Rejection

3 reasons why you need to get rejected

Rejection sucks. Most people do anything they can to avoid it. But here’s the thing: you need to get rejected.

Did you know that physical pain and pain from rejection light up the same part of your brain? Even when it’s something as passive as just seeing pictures of strangers with expressions of rejection.

WTF, right? I know. But it’s not a neurological mistake; your brain is actually functioning like it’s supposed to.

(Check out this study for more details about the similarities between emotional and physical pain)

So what can we do about rejection if our brains are hard-wired to feel it so intensely? Experience it.

Here are three reasons why we need to get rejected:

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Kindness

Kindness is magic: How to get happy by giving

Is kindness magic? Can you really get happy by giving? Are people happier when they give to others and perform random acts of kindness?

The answer to all of these questions is: hell yeah! It’s true, putting good out into the world creates a ripple effect of positive emotions.

Acts of kindness can make you feel better and make someone else’s day. Your selfless act will give you both a hit of oxytocin, which is the hormone that helps social bonding.

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