Don’t do this. Don’t do that. Be careful not to eat Pringles on a Wednesday and above all, please everyone else and put yourself last on the list!
We all live according to so many rules and it can lead to us feeling stifled and imprisoned. Here are a few ways to live a life that feels less in chains.
1) Live life for you. Not for the neighbours or the company you work for…what about you? Stop being a people pleaser. You cannot please everyone all the time so instead work on making yourself happy.
2) Question the rules. I like to call it the “Book of Life” and when faced with a ‘should’, I always ask myself whether this rule is effective and why I need to do it, have it or be it.
For example, you could have a rule such as: Good mothers feed their children fruit every day. Or: I will only feel happy when I move to my new home/get a partner/job etc
Stop limiting your happiness and freedom – get rid of rules that don’t work…as the saying goes – you are a victim of the rules you live by. Challenge the rules you make for yourself.
3) Don’t believe and accept everything you see/read in the media. Be a critical thinker. Make your own mind up. Don’t blindly follow the status quo
4) Recognise your own path and get to know yourself well. The more you know yourself, the closer you will be to your essential self. The real you that hasn’t been conditioned by society and told how to be, what to say and how to behave.
5) Don’t cultivate a bitter critical attitude. Don’t let life wear you down. Be silly. Laugh a lot and be optimistic. Always try to see the lighter side of life. Your thoughts dictate your experience of the world. make sure they work for you.
6) Be open minded and embrace others. Smile at strangers and see people as you see yourself – wanting love, wanting to connect. We are all on this crazy planet together. It makes me sad to think that possibly the only thing that would make us all stop fighting each other would be an invasion from outer space…
7)Never let others define you. Don’t ever let other people’s opinions limit you. Only you decide who you are. Your opinion of you is the most important
8) Be kind. It doesn’t cost anything and it makes us feel good. Give back a little…
Mandy X
For a bit of fun..try Mandy’s iphone app: Life Wisdom https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/life-wisdom/id392898772?mt=8 More on Mandy: https://www.mandyjane-lifedesign.com The author of this blog lives in Surrey, UK and offers counselling to couples and individuals. All names have been changed to protect the identity of clients. Personal client stories shared in this blog have been published with prior permission from the relevant clients.
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
