If you want to live a better and stress free life, you must stop bothering yourself about what other people think of you.
It is natural for you to want to be liked and appreciated for who you are, for your talents, intelligence, good nature, and your personality.
But when you start to rely on what other people think of you, and you make their opinion pivotal to your success, you get into trouble.
When you start tailoring your lives to fit the expectations of others, wanting their praise and approval, you are heading on a downward spiral.
When you give your power to others and allow their impressions become how you are perceived as you go through life, you lose out on who you really are.
If the only reality you can see is how you believe others see you, you are not living life on your own terms. You are living for the fickle acceptance and approval of others.
Listed below are 10 ways to eliminate free yourself from what other people think about you:
1. Focus on what really matters
When you concentrate on what is important to you, you think less about your individual role and more about the bigger picture. It takes the glare of people’s spotlights off you. Focus on how to better your life. It’s better to live that way.
2. You know yourself best
Nobody else is living your life. They might have opinions or ideas, but the only person who knows what is best for you is you. You need to learn about yourself through your own mistakes and failures and stop worrying about what other people think about your life.
3. Desensitize your triggers
Are you too sensitive? Do you get triggered when people say things about you that you know aren’t even true? It’s easy for a sensitive person to blow things out of proportion, but try to build a thick skin that allows you shake things off easily.
4. Mind your own business
Stop asking people what they think of you. Stop worrying about their opinions–especially if they’re critical, unsuccessful or unhappy. Most of the time, the negative feedback is coming from negative people.
5. Don’t try to please everyone
It is impossible to live up to everyone’s expectations, so don’t burn yourself out trying to do so. Please yourself and let the rest fall where they may. Some people may dislike you but that’s okay. Stop trying to please everyone, you won’t succeed.
6. Stop overthinking
Overthinking can lead you to thinking you are being judged even when that’s not the case–and even if not, it can lead down a negative path. Learn to recognize overthinking and replace it with positive thoughts.
7. Remember that opinions are always changing
Don’t allow the opinions of others to affect you because people can change at any moment. If you have over invested in an earlier opinion, it can leave you in the lurch when the person changes their mind.
8. Focus on the moment
When you are fretting about what other people are saying or thinking about you, you tend to miss some important present moments. When you truly focus on the present moment, you tend not to worry about what will come later–including judgment. Accept yourself for who you are and be present in the moment.
9. Sow what you want to reap
Life is an echo; what you send out comes back. Too much worry about what other people think of you can become a self-fulfilling prophecy that eventually governs your behavior and thoughts. Think positive thoughts.
10. Seek constructive feedback
For important decisions, you may want to seek out a few opinions from people you trust and then, forget the rest. Pick people who know how to give feedback that’s constructive and specific not people who put you down, mess with your self esteem and make you doubt yourself. This is how to stop thinking everyone is against you.