Are you a Chronic Complainer? Effective Ways to Stop Complaining and Start Acting

Every day, we hear what seems to be an endless stream of complaints. Complaints about the ever increasing prices of goods, worsening traffic, low income, government anomalies, and even about the issues and things that we shouldn’t worry about in the first place. Aren’t we getting fed up of all these qualms and worries?



Complaining is like a way of life for most people, and it can actually do something good. It could be a way for problems to get noticed and help move us to act and create solutions for the issues we face. However, complaining, especially when done excessively, can be toxic.

Consequences of Worrying Too Much

Broken Relationship

Instead of good morning, you and your partner greet each other with complaints. You scream, bicker, and exchange sarcastic insults just to get your complaints across. These usually result to small misunderstandings that escalated to full-blown fights to the point that your relationship got deeply dented.

Decreased productivity

If you focus on what’s wrong and what’s lacking, you’ll surely lose motivation in facing your responsibilities. You will tend to overlook a lot of things, including those crucial tasks that you need to fulfill. As a result, your complaints will just pile up and this cycle will just continue - for the worst and into something that’s not progressive at all.

Compromised Health

When you harbor ill feelings and keep on worrying, you are at more risk of getting sick. Remember, your thoughts and feelings can affect your health.

How to Stop Worrying Too Much

If you are trapped in a cycle of chronic complaining, here’s what you can do to become more contented and see the good in every situation:

1. Focus on what you have, not on what you lack. It’s difficult to be happy if you always see what’s lacking in your life.


2. Stop comparing yourself with others. If you keep on doing that, jealousy will eat you up. Focus your attention on how you can improve yourself.


3. Enrich your life with worthwhile experiences. The real treasure in this world is not money nor material things. You may have the biggest bank account in the world and a lavish lifestyle that most could only dream of, but they will all be worthless if you don’t know how to love and show kindness and compassion. Help others and give importance to your loved ones. See good deeds as the treasures you build in this life - these are far more valuable because no one can steal nor destroy the impact you had on other people.


4. Plan. How can you attain success if you don’t know what it is and how to get there?


5. Don’t expect too much from people around you. They are not perfect, and so are you.


6. Own up to your responsibilities. Keep in mind that no one else can help you but yourself.


7. Learn to find joy or laugh even when you face problems. Loosen up a bit and don’t be too hard on yourself. While you need to work on your goals, you also have the right to smile and be happy despite the trials you’re going through.


8. Take care of yourself. No one can do that except you. Your well-being is not the responsibility of others.


9. Focus on yourself. Instead of keeping track of other people’s wrongs and failures, always ask how you can make yourself better.


10. Find an accountability partner or a person you can trust and share your problems and worries with. Asking help from others is never a sign of weakness.


11. Keep yourself busy with things that can make you productive. This way, you will have no time to complain about your life.

Complaining is not bad because it helps us recognize the problems that need attention and work. However, it becomes bad if you just stop at complaining and not acting on the issues you face and if it’s destroying yourself and your relationship with loved ones.