Bye, Felicia: 4 Things You Need to Give Up This New Year to Live a Better Life by Stephanie Hernandez

Another year has flown by, and we have another opportunity to improve our lives. Yes, we always have this chance every day, but for some people, it's easier to just start a whole new year fresh. 

Most people focus on things they want to do for the next year: lose weight, quit smoking, drink less, etc. However, I want you to focus on these four things you need to give up this year:

• Comparing Yourself: We live in a world dominated by social media. This can be a really great thing, or a really bad thing. For some people, social media is an amazing platform to meet like-minded individuals all over the world, share stories or even create art. For others, it can be a pretty toxic environment where you constantly compare your body, life, relationship, career or financial situation to other people you see on the internet. Comparison is the thief of joy. Take this year to remind yourself every day that everyone always shows their highlight reels, and you should never compared your behind-the-scenes to it.

• Judging Others: It's almost a natural instinct for us to judge others that act or are different from us. This year, let's stop. Whenever you find yourself judging someone, remind yourself a few things: You don't know this person's life, memories, hardships, goals, dreams or ambitions. This person doesn't owe you anything for not being to your standards. Lastly, like the age-old saying, treat others the way you want to be treated. Let's be a little bit more empathetic this year.

• Getting Angry Often: Anger is closely linked with stress. Stress is extremely detrimental to our mental and physical health. This year should be the year we all try to reduce our anger and relieve some unnecessary stress. How often do you find yourself getting irritated because the car in front of you on a one-lane road is driving 2 miles below the speed limit? You sigh, you tailgate and work yourself up. Meanwhile, this person is probably listening to some good tunes, enjoying the scenery and just being present in the moment. Whenever you find yourself getting mad, whether it's traffic rage, ignorant comments on the internet or just someone walking too slow in the grocery store, stop for a minute. Take a moment to just breathe and remind yourself that the only person who is getting affected by this scenario is you. It's never worth it.

• Negative People: GET. RID. OF. THEM. This is the year to say "BYE FELICIA" to anyone who has ever made you feel less than you're worth, judges you, brings you down or is just not a good person. We do not need that negativity in our lives. I cut ties with a negative friend a few months ago and it was the best decision I have ever made. Even after four years of being close friends, I said goodbye. You need to cut those ties so you can fly. No one needs to feel like they're stuck in a friendship or relationship with someone they don't want to be around. Make this the year when you take back your confidence and pride!

What will you give up this year?

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