Life lessons | What people think of you

Is it a good idea to care what people think of you?

Social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia) is a mental health condition. It is an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. … But social anxiety disorder doesn’t have to stop you from reaching your potential.

As long as you don’t lose sight of yourself. But if you think you do place too much value trying to please others, then it’s time to turn the focus on strengthening your sense of self.

For as long as I can remember I believed that caring about what people think and say about you is very important but truth be told there’s two sides to this perception.

Why you shouldn’t care about people’s opinions

It can prevent you from living your life, because your entire being (your personality, your thoughts, your actions) are controlled by an idealized standard of what people want to see. When you become so obsessed with other people’s opinion of you, you forget your own.

Follow These Practical Ways to Not Care What Other People Think

• Remember that the negative comments someone makes is about them, not you.
  • Putting yourself out there is hard. It can be brutal. You could be the most talented, entertaining, sweetest soul on Earth and still be confronted with negative comments. No one is immune. Whether it’s a video posted, an article published, a piece of art created, even a single idea shared, anything can warrant a negative response in this day and age of strong opinions and anonymous digital presence, how you deal with it is entirely up to you.
• Be true to yourself
  • When you are your true self, you can better self-advocate or stand up for what you need. Your self-expression matters, and you should value your voice. It’s okay to need things, it’s okay to speak up, and it’s okay not to be okay.
• This is your one life
  • Being in touch with what you want and what matters to you helps you prioritize, develop goals and ultimately get where you want to go. Discover what you truly want by asking yourself, “what really lights me up?, what matters to me? Allow yourself to think freely as you answer these questions instead of getting caught up in what you think you should be doing or what others would like for you to do.

• Remove sources of negativity, immediately
  • With all the responsibilities that rest on my shoulders as a mom, wife and entrepreneur, I’ve learned that I must constantly delete negativity from my life. While it hasn’t been easy to pull off, making the conscious decision to remove negativity from my life has definitely been worth it. My health has improved tremendously and I’ve been able to focus on what’s really important in my life.
• Focus on being in the moment
  • Be present in your own life. All you have is this moment so don’t let it slip away. Given the fast pace and hectic schedules most of us keep, a base level of anxiety, stress and unhappiness is the new norm. We may not even realize it but this tendency to get sucked into the pas and the future can leave us worn out and feeling out of touch with ourselves.
• Think about why you care
  • If you care, it’s more likely to mean that you respect their opinion and view point, and that you’ll consider and review it, but still choose to go your own way. However, if you worry all the time, this takes it a whole lot further and can soon affect your decision making. You may become a people pleaser who listens to every opinion but your own, which, in the long term, can chip away at your self-belief.

“LOOK FOR SOMETHING POSITIVE IN EACH DAY EVEN IF SOME DAYS YOU HAVE TO LOOK A LITTLE HARDER“

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