By Silvia Mordini

Gluten-free, Lactose-free, Low-Carb, Fat-Free, MSG-Free. For a long while I spent more time on my physical diet and didn’t give much consideration to my mental diet. I could tell you why not to eat “empty” calories but I did not understand the mental equivalent of empty calories, otherwise known as complaining. Science shows that our thoughts impact us physically. Even the causes of stress eating and increases in cortisol, the stress hormone are related to the habits of our thoughts. And like the bad habits we can fall into in our eating patterns, the same can be said for mental habits like complaining. The good news is that we can unlearn both.

We have no more right to put our discordant states of mind into the lives of those around us and rob them of their sunshine and brightness than we have to enter their houses and steal their silverware. – Julia Moss Seton

When we complain, we draw negative things to us because we’re putting out negative energy. Therefore one of the most important healthy diet habits we can learn is not to complain. Strip your mental diet of complaining and see for yourself the difference it makes! Love yourself, love your day, love your life! Silvia

What is a Complaint?
Criticism
Groan
Moan
Gripe
Whine
Gossip
Hostility
Resentment.

Here are 5 Reasons to Be Complaint Free:
1. Being complaint free increases your positive energy and attracts more positive energy and people to you. It makes you more fun to be with and a whole lot more attractive too.
2. Being complaint free improves the quality of your relationships. Just as higher quality food improves how you feel physically, so choosing your higher caliber words deepens your relationships. It’s the difference between being a short order cook or a gourmet chef.
3. Being complaint free increases your energy. Complaining depletes mental, emotional and physical energy. (Much like the energy crash after junk food).

4. Being complaint free makes you smarter. You become clear on what’s important and your ability to prioritize and be effective improves. If you listen to the uninteresting, mundane words we use when we complain and remove them from your mental diet you have to be more articulate, even your word choice improves. It’s the difference between complaining about the problem or focusing on the solution.

5. Being complaint free slows you down. It makes your disposition more calm and peaceful. Have you ever noticed that when you start complaining you start speaking faster and your breath becomes short and quick. This decreases the level of oxygen in your brain, triggering stress hormones to fire up. When you stop complaining or gossiping your cadence slows down too.