5 Signs You Take Yourself Too Seriously
Many of us take ourselves way too seriously, and this shows up in the amount of stress we face in everyday life. What if we digress for a few minutes to remember that there is so much more to life than our titles, money, accomplishments, degrees, and everything else we identify with?
Most of us spend so much time trying to become someone, overcoming obstacles, and moving forward that we forget to breathe, laugh, and enjoy the beauty surrounding us every day. Too often, we let the voices in our heads tell us we’re not good enough, and after a while, we start believing them.
Life doesn’t have to be a constant battle; you can take a more carefree approach and ride the waves of life instead of fighting to stay afloat.
“Don’t take life too seriously; no one will ever get out of there alive anyway.” – Van Wilder.
Here are signs you’re taking yourself too seriously:
1. You can’t remember the last time you laughed at yourself – or anything else, for that matter
Over the past decade, there has been a lot of research on laughter’s incredible health benefits and how it is the best medicine. Laughter has been proven to reduce stress, fight anxiety and depression, improve memory, lower blood pressure and heart rate, release endorphins into the body, and even increase blood circulation and oxygen levels in organs.
It offers many health benefits, and above all, it helps you not take life so seriously. If you don’t remember the last time you laughed, I recommend taking the maximum dose of laughter possible because if our hearts are light and happy, this will allow us to live healthier and more fulfilling lives.
Take a walk with your friends, watch a funny YouTube video, or do something that will make you smile. Just because you have responsibilities in life doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy life!
2. You feel like you have to protect yourself all the time
If you take yourself too seriously, you will probably feel like everyone wants to attack you and get under your skin. You may view the world as a hostile, unfriendly place where you must defend your territory and belief systems.
However, this attitude will only keep people from getting close to you and will not help you stop taking yourself so seriously. Most people in the world love to connect with others and have intelligent conversations without wanting to hurt other people for their beliefs or personality.
If you feel threatened by others, work on your level of self-confidence so that other people come to you as friends rather than enemies.
3. You get offended when other people question your beliefs
In addition to the last point, you should not feel threatened or nervous when other people ask questions about your beliefs or issues of view. You should be able to have a civilized, open conversation with someone without taking it to the extreme and feeling like you have to be defensive.
If you don’t want to go into detail about your feelings, you don’t have to, but in most cases, others want to get to know you better and don’t want to cause you any harm.
Don’t get so attached to your beliefs; keep an open mind so that you can learn from others, and they might learn a lesson from you.
4. You always need a goal to pursue to feel happy.
Human beings are purposeful beings by nature. We want to have something to strive for, strive for, and achieve. Having a dream and going for it is excellent, but not when it takes you away from the present moment and prevents you from enjoying life in the present.
Just because you have something you want to achieve in the future doesn’t mean you can’t accept the gift. You may take yourself too seriously if you can’t feel happy constantly without something to work on. Try to enjoy the little things in life and remember what matters: your family, friends, health, and how you treat others.
5. You constantly compare yourself to other people.
With social media and other forms of entertainment and news outlets, we don’t have to look far to find someone to compare ourselves to.
However, in the end, this only makes us angry and judgmental and does not help us feel good about ourselves.
The next time you catch yourself doing this, remember that no one can imitate or copy you. So go out and show the world your unique gifts and talents and stop trying to be someone else. You will only lose yourself trying to be something you are not, so choose to love yourself today.
If you stop taking yourself so seriously and learn to relax into your individuality, you’ll have a more open, loving outlook on life and enjoy the ride while you can.
6. You have no sense of humor
If you get upset when someone teases you, it may mean that you are being too serious. Playing pranks at work, home, or school is a normal thing. If you get offended when people do this, you are being too serious.
Of course, there is a time to be serious, but not always. A sense of humor is good for your health and makes those around you feel happier.
Instead of taking yourself so seriously, relax and let yourself join in on the fun of friendly teasing. Friendly teasing is usually a sign that people feel comfortable around you.
7. You seem tough
If you take yourself too seriously, you may find it essential to appear tough and strong. Perhaps you feel it so strongly that it’s hard for you to be vulnerable with people. Being assertive is the mask you hide behind to keep others at arm’s length.
If this is you, don’t be afraid to appear less than robust, especially around trusted friends and family. Remember, being yourself is okay, not a hard shell to hide behind.
8. You are hard on yourself
One of the signs that you are being too serious is being too hard on yourself. You feel like you need to work harder than everyone else. You can challenge yourself and upload your schedule.
Similarly, it would help if you did more than others to feel good about yourself.
If you feel this way, it might be a good idea to take a step back and evaluate why you are doing it. Maybe you feel inadequate, so you try to prove yourself. Give yourself some space and relax.
9. Get upset when you make mistakes
Self-deprecating thoughts about simple mistakes are common if you take your life too seriously. Everyone makes mistakes. Even if your mistakes seem huge initially, they are probably not as big as you think. Most people don’t even notice other people’s mistakes. It’s easy to be your own worst critic.
When you make a mistake, try not to take it so seriously. Find a lesson you can learn from your mistake and promise yourself to try again.
10. You try to control everything
There are many things in life that you cannot control. Excessive caution and control are sure signs of taking life too seriously.
Of course, there are many things in life that you can and should control, but you need to let go of the situation and trust God to help you with those things that are beyond your control.
Being a control freak is tiring, and it never works. Something in life is out of your control. Try to let go of your fears and desire to control. Turn to God for help to trust Him with the uncontrollable things you face. The well-known Serenity Prayer expresses this thought thus:
God, give me the serenity to accept what I cannot change, the courage to change what I can, and the wisdom to tell one from the other.
11. It’s all about you
When you take life too seriously, you cannot let go of your ego. Everything about you and how it makes you feel or look. You can express it through.
- Avoid social situations in which you don’t feel comfortable
- Excessive concern about what others think of you
- Get angry if someone doesn’t give you the attention you think you deserve
- Assuming people should know what you need, so you don’t ask
- Bring the conversations back to you instead of focusing on the other person
Try to step back and use your ego. Assume that you are not the most critical person in the room and focus on others.
12. You are not humble
Being too serious often means that you don’t like being told that you are wrong. Maybe you don’t like being judged or getting feedback at work. Humility is a low estimate of your worth. The characteristics of humility include:
- Be grateful
- Do not brag about yourself and your achievements
- Don’t give in to pride or arrogance
- Be kind, not rude
- Without belittling others
Start practicing these qualities in your life. Choose humility when pride tempts you. Keep working on it. You can grow in humility by practicing it every day.
13. You are a loner
People who maintain a social connection with friends and family are happier and healthier than people who prefer to live alone. They generally live longer than people who are less connected to their community.
Sometimes it’s good to be alone, but keeping away from people all the time is not suitable for your health. Find ways to get involved in your community. Strive to stop taking yourself so seriously and let others into your world.
14. You can’t compliment
If you’re too severe, you might think complimenting is disingenuous. Or perhaps you don’t see anything good in others to compliment.
Any of these thoughts means that your ego is showing up. Compliments are wrong if you want to cheer someone up and not just flatter them. Please pay attention to other people’s good deeds and sincerely praise them for them.
15. You are not grateful
Research shows that gratitude and well-being go hand in hand. People who express gratitude are happier. They see each day as a gift from God.
They don’t take things or people for granted. Gratitude is the cure for being too serious. Encouraging positivity helps you enjoy life. You are not so passionate about success but enjoy the adventure of life.
If you’re taking life too seriously, it might be time to look back at all the good things you have in life. Even if your life isn’t perfect, there is always something or someone you can be grateful for.
Final thoughts on taking yourself too seriously
Life is hard. Easy to get busy with work, friends, and family. Too much stress in your life will make you get too serious. If you’re taking your life too seriously, it might be time to take a step forward and re-evaluate your life.
Try to incorporate gratitude, laughter, and compliments into your day. Enjoy life despite all its imperfections. Beauty is all around you if you can take the time to see it.
Today is a good day to stop taking yourself too seriously and enjoy who you are.
