On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

In a recent newsletter, Happiness Professor and New York Times bestselling author Arthur Brooks shared the following advice:

Complaining is the act of expressing your dissatisfaction or annoyance. According to psychological theory, it is a fairly complex process that follows at least five steps, starting with a focus on your own desires. Next, you detect a discrepancy between what you want and what you are experiencing. This leads to negative feelings. Then, you judge the utility of complaining. If it seems worthwhile to you, you let rip; if it doesn’t, you keep the complaint to yourself.

The problem with all of this kvetching is that while it can feel therapeutic, it typically isn’t. Although complaining might offer temporary relief, it’s bad for your happiness in the long run. For example, in one 2009 study, Polish researchers measured people’s mood before and after they complained, and found that the complainers’ mood significantly deteriorated. Other scholars have shown that people who share negative emotions on social media—a very prevalent type of complaining today—experience lower levels of well-being.

Much more likely is that it will be in your interest, if you have a complaining habit, to break it. The people you care about will be happier too. Here are four research-based ways to quit complaining.

Judge less, observe more. Complaining is a fundamentally egotistical act—subjecting something about the world to your judgment. Tomorrow, try to reframe what were today’s minor irritations as simple events. For example, instead of grumbling about someone who cuts you off in traffic, simply observe that the person is obviously in a hurry.

Consider the underlying problem. If you have a habit of complaining, you could find it worthwhile to dig into why you’re so often going over your dissatisfaction threshold. For my own part, I’ve noticed that when something big is disturbing me, I also get impatient about all the little things I don’t like. Perhaps if you deal with what is really bothering you, you’ll find that the weather and politics aren’t really worth complaining about.

Avoid the grumblers. One reason you complain a lot might be that you keep negative company, online or in person. Curate your personal life to the extent that you can, and turn off the complaint machines in your media. Remember, your misery is their fuel.

Be a Stoic. The Stoics, such as Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, managed their feelings about life’s trials through reason. So when you are about to complain, subject your complaint to the Stoic test: Can you do something about the situation? If not, then complaining won’t help. If you can, then get on with life.

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