Understanding some common habits and attitudes of unhappy people can shed light on the ways our own daily decisions affect our overall happiness.
Pessimism
They automatically assume the worst will happen in most situations. If something really great does happen, they’ll look for the catch or automatically believe that it won’t last, which completely negates any joy they’re experiencing with worry over something that may or may not happen in the future.
Victimhood
Unhappy people often feel like life happens entirely to them rather than for them. They blame their situation on external factors, bad luck, or another person for their problems. This mindset allows them to feel completely helpless about their own life.
Comparison
They compare their life, success, and looks to those around them. Constant scrolling on social media only allows them to fuel feelings of bitterness and jealousy by telling themselves they don’t measure up like everyone else seems to.
Grudges
They have a very hard time forgiving people who have wronged them in the past. Holding on to old grudges and bringing up past offenses causes them to remain chained to the past rather than set themselves free.
Complaining
Everyone needs to vent sometimes, but generally, unhappy people live their lives using complaining as their primary form of communication. They talk about what’s wrong, what’s broken, or what annoys them all the time. This constant negative chatter engrains a negative worldview in themselves and others.
Control
They try to micro-manage everyone and everything around them. When others inevitably fail to meet their strict expectations, it breeds enormous amounts of chronic frustration, anxiety, and stress.
Isolation
Unhappy people often distance themselves from those who want to support them. They stop answering calls and texts, decline social gatherings, and let go of the effort they once put into their relationships. This behavior exacerbates their intense loneliness.
Distraction
These people rarely live in the present. They live in a completely different timeline. They re-live their mistakes and brood over opportunities they think they’ve missed, or they focus all their energy into one thing in the future and believe they will never be happy until that one thing happens.
Ingratitude
It’s impossible to see life through rose-colored glasses when all you can focus on is what you don’t have. Unhappy people often ignore the blessings in their lives every day, take their privileges for granted, and focus solely on what they lack.
Perfectionism
They set unrealistic expectations for themselves (and others), which leads to inevitable disappointment. Since no one is perfect, they walk through life feeling drained from beating themselves up over every flaw and being unhappy with what they’ve accomplished.
Stagnation
No matter how unhappy it makes them, they are often scared of stepping into the unknown. They will fight change tooth and nail because holding onto bad jobs, relationships, or habits feels more comfortable than the risk it takes to move forward.
Self-talk
If you know an unhappy person, you’ve probably heard them say awful things about themselves and their situation. They criticize themselves relentlessly and constantly put themselves down, saying they’re stupid, incapable, undeserving of good things, etc.
Neglect
Your mind and body are connected. Unhappy people often neglect their bodies by not getting enough sleep, moving around, or eating properly, which creates a physical feedback loop that impacts their mood.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.