Health

30 Habits and Mindsets of People Who are Unhappy

6. They crave control over life. Unhappy individuals tend to run from uncertainty and, instead, desire control over every little detail. They worry their world will… Trista - July 8, 2019

Individuals may feel that if they have control over their life that they will be happier. Shutterstock

6. They crave control over life.

Unhappy individuals tend to run from uncertainty and, instead, desire control over every little detail. They worry their world will fall apart if they lose control and neglect to embrace the unpredictable nature of life. Struggling to take charge of every piece of life can be very consuming and can further lead to unhappiness. Individuals who are continually worrying about controlling every aspect of their day are less likely to be present and enjoy life moments.

In addition, when an unhappy individual sees others that appear happy and fulfilled in life, it can look like they are in full authority over every aspect of their lives. There may be a perceived correlation between control and happiness. Those unhappy individuals may seek out power in an effort to achieve feelings of joy. It takes a conscious effort to accept that not every aspect of life is controllable slowly, and part of working towards happiness means embracing those uncontrollable moments.

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Unhappy individuals are more likely to look at life as a long, rugged path. Shutterstock

5. They believe that life is fundamentally hard.

For unhappy individuals, life is often viewed as a constant battle that has to be fought every day of every year. Reality is perceived as harsh and dangerous, which is only out to harm them. Life is ultimately viewed as one long struggle day in and day out. That can be tough to see and appreciate the ups and downs of life. It can also be arduous to understand that others also experience the highs and lows of life. Instead, unhappy individuals may feel that they are the only ones struggling with the terrifying, downward slope furthering their unhappiness.

If they feel that they are alone in the daily struggles, it further contributes to their unhappiness. They may also be more inclined to close themselves off from others or be unwilling to talk about what is going on because they might feel that no one can understand or relate to them. Additionally, if someone communicates their struggles to the unhappy individual, they may feel the need to one-up them and try to add how their life is worse off. It is essential to understand that many people are dealing with specific challenges privately or have dealt with past issues.

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A negative mindset can intensify unhappiness. Shutterstock

4. Their talk tends to revolve around gossip and negativity.

Part of who you are as an individual is what you say about and to other people. The conversation of someone with low spirits is often based around gossip or expressing how awful their life is. The focus tends to revolve around what is going wrong rather than what is going right. It can be challenging to maintain conversations that require deeper thinking. Unhappy individuals are typically more comfortable sticking with superficial level conversations. When in this mindset, it can be easier to think and talk about all that is wrong rather than finding what is going right.

When an unhappy individual does communicate about how bad their life is or what is going wrong, they may be looking for validation. They may be more willing to open up and communicate if the receiving party agrees that life is difficult, and they have it hard. Since it is more difficult for an unhappy individual to think or speak positive thoughts, they may not react well to another party who only speaks and thinks positively. They are more likely to gravitate towards another individual that also focuses on gossip and negativity, which they feel they can relate to more. However, it is crucial to be mindful and not get caught up in these conversations as it only creates further sorrow.

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Comparison can be the thief of joy and contribute to sadness. Shutterstock

3. Unhappy individuals often compare themselves to others.

While we are all unique individuals who must walk our own paths in life, unhappy individuals may have a habit of comparing themselves to others—being unique means that our vision of what success looks like is different from others in our lives. Although comparison can be a habit for many people, those with some degree of unhappiness tend to focus on comparing their lives to those of others more often.

In today’s society, social media can be dangerous. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are all highlight reels. However, it can be difficult for unhappy individuals to understand that fully. Many people with social media do not post their struggles. However, for someone sad and scrolling through one of these social media applications, it is easy to see that others appear to live their best lives. They may see images or posts of engagements, weddings, purchasing a home, or having a child. If the unhappy individual is struggling in one of those areas or still working towards it, it can quickly become a comparison of why they have yet to achieve it like everyone else. It can be difficult for individuals to appreciate what they do have as they will always view others as being better off than them.

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Shopping can provide brief moments of satisfaction. Shutterstock

2. They tend to fill their voids with material items.

In addition to making comparisons to others, unhappy individuals may try to fill their void by spending money on material items. Purchasing material items can be a defense mechanism when trying to maintain an image with their peers and project a vision of a successful, happy individual. Unhappy individuals may believe that wearing name brand clothing or driving the nicest car signals to others that they are happy and satisfied with their lives. They may also feel that if they are not portraying an unhappy image by the way they live or items they purchase, others may not question them, and they will not have to explain themselves.

In addition to attempting to maintain a particular reputation to others, purchasing material items can provide an exhilarating moment of satisfaction for a few moments. Despite knowing that these feelings may fade, unhappy individuals may tend to fill their lives with possessions in hopes; it will eventually aid in their happiness.

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Unhappy individuals may struggle to see a task all the way through. Shutterstock

1. Unhappy individuals tend to quit more readily.

To achieve things in life, you may need drive, motivation, and persistence. Unhappy individuals may lack in those aspects and often give up on tasks quicker due to fear of failure. It may be easier to accept defeat when you have not given it your all compared to when you put your everything into it. Individuals who view life as hard work don’t expect to succeed as often as someone who has a more cheerful outlook. Rather than facing disappointment or failure, the individual will decide to give up first.

Unhappy individuals will choose to give up before failure is even an option. That may mean that they get a quarter or half of the way through a task or project before they quit. However, to maintain control of the situation and their life, they may choose to stop the moment failure is a possibility. They struggle to realize that the path to success is not always linear and is often composed of many highs and lows. They may lack persistence and only be willing to complete tasks that have a definite positive outcome.

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