5 Key Reasons Why You Might Be Unhappy
Sometimes you are unhappy, and you just don’t know why.
If you are reading this, chances are you have clean water, instant access to nearly all of the world’s information, a warm roof above your head, and eat meals regularly.
And yet, despite having everything you need, you still find yourself feeling unhappy often.
Identifying why you might be unhappy can be really difficult. You have your job, and all your necessities, but something just doesn’t seem right.
I’ve noticed 5 key reasons why one might be unhappy.
You are unhealthy
What you put in your body is going to end up affecting how you feel. How you treat your body will also have an impact on your happiness.
One of the best things you can do to increase your happiness is to workout regularly. Even if it’s just 20-30 minutes a few times a week, every little bit helps.
You have to take care of yourself.
On top of working out, you should also figure out what healthy foods you like and consume them often. For me, it’s avocados, sashimi, vegetables, chicken and delicious bone broth. Yum!
The healthier you become, the happier you will be.
So the first thing to do if you are unhappy is to work on your health!
You are wasting your time doing things you don’t want
We’ve all been in that place where we keep repeating the same tasks over and over again. It can be exhausting.
Often it is because we are at a job we don’t enjoy, but it could also be because we are in a relationship we don’t want to be in.
If you are doing things you don’t want, you are not going to be happy.
This doesn’t mean you should expect everything to go your way. You will have to do things you don’t enjoy either for your own good or for the good of others.
But, if you are slowly watching yourself waste the little time you have on this earth… you’re going to be miserable.
So, optimize your life to be able to do things you enjoy as often as possible.
You are surrounded by negative people
Negativity is like a cancer that spreads from person to person with no stop. Being surrounded by negative people can be one of the worst things you can possibly do for your own happiness.
Positive people make you feel good, they make you smile, give you hope and make you laugh.
Negative people bring up what could go wrong all the time, instead of focusing on what is going right.
Life is a beautiful thing and you aren’t going to be happy if you are surrounded by people who don’t appreciate it.
Negative people will make you unhappy. Cut them out of your life.
You are not reaching your full potential
It sucks to be stuck in a place (quite often a job, again), where you are not challenged creatively or intellectually. You know you can do more, but you are not, and it causes you to be unhappy.
Progress is one of the ways to feel happiness. It can be really hard to see progress if you are not reaching your full potential.
To reach your full potential you have to take risks, get out there, and challenge yourself. It will make you feel fulfilled, and in turn, happy.
If you feel stuck, it’s time to get moving!
You are lonely
Humans are very social creatures. Each day, I try to make sure I have an hour of socializing because I know that’s what it takes to make me happy.
Loneliness is too common. In fact, 36% of Americans feel serious loneliness.
This can cause stress and is linked to mental health disorders such as depression, sleep disorders and low self-esteem.
If you are lonely, you are quite likely going to be unhappy.
I have found that the key to fighting loneliness is to find “your people”.
The beauty of the connectedness in the world is that you can access all kinds of people easily.
You can find clubs full of people with the same interests as you, or you can join sports teams to engage with others.
But, worst-case scenario, you can always just spend time with family. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Closing remarks
There are circumstances where happiness is not in your control and you may need professional help. However, a lot of us (such as myself) can largely control our happiness by optimizing our lives correctly.
Addressing the 5 reasons above is a good place to start if you feel like your happiness levels are not where they should be.
If you are still unhappy after that, I would highly recommend seeing a therapist. There is no shame in it. I have seen a therapist a few times myself and thought it was great!
Thanks for reading
To get more personal content, life hacks, and to stay up to date on my blog - sign up for my free weekly newsletter.