5 Traits of Unhappy People
Recognizing the self-sabotaging habits that harm your happiness.
Happiness is often depicted as a fleeting, elusive feeling.
But psychologists say that if you actively put time, intention, and effort into pursuing it, you can be successful in influencing your own happiness.
This isn’t to say that following these tips can cure depression. But time to time, I find myself engaging in unhealthy habits or thinking that does little but contribute to my unhappiness.
Even though your genetics and your circumstances influence your happiness, you have some power over how you feel. You have agency. So why harm your happiness with self-sabotaging behaviors or habits?
I’ve found by recognizing these unhealthy traits that result in toxic behavior — and eventually my unhappiness — I can address them.
Here are seven traits of unhappy people to look out for.
1. You expect too much control.
Not every situation in your life is under your control — namely the thoughts, actions, and beliefs of others.
As humans we like control. Some scholars have gone so far as to call it a psychological and biological necessity. Having control over a situation gives us…
