5 Habits of Unhappy People

Have you ever wondered why some people walk happily down the streets without a care in the world, while others are so consumed in their misery?

It has something to do with the choices they make in their daily lives.

Sure, circumstances can make life unhappy, but more often, people’s unhappiness comes from their own choices.

And each choice when repeated becomes a habit.

These habits directly affect the quality of lives they live, especially their happiness.

Here are 5 habits of unhappy people, to help you avoid them and perhaps, inspire you to be happy…

1. Being a Perfectionist

Does life have to be perfect before you’re happy? If you answered yes, then you may never be happy.

Setting your performance bar at an inhuman level can only lead to low self-esteem because you’ll always feel like you’re not good enough whenever you fail to achieve perfect results.

We live in the real world where imperfections, failure and mistakes are part of life. The sooner you accept that, the happier you’ll become.

So, how do you overcome perfectionism? Know yourself and limits, and set realistic goals that you can achieve.

Most importantly, forgive yourself for your mistakes, and take necessary steps to learn from them.

2. Letting The Past Dictate Their Future

Another major cause of unhappiness in many people is living in their past.

If your past was riddled with bad experiences and negativity, there are high chances that your current personality mirrors this.

However, one thing is for sure; you can’t change the past, therefore, allowing yourself to be part of it, can only pull you down.

The past should be looked at as what it is, mere learning experiences. If you really think about it, whatever it is doesn’t exist anymore. Therefore there is no point dwelling in the past.

You only have today, so learn to let go of your bad past experiences and focus on your present life.

3. Holding Grudges

It’s very easy to allow yourself to hold a grudge against someone else.

After all, it’s only natural to feel angry and harbor ill feelings against the people who have wronged you.

However, what most people don’t realize is that holding grudges only destroys their own lives.

You end up being more hurt than the person you’re trying to get back at.

How do you let go of grudges?

Learn to forgive and forget the wrongs other people have done to you, accept them for who they are, and move on with your life.

4. Engaging in Negative Self-Talk

The way you speak to yourself shapes your self-image, either for better or for worse.

And as you may already know, self-worth is a key component to happiness.

It’s not easy to be happy when you have low self image and esteem.

You can be your own best friend or your own worst enemy, because whatever you believe yourself to be, it somehow manifests because you yourself are giving it the energy it needs to realize and materialize.

Instead of wasting your time and energy on negative self-talk, realize when you make mistakes, accept and learn from them, and move on.

5. Living Beyond Their Means

We live in a materialistic world where we’re continuously bombarded with adverts of different products, all promising an easier and more fulfilling life.

Buying a new gadget certainly makes most people feel good, but what do you do if you don’t have enough money to spend?

Do you get yourself the latest SUV at the expense of your son’s college fees? I don’t think so.

It’s much better to involve yourself in other activities like sightseeing, exercise etc that will bring you the gratification, without getting into debt.

Now that you know these habits, strive to keep them at bay by following the advice provided.

Above all, enjoy every second you have in this world; after all is short.

Every single one of these points is important to know in order to change our mindset and life for the better. The more knowledge and understanding that we have however, increases our level of consciousness. This gives us the power to take control of our life. Through self-empowerment we can begin to change our way of thinking and perceiving the world, manifesting in it better things and better experiences.

by Val G. @ www.howtothinkpositive.net