10 Things Unhappy People Have in Common

By Sara Novak, Planet Green

We all want to be happy in some way or another. We strive each day to find the path of happiness whatever we think it is. But some of us come up way short. Some of us make mistakes day in and day out that take us away from the shining beacon of happiness at the end of the tunnel.

Are you striving to find peace? Are you striving to locate that inner glow that you know must exist? Are you coming up short or finding happiness that’s always fleeting? Life is a journey and on it we find what works and what doesn’t work. However, the most unhappy people tend to have a few things in common. If you’re looking to find peace, balance, and joy in your life, here’s what NOT to do. These people have it all wrong:

1. They Hate Their Jobs

You spend eight hours, sometimes much more at work. If you hate your job you can’t help but hate your life because you’re spending 40 out of the 168 hours in a week doing something you can’t stand. What’s worse, we often take our anger from work home with us, bringing that disgruntled attitude into our homes. I’m not saying go out and quit your job tomorrow. Instead, take an aerial view of your life. Why don’t you love your job? What’s missing? Is it the career itself? Is it your boss or your company? What’s your passion? What are you good at? Take time to answer these questions and then make a plan to move towards change, however long it takes.

2. They’re Constantly Worried About Money

Studies have proven that being rich won’t make us any happier. A Princeton University study showed that people needed an annual income of $75,000 per year per household and no more to be happy. Above that amount, more cash has no effect on “emotional well-being.” What this really means is that you need to be able to comfortably pay bills and save without worrying about finances. On the other hand, financial uncertainty does make us unhappy so this is another chance for evaluation. Are you overspending? What can you downsize? How can you minimize your life so that you can afford it? This is in no way an easy question, but it’s part of the journey.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Rina V.

12:27AM PDT on Apr 11, 2012

Very nice, thank you

send a green star

Judy A.

4:37AM PDT on Apr 1, 2012

This article helps open up what could be bothering someone.

Heidi A.

8:45PM PDT on Mar 25, 2012

Wandering mind? How is that possible to be actively doing something and not pay attention to what you are doing? I guess I've never had that problem. As I write this comment, I am paying attention to my spelling, grammer, puncuation, sentence structure, and aware that others may read this. That's how I do everything!

richa b.

7:19AM PDT on Mar 19, 2012

interesting, thank you

Toni N.

2:14PM PDT on Mar 18, 2012

I've got 8 out of 10...I need to make some changes.

Lin M.

10:17AM PDT on Mar 18, 2012

A truer artical has not been in print.

Nellie K A.

6:11PM PST on Mar 5, 2012

Great

Hello G.

9:33PM PST on Feb 29, 2012

Thanks a lot for the article.

Butterfly K.

9:20PM PST on Feb 29, 2012

The more negative you are the more negitive stuff comes into your life, it's like a chain reaction, cause & effect, etc, strive to be happier & more happy events take place in your life.

Ruth R.

6:07AM PST on Feb 24, 2012

A list of things that can change in some people.