10 Destructive Habits That Unhappy People Have

It is said that happiness is a state of mind and to a certain extent, that’s true. But I believe that whether we are happy or unhappy is more about the habits we have.


But they don’t.




Below are 10 destructive habits that unhappy people have:

  4. You are a glass half empty person. Being a pessimist is the result of negative habits developed over a number of years. This habit is very hard to kick because it becomes so ingrained in your mind, that itís second nature. In any situation, your first thought or reaction is a negative one. Becoming an optimist will require you to develop new mental skills and retrain your entire thought process to see opportunity instead of struggle. This can be done gradually by consciously looking at your attitude and choosing to see opportunity instead of difficulty.
  6. You are sedentary. It’s a fact that people who exercise regularly are happier than those who don’t. Sitting at a desk all day only to follow it with sitting on your couch is not conducive to being happy. Get up, move around, go outside, take the stairs, take a walk, join the gym, ride your bike. The endorphins released during activity play a big role in your mood, so if you’re not active, get active!
  9. You are a perfectionist. We all know someone who considers themselves a perfectionist. Maybe it’s even you! Trying to pursue perfection in all that you do may sound like a good thing, but taken too far, can be highly detrimental to your emotional health. Perfectionism can lead to a host of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and chronic unhappiness. Remember that everything can be done better by either you or someone else, but it’s OK if it’s not. Your goal shouldn’t be perfection, but rather improvement and personal growth.
  10. You define yourself by your job. It’s a fact that more than 70% of us don’t like our jobs. In a society where we tend to view ourselves by what we do for a living rather than who we actually are, it’s a fundamental problem and leads to the inability to separate ourselves from our professions.


You just might want to make a change and choose happiness.

Some Amazing Comments


About Steve Roy

Steve Roy is a contributing writer for DevelopGoodHabits.com, a site dedicated to helping you eliminate bad habits, creating better ones and making major life changes. To learn more, check out the free report 77 Good Habits to Live a Better Life.


  1. Thanks for sharing – there is always something to worry about in life, letting go of the fear of the unknown is an excellent way to stay in the present and enjoy what is happening now. Easier said than done but realization is the first step!

  2. Nice write-up, sometimes i get worried that why people who always try to make others happy are the most unhappy people? It’s for sure that they do good deeds by making everyone happy, don’t they deserve the same for them? How we can overcome this?

    The best way to overcome this is to make those people happy who made you happy because it’s clear that the person who just made you happy may be the most unhappy person. By doing this we can make this world a beautiful place.

  3. This post hit home. I have been working hard on reducing these. In the past three years, there has been a time when I actively engaged in 10 of these things. Thankfully most of them are whittled down now. I still have about four that bother me still but that I am actively working on in therapy.

    This post was a great reminder that I need to continue focusing on these things.

  4. It’s incredible to think of the amazing things I may have done when I was younger if I could have removed that worry about criticism from others.

    Why or how we establish a belief that other peoples perspectives on ourselves is to be held more valuable than our own is gross. Thank you for the reminder Steve

    • Kael,
      I think the exact same thing when it comes to worrying about others opinions. My school years were some of the worst in my life because I was so insecure and was unbelievably worried what everyone thought about me. It cost me a great deal and although I’ve worked very hard on it, it still creeps in there from time to time.

  5. Great read. I identify with trying to be a perfectionist but it get exhausting because obviously that is never possible.


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