7 Habits Of Highly Miserable People
These toxic habits might be bringing down your entire mood.
Comstock, Eliza Alves, Andrew Beatson / CanvaPro Life’s hard, there’s no doubt about it — but we have a certain level of control over how we react to the things thrown at us.
Whether that be our attitude in the morning, our decisions throughout the day, or the habits we commit ourselves to, we can change our lives for the better. The unfortunate reality is that these things also have negative consequences if we don’t tend to them, leading to a miserable and unfulfilling life.
Dan Go, a “high-performance coach to entrepreneurs” on Twitter, shared the seven habits he’s noticed in miserable people navigating their lives, in hopes of forcing self-awareness into people who might be struggling.
Here are 7 unhealthy habits of highly miserable people.
1. They eat a high-calorie diet that's low in nutritional value.
Lacking energy, experiencing mood swings, and feeling agitated can all be symptoms of a nutritionally lacking diet, but it’s not always easy to change.
Studies show that many Americans in all weight categories consume “snack foods,” but not all of these contribute to a “high-calorie diet” — rather, an individual’s economic standing has a greater impact.
Individuals suffering from financial burden are more likely to consume “high calorie” meals purely based on affordability, rather than nutritional value, and it’s shown to affect their mental health, along with their physical.
Photo: monticello / Shutterstock
So, if you're struggling mentally and have the ability to change your diet, consider adding food groups like protein and starchy vegetables into each meal. If you’re not able, consider changing some of your habits below, or using local food-aid resources to supplement the food groups you’re lacking.
2. They don't sleep enough at night.
Experts recommend that the average adult gets between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. Anything more or less than that can have a severe impact on physical and mental well-being.
Irritability, depression, and low productivity are a few of the most common consequences of failing to get sufficient sleep each night. While it’s often difficult due to our busy lives, prioritizing sleep can be one of the “easier” ways to promote a healthy mood.
3. They don't exercise.
You’ve heard it a million times — you might even be “rotting” in bed right now, rolling your eyes over having to read it again. However, the benefits of exercise are impossible to ignore and you can experience them after just one workout.
Dr. Scott Beyer revealed on TikTok that improved mood, increased energy, and higher attention spans are all benefits of working out, even after just one exercise.
Simply taking your dog for a walk, doing a quick YouTube workout, or stretching on your living room floor can proactively improve your mood and combat anxious and depressive thoughts.
4. They don't spend enough time in nature.
“Long-term exposure to blue light can disrupt your circadian rhythms and cause feelings of depression and irritability,” Go wrote in his post.
Especially if you’re working from a desk or office with little sunlight, getting outside for even a few minutes a day can drastically reduce your low-energy mindset.
Being miserable is not always a choice, but it can be directly related to decisions we make in our daily lives, and refusing to go outside is a poor one.
5. They're always complaining or 'playing the victim.'
Not only are you sabotaging the relationships in your life by not owning up to your faults, but you’re also setting yourself up for failure on many different levels by “playing the victim.” People who constantly complain or blame others for their mistakes lack self-confidence, social awareness, and meaningful connections.
While they might not seem interconnected, your misery is likely a result of this habit. You’re losing relationships over false accountability and surface-level connection, but pledging to be truthful, honest, and responsible — both to others and yourself — can be the first step into regaining trust and happiness in your life.
6. They lack gratitude and are in constant pursuit of 'more.'
True connections are based on trust, love, and genuineness, but people who lack gratitude often use relationships as a way to move forward in life. Whether they disregard their friendships, take their family for granted, or “social climb” through new connections, these people often end up miserable and alone.
While it might be simply subconscious, those constantly looking into the future end up full of regret once there’s no more “future” to chase. Live in the present and tell your loved ones you appreciate them because, in the end, connection with others is the pinnacle of our human existence.
7. They're constantly 'picking fights' and 'hating' on others.
Being irritable and miserable go hand in hand, and oftentimes, people experiencing these dark emotions take it out on others.
Looking to pull other people into their insidious and dark web, they poke and prod at the more secure people in their lives to get attention.
But bringing down happier, more confident people will not raise you up any higher. Focus on bringing yourself happiness, and the misery will start to slip away.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture and human interest stories.