10 Causes of Unhappiness | Why You Aren’t Happy

If you find yourself wondering “Why am I so unhappy?“, you are most likely guilty of these simple habits that are actually ruining your happiness. 

So many everyday habits can be hidden causes of unhappiness without us even realizing it. If you are looking for ways to be happier in your everyday life, you are going to want to break these bad habits ASAP. 

There is nothing more frustrating than feeling unfulfilled, unhappy, and unsettled in your life without really knowing why. I have been there multiple times.

Most of the time, it was super simple, seemingly insignificant everyday habits that were actually the reason I was feeling so down! Even if something doesn’t blatantly make you feel upset, it can be one of the things that make you unhappy.

This was tough for me to realize. I had to really reevaluate the things I was doing in my day-to-day life. Not only did I have to recognize the causes of my unhappiness, but I also had to actively work to break these bad habits! It’s been a process but it was worth every bit of effort.

After dropping these habits, I have felt my mood skyrocket and, even though we all have bad days, my overall happiness level is SO much higher. I am here to can help you identify the things that make you unhappy so you can start living a happier life as well!

This post is all about everyday causes of unhappiness. 

10 Hidden Causes of Unhappiness

Unhappy Habit 1: Overworking

This one is no secret. If you are working yourself to extreme measures, there’s no way you’re going to feel your best. Burnout is REAL.

Trust me, I understand the mindset behind overworking. Heck, I’m a productivity blogger. I love my job, I love my school, I love what I’m studying, I love what I do, and I love to get stuff done!

But it turns out I was overworking myself and experiencing some full-on burnout. No matter how much you enjoy what you’re doing, if you don’t allow yourself some rest, relaxation, and downtime, you are bound to feel the effects.

Your productivity, your energy, your health, your mindset, and, most of all, your happiness are all negatively impacted by overworking.

I know I talk about how to be productive all the time… but what I need to make clear is that you can be TOO productive. If all you do is work, it’s likely that this stress is one of the main things that are making you unhappy.

{RELATED POST: 22-Step Reset Routine for Burnout}

Take some time to evaluate your work habits and your work/life balance. Give yourself some grace and allow some more downtime to see if you start to feel a bit happier. This is the best way to really determine if your work habits are one of the things that make you unhappy.

Unhappy Habit 2: Not Eating Enough

FOOD IS ESSENTIAL FOR YOUR WELLBEING. In every single way possible. I can’t stress this enough.

If you’ve been here for a while, you know I’ve struggled with eating and body issues. As awful as this time was, it really made it clear how much food and adequately fueling your body affects your life. When I wasn’t eating enough, I was MISERABLE. I was always cranky, always tired, always sad, and always just plain unhappy. It was like the most extreme case of “hanger” that you’ve ever seen.

Even though I have made huge strides with my recovery, to this day I notice my mood shift when I haven’t eaten enough that day. When I get carried away at work or get caught up running errands and don’t eat consistently throughout the day, everything starts to feel worse. It took me a while to realize that it really was just the lack of food.

This is one of the main causes of unhappiness that I see in people. 

You NEED to eat. Eat well and eat enough. Your mind, body, and soul will thank you… And so will the people around you. 😉 No more cranky hanger.

Unhappy Habit 3: No Routine

It makes sense that feeling out of control would make you feel unhappy. Routines are one of the key ways I stay feeling like I’m in control of my day and my life. When I get in the groove of a solid routine, I not only find myself being more productive, but I am WAY happier too. All of this starts right when you wake up.

You know how much I love building my morning routine. I talk a lot about how morning routines are important for productivity but I don’t talk enough about how they’re important for happiness and mental health.

{RELATED POST: Build an Aesthetic Morning Routine}

My #1 suggestion for setting up a solid daily routine would be to start with a solid morning routine. I’ve found that my mornings really just lay the foundation for the rest of my day. If I start out my morning on the wrong foot, it is a lot harder for me to recover later in the day. On the opposite end, if I start my morning off well and happy, I am much more likely to continue that good mood through the rest of my day!

Building a morning routine that works for you is personal.

I can offer tips and tell you what works for ME, but at the end of the day, it is a personal decision. You have to find the perfect balance for yourself and your life. I can’t tell you exactly what that looks like, but I can tell you that once you find it, you will notice a huge increase in your happiness.

Unhappy Habit 4: Staying Inside

Look, I’m from Washington. I know ALL about rainy, dreary, and gray weather. About 75% of my year involves some form of it, haha! I totally understand the temptation to stay inside, especially when the weather is kind of blah.

But, even if going out into the cold, rainy, yucky weather sounds like the LAST thing you want to do, you should do it. You’re going to have to trust me here. I’ve made a habit of getting outside AT LEAST once a day and I see SUCH a huge difference in my happiness. Lack of fresh air was one of the main causes of unhappiness that I discovered in my own life.

Even if you live in a place where the weather is not so gloomy (lucky 😉 ), you can be guilty of spending too much time inside. I understand that if your job is inside, you naturally spend lots of time indoors. Totally get it. But that doesn’t have to be an excuse. Like I said earlier, it can be at few as 10 minutes outside. Just breathing in the fresh air does wonders.

Easy Ways to Get Outside:

• go for a walk (listen to a podcast!)
• journal outside
• take a phone call outside
• play with your dog in your yard
• suntan
• grab a coffee and drink it outside
• watch the sunrise/set

And if all else fails, at least try to crack a window or go for a drive with the windows down. Fresh air is a natural mood-brightener!

Unhappy Habit 5: Not Crying

Wait… what? Crying is actually a way to feel happier? 

YES! 100%!

Crying is so natural. As humans, it is completely normal to feel a huge range of emotions. Anger, sadness, frustration, disappointment, etc… all of these feelings are incredibly natural, valid, and deserving of being felt. One of the most natural ways we express these emotions is to CRY.

Simple as that. We cry.

Where this gets messed up is where we try to intervene. You may try to avoid crying or feeling sad… But NOT crying can actually be one of the things that make you unhappy. Ironic, I know.

If you know me or have read some of my posts before, you know I am very open about feeling my emotions. That involves crying… and lots of it.

In my past, I have tried to suppress these emotions because I felt that it made me weak when, in reality, avoiding them only made me feel weaker. I felt absolutely terrible, walking around with suppressed emotions and sadness that I never gave myself permission to feel.

In case no one has told you, you have full permission to cry. Be mad, be sad, be angry, be disappointed, be whatever you need to be. We are human and we are meant to feel. You have unconditional permission to do so.

Unhappy Habit 6: Too Much Social Media

I know you’ve heard before that social media is bad for your mental health. We all have. But I absolutely underestimated how much social media was affecting my mind. I’d probably consider it #1 on my list of causes of unhappiness.

Look, I love social media. I really do. Dog videos, funny TikToks, talking to you guys on Instagram, catching up with my favorite YouTube families… It can be great. 100%.

But it can also be really, really toxic and harmful. I had heard this and, on some level, I knew it was true but I didn’t understand the extent of social media’s effect on my happiness until I tried taking a break.

I recently did some deep reflection on my social media consumption and my emotions. This is what I found…

Ways Social Media Affects Happiness:

• comparison
• pressure to post
• negative news stories
• body image
• viewing online arguments
• wasting time
• feeling unproductive
• staying up too late
• losing interest in in-person connections

{RELATED POST: 10 Harmful Effects of TikTok}

And that’s only to name a FEW… the list goes on and on.

You may relate to all of these issues, only some, or you may uncover a list of your own. I highly recommend taking some time to reflect on your social media usage and adjust how, what, when, and how much you are consuming. It may just be one of the main things that make you unhappy.

I have made an effort to limit my screen time and I see a difference already.

Unhappy Habit 7: Not Getting Ready for the Day

I really feel like this is something that is overlooked. The simple act of getting yourself ready for the day is super underrated.

I know I said this in my “Productive Morning Routine Tips” post but I’m going to say it again:

When you look good, you feel good.

This is really so TRUE. When I first started working from home, I got into a bad habit of staying in sweats all day. Jeans were for special occasions and makeup was a thing of the past.

Now I’m not saying you have to do your hair and makeup every day… Trust me, you are beautiful enough as is.

But what I AM saying is that you need to have a “get ready” routine. This is more for your mindset than for your physical appearance.

Making it a point to change out of your PJs and “get ready” for your day is such an easy habit to feel happier. When I get ready, I feel more motivated, confident, optimistic, and prepared to tackle the day. This goes hand and hand with feeling happier overall.

It’s a super simple way to feel happier every day. You have no reason not to give it a shot! 😉

Unhappy Habit 8: Skipping Self-Care

I’ll keep this one short because it feels pretty self-explanatory. It’s no secret that self-care and happiness go hand-in-hand. Taking some time to care for yourself, your needs, your body, and your mental health play a HUGE role in your happiness. If you find yourself feeling worn-out and unhappy, you may need to look into adding some more self-care into your routine. It’s easy to overlook but, after a while, you’ll notice a lack of self-care is can be one of the main causes of unhappiness.

Try including some self-care for a month or so and then reevaluate your mood. I’m willing to bet you’ll see improvements.

Unhappy Habit 9: Comparison

This is a big one.

You’ve probably heard the quote “comparison is the thief of joy” and it is so true. I touched on this earlier when talking about social media but it goes even deeper than that. Social media can be a big space for comparison, for sure. It’s probably the place where I compare myself to others the most.

But it doesn’t stop there… and that’s what I failed to realize for a very long time. I was subconsciously comparing myself to everyone around me, in all areas of my life. Friends, family, strangers online, people I’d pass in the grocery store… I was comparing everywhere I went.

And, even beyond that, I was comparing myself to the “ideal life” in my own head.

All of society’s expectations and standards were weighing me down. I thought I should be in a serious relationship, making more money, owning more things… the list goes on. I held myself to an incredibly high standard.

Don’t get me wrong… high standards and big goals are great, but when you’re always wanting more, it can become really easy to overlook what you already have and already are.

Comparing doesn’t help anyone. All it does is cause unhappiness.

And I’m going to let you in on a secret… the people you are comparing yourself to don’t even have it as “together” as you think.

We are all just trying to figure this crazy life out and do the best we can. You are doing just fine. Stop comparing!

Unhappy Habit 10: Not Getting Enough Sleep

This is simple. I don’t even have much to say.

When I don’t get enough sleep, trust me, you don’t want to be around me. Do yourself and everyone around you a favor and get those ZZZ’s, girl.

Those are 10 hidden causes of unhappiness.

If have been feeling down, it’s time to do the work and dig deeper. These 10 causes of unhappiness are a great place to start. Find out what is making you unhappy and then we can work to change it. We don’t settle for a life of unhappiness here!

Keep your head up! We got this!

More Posts I Think You’ll LOVE:

12 Surprising Things That Hold You Back in Life

100 Inspiring Life Goals

30 Day Self-Care Challenge