 Hey Psych2Go fam, welcome back to another video. Before we start, we'd like to give a huge thank you for all of the support that you've given us. Psych2Go's mission is to make psychology and mental health more accessible to everyone, so let's begin. What makes you happy? The pursuit of happiness is a life-long endeavor, and everyone struggles to feel happy at certain points in their lives. You may yearn for success, admiration, love, or friendships, because it may lead to emotional fulfillment, but oftentimes you may need to overcome feelings of insecurity, loneliness, or regret before you can allow yourself to be happy. So, here are 8 likely reasons why you may be unhappy all the time. 1. You worry about everything. Do you worry about what other people think of you, or what might go wrong today? Worrying too much can cause you a great deal of emotional distress, especially if it's completely out of your control. It may only breed feelings of anxiety, dread, panic, and tension. By constantly putting yourself in these imaginary negative situations, you may be draining your own energy and causing yourself so much misery. 2. You hold on to grudges. Do you struggle to forgive and forget? Even with the people you love? While it's normal to be frustrated and upset sometimes, it's never good to dwell too much on your anger. Letting your resentment linger and grow in your heart may only make you more bitter, vindictive, and unhappy as time goes on. Instead of letting go and moving on, you may be fixated on a negative past experience and therefore refuse to heal from it. 3. You compare yourself to others. Does going on social media make you feel bad about yourself? Do you feel down when you're reminded of someone else's attractiveness, popularity, or success? Your insecurities and feelings of inferiority may come from comparing yourself to the people around you. Studies have shown that constant social comparisons can lead to symptoms of depression, anxiety, and chronic loneliness. So constantly competing and comparing yourself to others may only end up hurting your pride and sense of self-worth. 4. You've forgotten how to be grateful When was the last time you felt thankful for what you have? Whether it's getting a good night's sleep, eating good food, or spending time with your loved ones, there are many simple pleasures that you may be taking for granted. Practicing gratitude and learning to appreciate the things you have can be life-changing. A kind of negative attitude of being ungrapeful or complaining about the things you don't have will likely fuel your unhappiness even more. 5. You have a pessimistic way of thinking Do you have a bad habit of looking at the downside of everything? You often criticize yourself and downplay your own achievements. Another way you may be creating your own unhappiness is with your thoughts and beliefs. After all, it's hard to be happy when you are always bringing yourself down with your pessimism. By choosing to focus more on what makes you unhappy, you may be amplifying your own negative emotions. 6. You're surrounded by negative people Did you know that negativity is contagious? Being surrounded by negative people may influence you to become as sullen and joyless as them. It may become difficult to overcome your own self-defeating behaviors until you learn to let go of the people weighing you down with their negativity. Whatever kind of bad attitudes they have, the more time you spend with them, the more you may be falling into the very same psychological traps and problematic behaviors. 7. You've given up control of your life Is there something or someone in your life you've been blaming your unhappiness on? Is it your parents are getting divorced or is it an abusive friend or romantic partner? When you blame others for your problems, you may be denying your own agency and giving up control of your life. You may feel helpless to change your ways or turn your life around for the better because you're relying too much on others for happiness. 8. You gravitate to people who are bad for you Do you often fall in love with people who are bad for you or find yourself surrounded by friends who are rude or inconsiderate? While many people believe that you are powerless over who you choose to love, the people you gravitate towards can tell you a lot about yourself. This is especially common for those who struggle with self-loathing or who are afraid of intimacy. You may be accepting the love you think you deserve, but the truth is, you deserve much better. Do you relate to any of the reasons here? Have you been struggling with negative feelings lately? If you suspect that there may be more serious underlying issues to these feelings, don't hesitate to reach out to a mental health care professional. If you know someone who may benefit from online counseling, we actually partnered up with BetterHelp, an affordable online counseling platform that you could utilize. The link will be in the description box. As always, thanks for watching and we'll see you in the next one.