What Does it Mean to Be Unhappy?

Feeling unhappy might be a direct result of your home life or your family. The pressures of your job might make you feel unhappy. An extreme and more prolonged state of unhappiness, however, could mean you suffer from depression. Feeling unhappy could mean you develop feelings of low self-esteem, anger, bitterness, resentment toward "happy" people and could mean you have difficulty in social situations. You also might find yourself socializing less and spending more time in front of the TV.

Home

• Your home life might be making you unhappy. It might be your marriage or your extended family. Perhaps you live alone and you're just lonely. Try adjusting your home life. Go out to places your enjoy; the movies, the beach, a baseball game. Try not to go alone, ask a friend or a coworker to accompany you. Have some "me" time if you feel your marriage is making you unhappy. Or, make a "date" with your husband and make sure to get a reliable babysitter.

Work

• Your job might be making you feel unhappy. Perhaps you hate what you do or dislike a certain coworker. Getting to work on time is a challenge. You leave work early or take long lunches. Consider changing jobs. Your lack of motivation will eventually show up in your job performance anyway, so start searching for a new job as soon as you realize you can no longer tolerate your current one. Give fair notice to your employer. Maybe schedule a week or two off between jobs.

Depression

• Long periods of unhappiness might mean you have depression. Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain caused by consistent low levels of serotonin, which causes a person to feel sad and hopeless most of the time. If you believe you may be suffering from depression, talk to your doctor. You may benefit from antidepressants and talk therapy.