Chronic Dissatisfaction Is Toxic To The Soul

Have you ever felt that no matter what you do, it’s never enough? Do you think you could have done better? Do you demand too much of yourself? Do you constantly compare yourself? Chronic dissatisfaction is toxic and leads to perfectionism and demand. Knowing how to turn it into a positive feeling will help you balance your life more easily.

Sociologist Zygmunt Bauman says that we live in a liquid, consumer society that seeks to meet material needs immediately. This makes the products we spend on quickly run out, causing our needs to never be satisfied and we want to consume more to feel full.

Consequently, a part of the responsibility for the great general dissatisfaction that we experience lies at the social level.  We spend the day wishing for new things, and as soon as we get them, we already want something new. As a consumer society that we are, virtually every new thing arouses a desire.

How do you know if you are dissatisfied?

Chronic dissatisfaction is not just a social phenomenon, but also a personal and individual problem. It may be that you feel that, normally, nothing fills you, you find yourself pressured by everything that is pending, and once you reach your goal, you find no reward.

Furthermore, he is struck by the constant need for approval from others and the feeling that such approval is never enough, there is always something pending that can be better executed.

If this happens to you, chances are you will also feel that everything resents you and that you set goals that are impossible to achieve. Comparison and envy are also two characteristics that are often associated with dissatisfaction. The more you compare yourself, the more dissatisfied you are. The paradox of envy is that it takes you away from your psychological well-being instead of helping you achieve your desires.

If you feel that nothing satisfies you, it may be that you have some unfinished business with your self-esteem. Insecurity is another point that is present in the feeling of chronic dissatisfaction. When doubting, you can feel a great fear of failure and therefore it prevents you from making decisions and moving forward in your goals.

How can dissatisfaction help?

The good news is that dissatisfaction has two faces. One, as we’ve just described, might resent you, and the other might help you progress. Occasional dissatisfaction can be positive, it can make you improve and surpass yourself in your daily life. In small doses, it gives you energy and motivation to not let yourself be overcome by life’s obstacles. Furthermore, it pushes you not to conform to what was established and to find a solution to your problems.

The bitter face of dissatisfaction appears when you allow it to settle into your routine and let yourself be overcome by demand, comparison and the desire for perfectionism and ambition. To make the dissatisfaction only occasional, it is necessary that you do not fall into the trap of comparison. You are unique and unrepeatable and have the same right as others to have their own tastes and thoughts and emotions.

Why does long-term dissatisfaction end up being toxic?

Dissatisfaction can signal that something needs to be changed in or around you, and this can be positive if you know how to enjoy it. It gets bad when you prolong the grievance and discontent, you end up living a life of ambition, and you end up focusing on the past or the future instead of focusing on the present moment. The desire to control everything makes you unable to relax and makes you forget what is really important: enjoying the little things.

If you’re one of the people who wants everything to be perfect, chances are your dissatisfaction can be harmful to you. No matter how much you plan, life has its own plans and no one can control events or how people around you will act.

How to get rid of toxic dissatisfaction?

Here are some ideas for getting rid of toxic dissatisfaction:

• Don’t compare. You are a singular and unique person: comparison only leads you to idealize others, instead of connecting with the real part of yourself. Accept yourself as you are and be grateful for what you have so you can feel stronger to walk your own path.

• Let your needs be real and not imposed: think about whether what you want is because you really need it or whether you just want something because you “should” have it.
• Don’t try to prove anything to others:  the only person you should prove anything to is yourself. Prove to yourself that you value yourself exactly as you are.
• Allow yourself to be mistaken:  you are imperfect, just like the rest of humanity, so use your mistakes to learn and benefit from them.
• Let your emotions guide you:  look for a balance between emotion and thought, without hiding your emotions. Only if you make room for all your emotions will you be able to deal better with your dissatisfaction.
• Enjoy the present:  your life is in the present, here and now, live it with awareness and fullness.

Confidence in yourself and what lies ahead nourishes your soul and your body. If you make your life flexible, you can more easily let go of the control and need for perfection that drags chronic dissatisfaction. Thus, you will learn to love yourself with your faults and virtues so that you can let go of your demands and be happier with yourself and with others.