Why Do I Feel Like I'm Never Satisfied? The Real Reasons Behind That Constant Emptiness

The Psychology of Never Feeling Fulfilled

Dopamine and the reward loop

Okay, let’s get nerdy for a sec. Your brain loves dopamine — that little chemical burst you get when something feels good (like eating chocolate or getting a like on your Insta post). The problem? It doesn’t last. And once it's gone, your brain starts hunting for the next hit.

This creates what's called the “hedonic treadmill” — you chase pleasure, get it, then boom... back to square one. It's like running in place. Exhausting and kinda pointless after a while.

Ever finish a big goal — like finally landing that job — and then feel… empty? Yeah. That’s the treadmill in action.

Comparing kills joy

Another big one: social comparison. It’s brutal. You scroll through your feed and it looks like everyone else is doing better, looking better, living better. And suddenly your own life feels meh.

Even if you were happy ten minutes ago.

Our brains are wired to look sideways — and upward — and sometimes that totally backfires. Satisfaction becomes this moving target you can never quite catch.

Emotional Factors That Fuel Dissatisfaction

Perfectionism (ugh, this one...)

Being a perfectionist sounds admirable in theory — “I just want to do my best!” — but wow, it can be a trap. If nothing is ever “good enough,” then yeah, no wonder satisfaction feels out of reach.

Perfectionists often downplay achievements. You get the A, the praise, the promotion… and still think, “Well, I could’ve done better.”

It’s exhausting. And it sucks the joy out of progress.

Unresolved emotional needs

Here’s a thing most people don’t talk about: sometimes that feeling of not being satisfied is actually about something deeper. Like not feeling seen, valued, or safe.

If your emotional bucket has holes — maybe from childhood stuff, past trauma, neglect, whatever — then even great things can just leak right out. Nothing feels like enough because your base needs were never quite met.

Not your fault, by the way. But it’s worth looking into.

Lifestyle and Habits That Make It Worse

The constant chase culture

Modern life is all about “next.” Next promotion. Next trip. Next gadget. And it’s not necessarily wrong — ambition can be awesome — but if you never pause to feel what you’ve already got, you’ll always feel like something’s missing.

We’re kinda taught to be discontent. It fuels the economy, after all.

Oh, and hustle culture? It glorifies burnout while pretending it’s fulfillment. Spoiler: it’s not.

Never slowing down = never integrating

If you're always rushing from one thing to the next, your mind doesn’t get the chance to process or enjoy anything. Achievements come and go without meaning. Joy becomes background noise.

You finish the degree and instantly apply for a master’s. You hit the gym goal and immediately want to lose five more pounds. No pause = no satisfaction.

How to Start Feeling More Fulfilled (It’s Possible, Promise)

Practice “savoring” the good

It sounds cheesy, but it works. Take a few seconds — literally seconds — to absorb moments of joy. A good coffee. A genuine laugh. A hug. A small win.

Tell your brain: this matters. That starts to rewire the dopamine system, slowly but surely.

Redefine what “enough” means

This one hits deep. Try asking yourself: “Who taught me what success looks like?” You might be chasing an idea of fulfillment that’s not even yours.

Enough doesn’t have to mean perfect. Or rich. Or flawless. Sometimes it means peaceful, or simple, or just… yours.

Therapy can help, big time

If that feeling of “never enough” is always hanging around, and especially if it's tied to old emotional stuff, talking to someone can seriously change the game. No shame in that. Like, at all.

Final thoughts: It’s okay to want more — but not all the time

Feeling like you’re never satisfied doesn’t mean you’re broken. It might just mean you’re human in a noisy, demanding world.

But you can learn to slow the chase, to sit with the joy, to notice what is working. It’s not a one-time fix — more like a daily practice.

And honestly? That’s kind of beautiful.

Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?

The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.

Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?

How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

How tall is a average 15 year old?

Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years

How to get taller at 18?

Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.

Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?

Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

Can you grow between 16 and 18?

Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

Can you grow 1 cm after 17?

Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.