DISSATISFACTION DEFINITION:Being unsatisfied and discontent PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS: Eyebrows that pull close and down, creating a forehead crease Grimacing and shaking the head Becoming more vocal and contrary Crossing the arms and looking down Rubbing at the back of the neck Twisting or crushing an empty water bottle to relieve frustration Rubbing the legs while seated Breaking eye contact with others A pinched, unhappy expression Muttering something unkind under the breath Rolling the eyes, sighing, or letting out a derisive snort The stride slowing when one approaches the source of dissatisfaction (a person, a job, etc.) Growing more insistent or emphatic in conversation Demanding someone “do it again” until it’s right Perfectionistic tendencies Complaining or grousing Shifting position (turning the torso, moving the arms frequently, etc.) Feet that point away from the people one is engaged with Staying out late to avoid going home (if one’s home life is the source of dissatisfaction) Restless sleeping Replaying the day’s events with a focus on the negative Waking before the alarm clock and dreading it going off Finding it hard to relax Pacing or moving about frequently rather than remaining in one place Asking revelatory questions:You ever wish you could just hit the reset button and try again? Going through the motions rather than participating (at work, in relationships, at church, etc.) Having no patience for small talk Pulling away from others to be alone Holding grudges Growing angry quickly; letting small things get under one’s skin Always wanting more or something better Talking about the past and better times Self-medicating—drinking, gambling, smoking weed, or taking pills to escape Playing hooky to get out of obligations, then lying about it Seeking control by hyper-focusing on inconsequential things (e.g., circling the parking lot endlessly because one refuses to get stuck with a bad spot again) INTERNAL SENSATIONS: Headaches (increased blood pressure) Hardness in the gut An overall feeling of jitteriness due to exhaustion from poor sleeping habits MENTAL RESPONSES: Feeling lost and directionless Feeling trapped (in a bad marriage, in an unfulfilling job, by an illness, etc.) Frequent thoughts about the unfairness of life or how others are to blame Focusing on the negative; having a pessimistic outlook Resenting people who seem happy and content Mentally comparing oneself to others Daydreaming about one’s problems being solved (winning the lottery, a bad boss being transferred, etc.) Becoming obsessed with finding a way out of one’s situation ACUTE OR LONG-TERM RESPONSES FOR THIS EMOTION: Constant worry Taking risks (to improve one’s situation or to feel excitement and vitality) Going through a mid-life crisis Chasing the wrong things, such as investing in get-rich-quick schemes Having an affair Insomnia Depression Stress-induced maladies (ulcers, hypertension, etc.) Being unable to feel gratitude Becoming bitter and jaded towards others or the world in general Flight (leaving one’s job, one’s family, etc.) Appearing older than one is (frown lines, broken blood vessels in the nose and cheeks, etc.) SIGNS THAT THIS EMOTION IS BEING SUPPRESSED: Busying oneself with work or family to avoid thinking about one’s needs or wants Deferring a yearning:Someday I’ll travel like my sister, orI’ll learn to paint next year. Encouraging others so one can live through their successes Playing the martyr:Just because I was cheated out of my dreams doesn’t mean you have to be. Manically trying new things in hopes of finding the “magic” that will change one’s life Buying things to get a brief burst of happiness (retail therapy) MAY ESCALATE TO:Depressed,Contempt,Anger,Bitterness,Resentment MAY DE-ESCALATE TO:Frustration,Resignation,Wistful,Acceptance ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS: Agonize, belabor, clench, clutch complain, covet, desire, displease disrupt, dwell, expect, fail frustrate, grate, gripe, grouse hamper, infuriate, interrupt, irk irritate, miff, moan, mutter resent, rouse, spurn, sulk thwart, worry, yearn WRITER’S TIP:To show a character’s emotional growth and maturity, provide a situation early on that will cause them to overreact. Then, when a similar circumstance arises later, they can handle it in a much better way.