Lack Of Purpose = Poor Mental Health! Here’s 6 Things To Do About It.
Lack Of Purpose = Poor Mental Health! Here’s 6 Things To Do About It.
There is a growing body of research showing that people with a strong sense of purpose in life tend to do better on multiple measures of mental health, well-being, and even cognitive functioning.
The Journal of Positive Psychology reported in a cross-sectional study that examined the relationship among purpose, hope, and life satisfaction among 153 adolescents, 237 emerging adults, and 416 adults shows that having identified a purpose in life was associated with greater life satisfaction and overall well-being at these three stages of life.
Leading psychiatrist and Auschwitz survivor, Victor Frankl said in his book Man’s Search for Meaning that ‘Those who have a “why” to live, can bear with almost any “how”. Equally, the absence of ‘why’ can make unbearable almost any ‘how’”
Frankl went on to say, “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfilment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it.”
Here's six things that you can do to start on the path of finding your purpose:
Commit
Make a commitment to yourself that from now on you’re going to take responsibility for your life.
Read
Read like crazy. The most successful people on the planet read every day. Read a range of things to begin. This will start your creative juices flowing.
“Those who have a “why” to live, can bear with almost any “how””
Meditate
Get quiet and meditate on the question “What lights me up?” You may not get your answer immediately but if you keep doing it every day, in time you will.
Journal
Free write whatever comes into your head. Let ideas and thoughts flow out onto paper. Ask yourself probing questions such as: “If I lived in a world where money was not needed what would I most like to do with my time?”
Serve
Doing something for others feels good. Ask yourself: What can I do with my time that will help humanity? What problem can I solve that with better people’s lives? What is the legacy I would like to leave?
Be Grateful
Write down 3 things every day that you’re grateful for. When anxiety takes over it can be really easy for life to feel heavy and grey. Giving yourself that little reminder that it’s not all bad has a massive positive effect on your mindset.
It has been my experience that if you want it badly enough, you can make changes and move your life in a direction that makes you happy. This will in turn make a big difference to your mental health.
FEATURE RECAP:
People with a strong sense of purpose tend to have better mental health.
Everyone has his/her own specific mission in life
Do what lights you up
