Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

When something makes sense, it has a purpose; it is important. Likewise, a meaningful and meaningful life can be meaningful. Feeling as if your life is completely meaningless, leading to depression and despair. There aren't any specific principles that will add meaning to your life, but you have the ability to build a meaningful life for yourself if you are willing to take the time and consideration into this process. .

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Change your outlook on life

1. 

   Explore your purpose. It feels as if you have a specific goal in your life, and that you can influence and make the most of your time and ability for it, will add meaning to your life. This requires you to try a lot of different things. If you are interested in photography, you should borrow a camera or take a photography class to see how you feel. Or perhaps you are interested in helping others and are very good at communication - you should try being a tutor to see if teaching helps you feel fulfilled. Some other methods to help you find purpose are:
   • Imagine that you are old, and look back at your life. What kind of life do you want to live? Do you feel satisfied with life filled with travel around the world, but not necessarily married? Or will you feel proud and content if you have a large, healthy family?
   • Write down your strengths and talents. How can you use them? In the work? When was a volunteer or a friend?
   • Every evening for a week, take time to write down events and activities that give you energy, joy, and a sense of purpose, as well as events and activities that don't. these. You should review your list over the weekend and try to think about ways to maximize the fun, energetic things in your life.

2. 

   
   
   Determine what's important to you. Each person has different preferences; Identifying what is important to you is essential to living a meaningful life. Make a list of the five things that are important to you, then consider whether your current lifestyle is right for them. If not, how can you change it to be more relevant to what matters to you?
   • You can also list a few factors like family or health. Or other things like creativity, growth, helping others, freedom and curiosity.
   • If "creativity" is at the top of your list, but your job is an accountant, you should consider changing jobs, or find ways to incorporate creativity into life (e.g. take a painting class, write in your spare time, take part in theater in the community, etc.).

3. 

   
   
   Write down why you feel you need to add meaning to your life. Why do you feel like you need to do this? Have you ever had to go through some great event in your life? Maybe you feel as though you are trapped in a boring life. Whatever it is, write down why you want to add meaning to your life. You can write them down on paper or use your computer. This method will help you understand why it is important to you, and also help you organize your thoughts.
   • Understand the importance of a life of purpose. Having a sense of purpose improves your quality of life, and even helps you live longer.
   • Remember, meaning is not the same as a happy life. You may feel happy, but not live a meaningful life. On the other hand, meaningful life doesn't necessarily mean you'll be happy. This is not meant to dismiss the importance of being happy, but rather it is not to hope that finding meaning means finding happiness.

4. 

   
   
   Establish target for yourself. Think about what you've always wanted to do. Maybe you want to get into a habit of running, or you want to write a novel. No matter what they are, setting goals to fulfill your dreams will help you feel a sense of purpose.
   • If your goal is a cross country race, you can make it your ultimate goal. However, you need to break this goal down into more specific, more manageable goals. There is quite a bit of evidence that breaking a big goal into small, possible steps will make it easier for you to achieve it.
   • Journal about your process. This can help you when you feel like you're not motivated as it gives you the opportunity to re-motivate yourself, and to see how far you've come. .

5. 

   Change your mindset about career. Martin Luther King Jr. once said "whatever your job in life is, you should try to do well". If you can't find the meaning of what you're doing, you should focus on being the best in that area. This in itself will also add meaning to your life as it requires you to go to work every day with clear goals in mind.
   • You can also try to find the little thing that your job allows you to help others or even yourself. For example, if you work in kindergarten, you will not only help the children in your care, but also their families by allowing them time to work or solve personal problems. If you are a teacher, you not only help others learn, but you also learn a lot from a variety of topics.

6. 

   Realize what you are grateful for. It sounds silly, but taking the time to write or at least realizing what you are grateful for will help you feel like your life becomes more meaningful. Showing gratitude for what you have, rather than worrying about what you don't have, will help you refocus and connect with the world around you. Connecting with nature, people, or more powerful forces will help give meaning to your life.
   • For example, maybe you are grateful for having a comfy bed, or are you grateful that you don't have to wake up early in the morning, or that you have friends you can always call them regardless. every time.
   • Try to be mindful of all the great things you have on a regular basis. Even if it's just realizing something that makes you feel grateful for a few seconds each day.
   • Cultivating gratitude reminds us that even when bad things happen or when things don't go as planned, our lives still have many good things. Getting rid of the feeling that you need to have more of the things you need will help you realize what really matters in your life.

7. 

   Get help. Sometimes, we get lost in our own thoughts, and from there, we can hardly find a solution. If you're going through a tough time, you can talk to a mental health professional who can give you an unbiased perspective.You can also share with friends or loved ones you trust, maybe they have had a similar experience, or will give you suggestions about things you can try.
   • Don't allow stigma surrounding therapy to stop you from trying to do it. Most people will benefit from having a non-biased conversation about their fears and worries.
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Method 2 of 2: Making changes in your life

1. 

   Build close relationships. They can be family or friends you already have, but at the same time, you can do the same with new people. Either way, you should take time to build strong relationships with others. This is also a great way to add meaning to your life because these relationships are quite profound, and they also benefit you in the form of love and support. Some ways to strengthen a relationship include:
   • Become a great listener. Instead of waiting for your turn to speak, or checking the phone while the other person is speaking, focus entirely on the person and on what they say. Show them that you are listening by nodding, asking questions, and repeating their words (like "So what are you saying is ...").
   • Learn healthy ways to express your emotions. Knowing how to control your anger will help prevent yourself from yelling, interrupting, or committing violent acts toward others.
   • Show that you are trustworthy. When you say you are going to do something, you should keep your word and do it. You need to be honest, be consistent, and if you make a mistake, admit it.

2. 

   Solve the problem in your current relationship. Sometimes, possessing a new relationship with another person can be difficult. There are many reasons why they are difficult, but one is that the people close to you often challenge you to open your heart, or reflect on your own beliefs.
   • Regardless of any stress the relationship may put you on, research has shown that unless they show signs of physical or emotional abuse, they're crucial in developing meaningful feelings. .
   • Consider going to family or couple therapy to help yourself with problems with your family and with someone you love. The therapist can act as a mediator and help you communicate in a healthy, productive way.
   • Learn how to set boundaries. Setting healthy boundaries is one way to protect yourself and improve your self-image.
   • Communicate assertively. Being assertive doesn't mean being aggressive - it's about stating your needs while respecting the needs of others.

3. 

   Become sympathetic. The Dalai Lama once said, "Empathy is what makes our life meaningful." So sometimes, this is easy, but at other times it is very difficult. When you notice that someone is hurting or acting off you, put yourself in their shoes. Think about how you would feel or behave if you were faced with a similar situation. Hopefully this way you will feel like you want to act, whether by trying to help someone who is suffering or by showing sympathy.
   • The same applies to your attitudes about yourself. Occasionally, you will make mistakes, and this is normal. Try to sympathize with yourself the same way you would with someone you really care about.
   • The act of empathy activates the pleasure center of your brain, so you will feel great when you help others. The empathetic person will also become better friends, parents, and spouses, so showing sympathy can help improve your relationship.

4. 

   Donations. Although at first, this didn't seem like a way to be grateful, donating time, money to help the organization, or donating items (like free canned food to a restaurant poor) is a way to show that you treasure everything you have. You can do charity work in many different ways. You can donate your time, money, talent, or just a few minutes to the person you need. However, you should know that you cannot contribute just one hour per year. Research has shown that you need to do charity on a regular basis in order to benefit from it.
   • Try to participate in charity activities that you enjoy. Again, this approach will help you see your life as it is, especially if you volunteer to help other people, animals, or worse situations than you've ever encountered.
   • For example, if you love animals, you can often volunteer to help out at your local animal farm. If you love kids, find out if you can volunteer at an orphanage or your local community center.

5. 

   Looking for a new job. You may have tried to change your attitude about your current job before, but it didn't work out. Maybe it's time you need to look for another job.
   • Before you finish off with another pointless job, take some time to write down what you value in life. For example, perhaps you appreciate kindness, or generosity. You may also appreciate helping others, or making them laugh. Write down every element you think. This will help you identify the activity you will enjoy.
   • Consider something you won't mind doing for free. For example, if you like volunteering to help out at a restaurant for the poor that is free, why not make helping the disadvantaged become your career. There are quite a few non-profit organizations that need to find people to arrange accommodation, develop advocacy programs, and / or provide counseling to the poor.
   • You can also apply for an internship for a job position that you may be interested in. This will help you determine if the job is right for you without having to make major life changes.

6. 

   Become brave. Looking back at your daily routine will be quite scary. It requires being really honest about your own way of life. You may have to make a huge change to feel a sense of purpose, and this is a journey that you will have to spend your entire life on.
   • If you decide that what you want to do with your life requires a huge change (for example, traveling the world, investing a lot of your savings, or changing your daily routine) You need to try and overcome your fear. Fear often keeps us from doing what we want to do.
   • Building your confidence and acknowledging your fear will help build your courage.
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Advice

• Form meaning for life. Meaning won't come to you without you trying. In order to be able to find your purpose, you must make an effort to reflect on your values ​​and thinking about the point of view you choose. Don't expect the meaning to find you automatically.

Warning

• Finding meaning in your life involves re-examining yourself, and sometimes this can be scary and / or painful. You should know that this is part of the process. If you feel as though things are getting over, journal or share your feelings with a trusted friend or loved one, or a mental health professional.