In its mildest form, depression can mean just being in low spirits.
It doesn’t stop you leading your normal life but makes everything harder to do, seem less worthwhile and affect your sense of purpose.
What Is Meant By A Sense of Purpose?
What motivates you?
A desire to help disadvantaged animals could motivate you. Maybe working with children is your true calling. Perhaps you’re a keen sportsperson eager to see how far you can go. These are examples of your sense of purpose in life.
This big picture is what keeps you going through the daily grind, but it’s hard to maintain that connection when you’re feeling down.
However, depression treatment can alleviate feelings of helplessness and numbness.
Exactly What Role Does Your Sense Of Purpose Have In Your Life?
Having meaning in life can benefit your emotional and psychological health.
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, once we have obtained our basic needs, we need to satisfy our psychological needs.
Studies conducted suggest that having a sense of direction can help you maintain a healthy emotional equilibrium, making it easier to deal with both happy and unpleasant events.
Science also says that if you have something to look forward to at the end of the day, you’ll be less likely to let the stresses of the day get to you emotionally or physically. It could help you feel better and handle your emotions better.
Besides the obvious advantages of living a purposeful life, research suggests that doing so may also reduce the risk of dementia and preserve cognitive abilities such as recollection and decision-making processes as you age.
Some studies go even as far as to say that people with a stronger sense of purpose live longer.
Finding Meaning In The Face Of Depression
Dealing with depression can make you feel like the world is against you.
As if being unmotivated, discouraged, or self-critical weren’t bad enough, you can also have trouble focusing on a task long enough to make progress.
However, it’s important to note that depression isn’t necessarily intractable. If you slip off course, don’t worry; you can get back on track by recommitting to the activities and pursuits that you enjoy.
Even if you’re depressed, you might be able to rediscover your sense of purpose with guidance – starting by reading the tips below.
Find Your Motivation
Even those not clinically depressed may have difficulty articulating their life’s meaning.
Finding your life’s purpose requires a clear understanding of your motivations. It’s possible that your motivations won’t align with those of others. Even compared to a few months ago, it probably isn’t the same.
What makes you happy and at ease now is highly specific to you and your situation.
You might benefit from letting go of your prioritizations. You may have evolved, and if so, that’s fine. Explore other interpretations of your life’s significance.
Don’t feel like you have to put “but” at the end of every phrase.
Your current situation may make you feel you are lacking in some way, be it resources or opportunity. Don’t let that line of thinking derail your efforts to create a plan for your future.
Seek The Advice Of Experts
Depressive disorders can be identified and treated. Psychotherapy and the short-term use of pharmaceuticals prescribed by medical professionals can be highly effective treatments. You can also seek some spiritual life coaching from experts.
It may be easier to regain your sense of purpose if you treat the other symptoms of depression first, such as:
- difficulties in reasoning or making decisions
- low vitality and disinterest in previous interests
- exhaustion and a sense of worthlessness
Helping Out Other People
Helping others improves your self-esteem and sense of purpose when you feel you have no direction.
Altruistic behaviour releases endorphins in the brain which boosts happiness.
Finding your life’s meaning can provide you with the joy and contentment you’ve been searching for.
Participate In Mindful Practices
By consciously directing your thoughts, you engage in the practice of mindfulness. It’s being able to focus on the here and now without getting caught up in your thoughts.
According to research into the effects of mindfulness on meaning in life, those who engage in the practice are more likely to craft statements of meaning distinct from generic platitudes.
Bring Your Relationships Back Together
You may find it difficult to interact with others when dealing with depression. In other cases, it may even cause a complete break in the partnership.
In these situations, it’s normal for loved ones to pull away since they can’t relate to what you’re going through.
Recent studies have shown a correlation between your well-being and ability to keep your social networks intact.
Conclusion
Feeling hopeless is a common side effect of depression. However, your true meaning, like anything else lost, is not lost forever. Depression has only drawn a curtain over it, so it is not permanently gone.
With the help of self-care techniques and expert treatment for depression, you can begin to lift this veil. You might rediscover what gives life meaning after the depression-related symptoms no longer hold them back.
