How to Add Meaning to Life

When something makes sense, it becomes purposeful; it is important. Similarly, a meaningful life gives a sense of purpose and importance. Feeling as if your life is completely meaningless leads to depression and despair. ^{[1] X Source of Research} There aren’t any specific principles that will help you add meaning to your life, but you can build a meaningful life for yourself if you’re willing to take the time and consideration for this process.

Table of Contents

Change your perspective on life

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Discover your purpose. Feeling as if you have a definite purpose in life, and that you can influence and are making the most of your energy and time, infuses more meaning into your life. This requires you to try and do things differently. If you have an interest 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 great at communicating – you should try becoming a tutor to see if teaching makes you feel fulfilled. ^{[2] X Research Sources} Some other methods to help you find purpose are: ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Imagine that you are old, and look back on your life. How do you want to live your life? Do you feel content with a life filled with traveling the world, but not necessarily getting married? Or would you feel proud and fulfilled if you had a large, healthy family?
Write down your strengths and talents. How can you use them? In the work? As a volunteer or a friend?
Every evening for a week, take time to write down the event and activity that gives you energy, joy, and a sense of purpose, as well as the event and activity that doesn’t. these things. You should review the list at the end of the week and try to think of ways to optimize the exciting, energetic elements in your life.

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Identify what’s important to you. Everyone has different priorities; Identifying what’s important to you is essential to living a meaningful life. You should make a list of five things that are important to you, and then consider whether your current way of life fits them. If not, how can you change it to make it more relevant to what’s important to you? ^{[4] X Research Sources}

You can also list a few factors like family or health. Or other things like creativity, growth, helping others, freedom and curiosity.
If “creative” is at the top of your list, but your job is as an accountant, you should consider changing careers, or looking for ways to incorporate creativity into your life (eg. attend painting classes, write free time, participate in community theater, etc.).

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Write down why you feel that you need to add meaning to your life. Why do you feel you need to do this? Have you ever had to go through some big event in your life? Perhaps you feel as if you are stuck in a boring life. Whatever it is, you should write down why you want to add meaning to your life. You can write them down on paper or use a computer. This method will help you understand why it is important to you, and also help you organize your thoughts.

Understand the importance of living a purposeful life. Having a sense of purpose will improve your quality of life, and even help you live longer. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
You should remember that a meaningful life does not mean a happy life. You can feel happy, but not live a meaningful life. On the other hand, a meaningful life doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be happy. ^{[6] X Research Source} This is not meant to dismiss the importance of being happy, but rather it is that you should not expect that the search for meaning also means the search for meaning. happy.

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Set goals for yourself. Think about something you’ve always wanted to do. Perhaps you want to form a running habit, or you want to write a novel. Whatever they may be, setting goals to fulfill your dreams will help you feel purposeful. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

If your goal is to race cross country, you can make it your ultimate goal. However, you need to break this goal down into more specific, manageable goals. There’s a lot of evidence that breaking a big goal down into small, actionable steps makes it easier to achieve it. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
Log the process. This method will help you when you feel like you are out of motivation as it gives you the opportunity to re-motivate yourself, and to see how far you have come. .

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Change your thinking about your career. Martin Luther King Jr. once said that “no matter what your job in life is, you should try to do it well”. ^{[9] X Research Sources} If you can’t find meaning in the work you’re doing, you should focus on being the best at it. This in itself will also add meaning to your life as it requires you to go to work every day with a clear goal in mind.

You can also try to find the little things that your job allows you to help others or even yourself. For example, if you work in daycare, you will not only be helping the children you care for, but also their families by allowing them time to work or deal with personal problems. If you’re a teacher, you’re not only helping others learn, but you’re also learning a lot from a variety of topics.

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Be aware of what you are grateful for. It may sound silly, but taking the time to write or at least become aware of the things you’re grateful for will help you feel like your life becomes more meaningful. ^{[10] X Research Resources} Expressing gratitude for what you have, rather than worrying about what you don’t, will help you refocus and connect with the world around you. ^{[11] X Trusted Source Harvard Medical Schop Go to Source} Connecting with nature, people, or a stronger force will help give meaning to your life.

For example, maybe you’re grateful that you have a comfy bed, or you’re grateful that you don’t have to wake up early in the morning, or that you have friends you can always call no matter what. every time.
Try to become mindful of every wonderful element you possess on a regular basis. Even if it’s just being aware of something that makes you feel grateful for a few extra seconds each day.
Cultivating gratitude reminds us that even when bad things happen or when things don’t go according to plan, our lives are full of good things. ^{[12] X Trusted Source Harvard Medical Schop Going to the Source} Getting rid of the feeling that you need more will help you realize what really matters in your life.

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Seek help. Sometimes, we get lost in our own thoughts, and from there, it’s hard for us to find solutions. If you’re going through a tough time, you can talk to a mental health professional who can provide you with an unbiased perspective. You can also share with a friend or loved one you trust, who may have had a similar experience or would suggest things you can try.

Don’t allow the stigma surrounding therapy to stop you from trying to do it. Almost everyone will benefit from talking about their fears and concerns with someone without prejudice. ^{[13] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source}

Make a change in your life

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Build intimate relationships. They can be family or friends you already have, but at the same time, you can also do this with someone new. Either way, you should take the time to build strong relationships with people. This is also a great way to add meaning to your life because these relationships are quite deep, and they also benefit you in the form of love and support. ^{[14] X Research Sources} Some ways to strengthen relationships include:

Become a great listener. Instead of waiting for your turn to speak, or checking your phone while the other person is speaking, you should focus entirely on the person and on what they have to say. Show them you’re listening by nodding, asking questions, and repeating their words (like “So you’re saying…”).
Learn healthy ways to express emotions. Knowing how to manage your anger will help you prevent yourself from yelling, interrupting, or engaging in abusive behavior toward others.
Show that you are trustworthy. When you say you will do something, you should keep your word and do it. You need to tell the truth, be consistent, and if you make a mistake, admit it. ^{[15] X Research Source}

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Solve the problem in the current relationship. Sometimes, having a new relationship with other people can be quite difficult. There are many reasons why they can be difficult, but one reason is that people close to you often challenge you to open up, or look at your beliefs. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Regardless of any stress a relationship can bring to you, research has shown that unless they manifest as physical or emotional abuse, they are important in developing a sense of meaning. . ^{[17] X Research Source}
Consider going to family or couples therapy to help yourself work through problems with your family and loved ones. A therapist can act as a mediator and help you communicate in a healthy, productive way.
Learn how to set boundaries. Setting healthy boundaries is a 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.

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Become empathetic. The Dalai Lama once said, “Compassion is what makes our lives meaningful.” ^{[18] X Research Resources} So sometimes this is easy, but other times it’s very difficult. When you notice someone else is suffering or acting that upsets you, you should put yourself in their shoes. Think about how you would feel or behave if you were faced with a similar situation. Hopefully by doing this, you will feel the urge to act, whether by trying to help someone who is suffering or expressing sympathy.

This also applies to your attitude about yourself. Occasionally, you will make mistakes, and this is normal. You should try to empathize with yourself the same way you would with someone you really care about.
The act of empathy activates the pleasure centers of your brain, so you feel great every time you help others. ^{[19] X Trusted Source Greater Good Magazine Go to Source} Sympaths will also become better friends, parents, and spouses, so expressing empathy helps improve improve your relationship.

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Donations. Although at first, this doesn’t seem like a way to be grateful, donate time or money to help the organization, or donate items (like canned food to a free cafeteria). poor) is a way to show that you appreciate everything you have. You can give to charity in many different ways. You can donate your time, money, talents, or simply a few minutes to someone you are in need of. However, you should know that you cannot contribute just one hour a year. Research has shown that you need to give to charity on a regular basis in order to benefit positively from it. ^{[20] X Research Sources}

Try to join a charity that you love. Again, this approach will help you see your life for what it is, especially if you’re volunteering to help other people, animals, or worse situations than you’ve ever been in. ^{[21] X Research Source}
For example, if you love animals, you can often volunteer to help out at your local animal shelter. If you love children, you should find out if you can volunteer at an orphanage or local community center.

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Search for a new job. Perhaps you’ve tried to change your attitude about your current job, but it hasn’t worked. Maybe it’s time to look for another job.

Before you end up with another pointless task, take the time to write down what you value in life. For example, perhaps you value kindness, or generosity. You may also value helping others, or making them laugh. Write down every element that comes to mind. This measure will help you identify activities you will enjoy.
Consider an activity you wouldn’t mind doing for free. For example, if you love volunteering at a free food restaurant for the poor, why not make helping the needy your career. There are quite a few nonprofits looking for people to arrange accommodation, develop advocacy programs, and/or provide counseling services to the poor.
You can also apply for an internship for a position you may be interested in. This will help you determine if the job is right for you without making major life changes.

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Become courageous . Looking back at your daily routine can be scary. It requires you to be really honest about your own way of life. You may have to make huge changes to get a sense of purpose, and it’s a journey that will take you a lifetime. ^{[22] X Research Source}

If you decide that what you want to do with your life requires a major change (for example, traveling around the world, putting a large chunk of your savings into an investment, or changing your daily routine) , you need to try and overcome your fear. Fear often keeps us from doing what we want. ^{[23] X Research Sources}
Building confidence and acknowledging fear will help you build courage.

Advice

Creating meaning for life. Meaning won’t come to you without you trying. 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. ^{[24] X Research Source} Don’t expect meaning to automatically find you.

Warning

Finding meaning in life will involve self-reflection, and sometimes this can be quite scary and/or painful. You should know that this is part of the process. If you feel as though things are getting too much, you should journal or share your feelings with a trusted friend or loved one, or with a mental health professional.

Steps

Change your perspective on life

Make a change in your life

Advice

Warning

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