Why do you get out of bed in the morning? When we feel well, we feel a driving force that moves us to begin our day, achieve our best, and fulfill our mission. We embrace a sense of purpose.
A strong sense of purpose is integral to your wellbeing – feelings of wellness and purpose act as driving forces for each other. When one flourishes, so does the other.
But what exactly is a sense of purpose?
In psychology, a sense of purpose means having a sense of meaning and direction in life – a goal to work towards. Your purpose can be big or small; great or humble. Your purpose is personal to you, and it will evolve with you as you grow and change.
Without a sense of purpose, we may feel lost and unsure about where we’re going. We may even begin to question why we do what we do.
The link between our purpose and mental wellness seems to be intuitively understood. But why is a sense of purpose so important?
Fact: Purpose is the Driving Force
Researchers have investigated this phenomenon, and they have discovered a tangible association between mental health and a sense of life purpose.
One huge landmark analysis of previous scientific studies, including over 66,000 participants around the world, found that people with a greater sense of purpose in life had significantly lower levels of depression and anxiety. The researchers conducting the analysis suggested that purpose might lead to both greater motivation to complete necessary tasks, and protection against discomfort avoidance.
Discomfort avoidance might look like procrastination, or hiding from things that we don’t want to do, even though we might need to. While avoidance may give us short-term feelings of relief, it can have a negative impact in the longer term. Avoidance can quickly become a habit, and it may lead to a cycle of anxiety.
The cycle of anxiety.
By nurturing our sense of purpose, we may be able to improve avoidant tendencies and find greater success in realising our goals.
Purpose Protects Our Resilience and Recovery
A study conducted in the USA tested whether our purpose in life might be associated with our resilience and ability to recover when things go wrong.
Their participants were able to recover more quickly after a negative event when they had a greater sense of life purpose. The researchers suggested that those of us with a greater sense of purpose have an improved ability to automatically regulate emotions, protecting us from the effects of a negative experience.
This may lead to lower perceived stress – another large analysis, this time involving over 100,000 participants, found that people with a greater sense of life purpose reported lower stress. In this study, the age, sex, race, and ethnicity of the participants had no effect on the association between life purpose and stress. Their life experiences, such as education level and psychological distress, were also unrelated to this outcome.
The evidence seems to point to a direct relationship between life purpose and mental wellbeing, no matter your personal background and identity.
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The Deep Connection Between Purpose and Wellness
Another US study found a two-way relationship between sense of purpose and physical activity over time in middle-aged and older adults – the greater the increase in their sense of life purpose, the more their physical activity increased over time, and vice versa. This relationship was tracked almost 5 and 10 years after the original measurements were taken.
Physical activity is a strong predictor for good mental and physical health, so it may not be so surprising that our sense of purpose can be linked to this too.
Scientists agree that by looking after our sense of purpose, we may increase our subjective feelings of wellness.
This is a core element of the Awakened.energy philosophy: the idea that our wellness and purpose are inextricably linked. We call it The DNA of Flourishing.
How to Find Your Purpose
Finding your purpose is a personal journey – no one can tell you what it is, or what it should be.
If you’re feeling lost or uncertain, there are some things you can do to find clarity.
1. Self-reflection
Reflection techniques, such as journalling, can help to organize and clarify your thoughts. By spending some quiet time thinking about what guides you, your purpose may become obvious.
2. Meditation
Meditation is the practice of focusing the mind. If self-reflection alone brings up lots of conflicting thoughts and feelings, practicing meditation might help you to reflect with greater intention and improved concentration.
3. Try Something New
If you feel you haven’t found your purpose yet, it may be a matter of trial and error. What new activities or challenges do you feel drawn to? Practicing those activities may bring you a sense of purpose you didn’t expect to find at first.
4. Examine Your Values
Most people find that their purpose aligns with their core values. Find a list of personal values and highlight which are the most important to you. What activities or goals might relate to those ideals?
5. Focus On What Makes You Feel Energized
When you do things aligned with your purpose, you feel excited, invigorated, and energized. Pay close attention to how the activities you’re already doing make you feel. For example, you go for a run and feel tired – but do you also feel accomplished and excited to run again? Do more of the things that make you feel this way, and you may find your sense of purpose expanding.
There’s no doubt that your sense of purpose is a powerful indicator of wellness, even carrying implications for your future mental and physical health.
Find out more about The DNA of Flourishing, and discover how exploring your sense of purpose could be the key to living a life that is more fulfilled.
