Life has lost its meaning - what to do, how to live on? Psychologist's advice

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

Every person has his own meaning of life. His search is traditionally defined as a spiritual and philosophical problem, the essence of which tends to determine the purpose of the existence of each of us. If you think more globally, then to the destiny of all mankind. It is important. And if life has lost its meaning, then something worse is unlikely to happen.

About the problem

This usually happens during depression. Although most often it is the loss of the meaning of life that causes this condition. During which nothing is wanted. The person is depressed, he does not feel joy, does not show interest in anything, constantly feels tired. His speeches are pessimistic, he does not want and cannot concentrate, sometimes he thinks about death or suicide, he constantly sleeps or does not do it at all. And most importantly, a sense of worthlessness, accompanied by feelings of fear, anxiety, and even guilt.

Life has lost its meaning… How much pain in this phrase. And with whatis this problem related? With the lack of what a person needs most. For some, this is a job and an opportunity to make a dizzying career. For others - a loved one, spending time together, tender feelings and passion. For the rest - a family with a bunch of children. For some, the meaning of life is immeasurable we alth. For others, it is an opportunity to travel and develop. There can be countless examples. But it all comes down to one simple truth. Luckily. Yes, this is the meaning of life - to be happy. Or, as they say, to be in a state of complete satisfaction with the conditions of one's existence and being. That's the meaning of life. This phenomenon, by the way, is actively studied by occultism, theology, psychology and philosophy.

Eternal search

It's a paradox, but many people realize that life has lost its meaning during … trying to find it. Such cases are not uncommon. Indeed, people who constantly think about what the meaning of life is are the most unhappy. They are actively trying to know their desires, their own character and themselves. And many are not satisfied with the notorious answer to the eternal question, which assures that the meaning lies in happiness.

And then a person tries to find it in esoteric, philosophical and religious teachings, which, of course, do not give a clear answer to this question. Therefore, a person begins to look for it in music, literature, lyrics and even the natural sciences.

And in the overwhelming majority of cases, disappointment comes to him. He seems to haveeverything you need for a fulfilling life - a job, loved ones, friends, a soulmate, a good salary. But it doesn't make sense anymore. Because the person was convinced: everything is decay. And slowly but surely he loses interest in everything. Begins to experience headaches, struggles with insomnia, experiences chronic fatigue. And it's very hard to live like that. There are attempts to relax. In the best cases, a person is fond of computer games. At worst, he drowns in alcohol and drugs. The worst consequence is suicide. In general, the real depression.

What to do?

If life has lost its meaning, then you don't want to do anything. For the first time, the turning point, so to speak, this is permissible. But then you need to act. Either by yourself, or at the suggestion of someone close and indifferent. Many turn to psychologists. Of course, there are effective tips. But there is no universal recommendation that helps everyone equally.

So what to do if you have lost the meaning of life? Start looking for answers. To begin with, it is important to determine what is happening. After all, the essence lies not just in a bad mood, parting with a loved one or accumulated fatigue. The loss of the meaning of life cannot be compared with any sadness.

And we also need to remember that we are all driven by desires. And they need to be satisfied. What could be worse than not having what you want? If you do not satisfy your own spiritual needs, you cannot avoid misfortune. And voids that need to be filled. To begin to gradually get rid of hatred for yourself and your body, others and the world inIn general, you need to remember what a person has always wanted. Let's say, as an example, this is a trip to the sunny Dominican Republic, to the gentle sea. Through force, you need to ignite this desire again. Start planning a trip, collect things, pick up a hotel. There is a saying: "Appetite comes with eating." And in this case, too. The person will be inspired in the process. And the result will be the satisfaction of his main desire, which entails a sense of fulfillment, self-sufficiency and pleasure.

Analysis

Everyone knows that this is a research method in which the object under study is divided into separate parts for better understanding. Analysis is not only related to mathematics, programming and medicine. But also to the topic under discussion. What to do if you have lost the meaning of life? Analyze the current situation.

You need to evaluate your actions and identify mistakes. Nothing just happens. And the reason why a person was on the verge also has roots. But most importantly, never judge yourself. Everything has already happened. What was, is gone. And now we need to find out why everything happened so, in order not to repeat our mistakes in the future.

It's very important not to feel sorry. This is a bad feeling, once again oppressing a person. He must accept the moment as it is. And even in the most terrible, wild situation, try to find the pros. Even though life goes on. And in the future there is a chance to succeed.

And even if a person has incrediblea hard life, the story of which can bring tears to the most callous person in the universe, you don’t need to feel sorry for yourself for a long time. Yes, everything fell apart. Already the bottom, there is nowhere to fall further. Therefore, you need to rise. With difficulty, through pain and torment. It can help to realize that the perception of everything around is just a matter of tuning. Yes, it’s easier to talk than to worry about everything, but the person himself will come to this conclusion when he gets out of a deplorable state.

Emotion release

If a person is overcome by the question “Why am I living?”, Then it's time to get a beautiful clean notebook with a pen and turn it into a diary. This is a very powerful move. And don't underestimate him.

"And what should I write in it?" - sluggishly, but with a share of skepticism, a depressed person will ask. And the answer is simple - everything. Absolutely anything. Thoughts can begin with any phrases and expressions - there is no need to structure and organize them, because this is not an essay. A diary is a way to express your emotions. As a rule, a person who constantly asks the question “Why do I live?” Does not want to make contact with anyone. And emotions accumulate. So it is better to reflect them on paper. Over time, this will become a habit. And then a person will notice that in the head, as well as on paper, there is no longer such a confusion that was observed at the very beginning.

And then in the diary you can start to mark the results of your work on yourself. Does anyone interfere with sketching a little plan for the future?

By the way, when you feel better, you need to find something to your liking. No wonder they say that a person is alive,while he is interested in life. You need to find a hobby that would not only bring pleasure, but also inspire at least minimal optimism and joy. Maybe start breeding parrots? This will be a great idea, because everyone knows that our smaller brothers give boundless positive, joy and help to pass life's trials. After all, they love their master infinitely. And love gives us strength.

For whom should one live?

People, having fallen into powerlessness and tired of looking for the reasons why they were on the verge, begin to ask this question. Look for the cause from the outside, so to speak. Some, through force, begin to live for a loved one, parents, beloved pet or children. Maybe it helps. But the key phrase here is "through force." Because the problem that touched a person directly and in the most direct way remains unresolved.

You need to live for yourself. Selfish? Not at all. And even if it is, there is nothing wrong with he althy, productive selfishness. You need to stop thinking about what you can do for others. And finally, put yourself first.

By the way, this is often the cause of deep depression. That man has never lived for himself. He did what was customary. Did what needed to be done. I tried to meet the expectations of my parents or boss. I tried to comply with generally accepted standards, so that "everything is like with people." Although deep down I wanted something completely different. And the realization of this usually comes at the moment when he is standing on the edge. But there is no need to despair. We must remember - there is enough time for everything thatreally want to make it. This is true. Because desires always subjugate time. And you don’t have to wait – you need to start implementing them right away. And then questions about why life has lost its meaning will fade into the background.

Forget everything

This is another effective method. He is able to help. Anyone - be it a man drowning in depression, or a woman who has lost her meaning in life. The advice of a psychologist is as follows: you need to sweep away the past from yourself. To forget him. Throw out of memory forever. The past often pulls a person down, like a stone to the bottom of a river, tied to the foot of a drowned man.

We need to burn all the bridges. Break contact with unpleasant people with whom the person was forced to communicate. Quit a job you hate. Boss oppressed? So you can finally express to his eyes everything that has accumulated in the soul. Divorce a legitimate "soulmate", with whom there is no longer any chance of establishing a life. Move from a boring and hated city to another place. In general, we are talking about the beginning of a truly new life. The one that everyone loves to talk about today.

And this is the most important thing: with each action, a person must pass through himself the realization that he is becoming a new personality. Not who he was. You can even fix it with visualization - change the appearance (haircut, hair and contact lens color, image, tan, etc.). All this may be taken lightly by some. But, again, it seems so only from the outside. After doing everythinglisted above, a person will look around, look at himself in the mirror, and understand that he is already different. And he has no right to return to his old life.

Break

When thoughts like “What am I doing?” start to appear in a person’s head. and "What am I doing with my life?", it's time to pause. Preferably a long one. In order not to completely wallow in despondency and not fall into a real depression, you need to urgently take a vacation, rent a house by the lake or in the forest and go there. A sharp change of scenery and unity with nature saved a considerable number of people.

What's next? Then you will need to give yourself answers to the notorious questions “What do I do?” and “What am I doing with my life?”. Recognize what is causing the discomfort. Why is there discontent and when these questions, in fact, appeared. And then find solutions to problems. Maybe find a new meaning to life. As a rule, people who take a break in time and deal with the oppression that has begun to accumulate do not reach the edge and do not fall into a deep depression.

By the way, a break is not complete without planning for the near future and setting goals. They, like the meaning of life, should be in every normal person who wants to be an accomplished person. Goals do not have to be global (buy a villa in Spain, change from Lada to Mercedes, go into investment business, etc.). They must be viable. And those for which I would like to wake up in the morning. It is desirable that the goals are long-term. Three is enough. It's better to write them down.in the notorious diary. It might look like this: “Goal 1: Save up for a year to spend in Greece. 2: Do a 5-minute exercise every morning. No. 3: bring English up to a conversational level. Goals should motivate and set you up for positive life changes. This is the main principle of their production.

Helping others

It is not easy for a person who is on the edge. But the depression he is experiencing also affects people close to him, who begin to think: how to help a person who has lost the meaning of life?

This is a very difficult question. There is no universal answer. It all depends on individual psychological characteristics. What helps one person is not able to get another out of depression.

One thing is certain. The one who knows him well has a chance to help a person. A person who is well acquainted with the specific features of his loved one can roughly guess what actions should be taken to make it easier for him. The main thing is to avoid standards that usually show nothing but indifference, even if the person really wanted to help. These are phrases such as “Everything will be fine”, “Don’t worry, life will get better”, “Just forget it!” etc. They must be forgotten. A person faces a problem: the meaning of life is lost, how to live on? No "Just forget it!" out of the question.

So what to do? For starters, just come to the person. A simple "How are you?" may well make him want to share. But not the psychological “Do you want to talk about it?”. Pressure must be avoidedand do whatever usually cheers him up. Unless, of course, he drives away the well-wisher. In this case, there is no need to be offended - he feels bad, the turning point has not yet passed (if it does not pass for a long time, then, unfortunately, you will have to see a doctor for antidepressants).

So, you can quietly turn on his favorite music or series, bring food and drinks he adores, start talking about the most interesting topic for him. Little things? Perhaps, but at least a little, yes, they will help restore a person's taste of life.

Methodology of the last day of life

This is the last thing I would like to talk about. When a person is depressed and no longer sees the point in his existence, it does not hurt him to think: what if this day of life was the last? The thought of the imminent disappearance of all reality will invigorate everyone. Of course, when a person is alive and well, he has enough time for depression, sadness and discouragement. Sounds exaggerated, but it's true. But as soon as he thinks about the fact that he has only 24 hours left, everything takes on a different meaning, not to mention the fact that there is a rethinking of values.

And when there is no desire to exist, you should use this technique. Live this day like it's your last. Perhaps after this, the desire to exist will flare up again.

Losing the meaning of life is the worst thing that can happen. And it would be better if no one went through this. But in any case, the most important thing is to hope for the best in the depths of your soul. And act. After all, as the great American saidwriter Jack London: "Man is given one life. So why not live it properly?"