Why Finding Life Purpose Is Essential for Our Health

In our modern technological era, many of us are busy digesting a lot of information that are rarely necessary and important for our functioning. It is also true that our busy lifestyle does not give us much time to ask ourselves questions like: What gives meaning to our lives? What are our unique gifts? And, what inspires us and makes us happy? It is especially important to ask ourselves such questions whenever we feel empty, unmotivated, and passionless about our lives. If we are feeling in such way, we are probably stuck in our rut and need some time to reinvent our priorities, decisions, and aspirations. According to recent research, we all need to find meaning in our lives. But we will only find it if we try. People who live their life purpose have often felt enthusiastic, alive, and authentic. They live their lives fully and find a lot of joy and excitement in their activities. Living in this way improves our overall health and state of well-being. To illustrate how finding life purpose can affect our health, the article “What’s My Purpose?” describes its benefits.

• Improve your physical health
A landmark study done with over 1,400 senior citizens this year found that having a strong sense of purpose can actually reduce the detrimental effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Purpose can also positively affect pain management—another study found that women with a stronger sense of purpose are better able to handle heat and cold stimuli.

• Lengthen your life
You’ve probably heard stories about people in seemingly good health who die shortly after retirement. Researchers now believe that a strong sense of purpose can is connected to ageing, and those with a stronger sense of purpose may live longer. The Blue Zones project examined the lives of elder Okinawans, and found that those who expressed clear goals in their lifetimes tended to live much longer—well into their 100s!

• Make you happier
Barbara Fredrickson, a leading expert on positive psychology, describes people who flourish as “highly engaged with their families, work and communities. They’re driven by a sense of purpose: they know why they get up in the morning.” Having a sense of where you’re going in life and what you’re living for can relieve a lot of the stress and anxiety that comes from being directionless. When you’re living your life purpose, you’ll feel energetic, focused, and satisfied.

When we discover our life purpose, or maybe when it unfolds to us, we will feel more powerful and strong, and our lives will seem worth living. Life purpose is not necessarily something big, but it should affect the lives of others in a positive way. When we serve and contribute to something bigger than ourselves, we can gain more energy that gives us the strength to persist and stay motivated in our efforts. Sometimes the purpose can be to make other people smile, or make someone happy, or rescue an animal, etc. A sense of purpose helps us feel connected with others; it makes us worthy and getting in the flow. Whenever we do something with a strong purpose, we completely immerse into that and lose a sense of time. In this way, we are miles away from stress, anxiety, and depression, the greatest scourges of our times.