What to do if you lose the meaning of life - such a question is asked by many of us, especially in difficult periods.
It seems that you do not know what to do next, how to live, how to get out of the black strip.
Purpose of human existence
What is the meaning of human life? Is there a reason for life? What do people live for?
Philosophers, psychologists, writers, ordinary people are asked about the meaning of human existence.
Sometimes opinions are completely opposite, disputes arise, but no one has come to a single answer yet.
Each person understands the meaning of human life in his own way. In many respects, this depends on education, attitudes, views on life, and past tests.
Understanding the meaning of life may vary depending on what the person has experienced. In his youth, he is looking for one thing, in the second half of his life he draws attention to completely different things.
Severe events, traumatic situations can radically change a person’s view of reality.
The meaning of life in men and women
Believed to be a woman should definitely get married and perform its main task - to give birth to a child, and preferably two or more. There are women who categorically disagree.
Yes, by nature the weaker sex is intended to bear offspring, but this does not mean that it should perceive it as the meaning of its existence.
A woman is arranged so that she considers her task to care for offspring, to be a support for a man.
However, modern women often seek to realize yourself in the profession.
And this is not something wrong, because every person needs to be someone.
The meaning of female existence is primarily to be a woman - mom mistress, and at the same time do not forget about your essence.
Initially a man is perceived as a breadwinner and protector. No wonder he is called the stronger sex - he is a guard, one who does not give offense to his family and close people. A man usually wants to leave behind posterity.
Also, he certainly needs self-realization. If a man does not achieve anything in life, is not able to support a family, this negatively affects his self-esteem, leads to the development of depression, neurosis, and the use of substances hazardous to health.
He must feel his significance, that he need a family or society. That is, self-realization is one of the foundations of the meaning of existence.
It is not necessary to reach strong heights, the main thing is that you should be accepted in the family, and for you someone would matter.
According to Freud
Freud wrote that the question about the meaning of life was put by people more than once, but there was still no exact answer.
Religion imposes his own understanding on the person and the path to happiness, it distorts the picture of the world, intimidates.
But by this she can save some people from the development of neurosis.
According to Freud, people tend to be happy. Aspiration has two sides - negative and positive. On the one hand - the experience of pain, on the other - pleasure. Happiness is achieved when needs are suddenly met, and this is a short moment.
Another ambition - love, including sexual, as one of the needs. The satisfaction of primary needs gives a person happiness, but it also becomes the cause of suffering.
Teaching hedonism
What does hedonism see the meaning of life? According to the teachings of hedonism, pleasure is the highest good and meaning of existence. Good is that pleasure.
Life is the moment of the present, and each of them should be filled with pleasure, as strong as possible.
The future does not exist, and any ways are good for receiving pleasure. Getting pleasure - the main motive of the existence of people and any of their actions.
Problem meaning
Even in wealthy countries the problem of the meaning of existence remains relevant.
It does not depend on the status of the person, whether he has finances.
Meaning of life may find or lose as a poor man, and with great wealth, alone and with a large family.
The meaning of human existence depends largely on the personality characteristics of the individual, his desire to find his place, role in life. Every person must have goals, desires, aspirations.
You can not just stand still, otherwise the development of a person rolls back to a lower level. Some people do not think about finding meaning, while enjoying life, enjoying every moment and consider themselves happy.
Others are deeply immersed in the search for the meaning of human existence, and in the end do not acquire anything but neurosis and depression.
What is the meaninglessness of existence?
If a person feels inner emptiness, nothing pleases himthen we can talk about the meaninglessness of existence.
Such a state often arises during depression, when a person does not know why he should live, work, communicate with people, be close to his family.
A sense of meaningless existence - dangerous syndrome, and consultation of the psychotherapist or at least the usual psychologist is surely required.
The feeling of meaninglessness often leads to dangerous consequences, leaving the life, so if a loved one has a similar condition, you should pay attention to it.
A short sense of meaninglessness of existence periodically experiencing each of us.
Perhaps this is necessary in order for the psyche to reboot or the person to embark on a different path of development, when life comes to a dead end.
Psychology of rethinking life
Rethinking life occurs in times of crisis. They can not be avoided, but each passes them in different ways. For some, crises are almost imperceptible, usually they are self-realized people who manage to do a lot of things in life.
Others go through periods hard, change jobs, leave the family, move to another city, fall into a depressive state, commit other unexpected and not always logical actions.
Rethinking life happens:
- If you suddenly realized that everything is not going as planned.
- When the unexpected, terrible event happened.
- If you suddenly realized that everything that you have achieved does not make sense, but your dream has never been fulfilled.
- When you want to radically change everything around you.
- When you feel tired of life, life, close people.
The period is dangerous because at this time the most unexpected actions are committed. It is in a crisis that families are destroyed without thinking about the consequences and feelings of other people who have lived through years.
Emotional state at this time is unstable, there is a danger of developing severe neurosis, depression.
Appears loneliness, even if there are a lot of close people and there is a family.
Especially hard in this period for those who do not have tangible support.
Rethinking life can occur more than once, you have to be prepared for this, not to lose yourself and loved ones.
What to do:
- Stop resisting the newthat comes into your life. Discard established stereotypes and habits.
- Stop digging in the past, analyze mistakes, relationships, people, their actions, what they didn’t manage or didn’t do so. You can't fix the past, so there’s no point in worrying about what happened. Digging in the past worsens your emotional state, especially if you remember people who are dear to you, but whom you no longer see.
- Have a proactive stance, constantly doing something, interested.
Why live?
How to understand whether there is meaning in life? The meaning of life is a kind of inner experience matching your expectations to what is happening in reality.
You know why you live, act in a certain way, you feel a state of satisfaction. If there is meaning, then you feel your importance in this life, have found your place.
Why a person does not see the meaning in life. When does life lose its meaning? You feel that you have lost the meaning of your existence. To this there are certain reasonsand psychologists have studied them quite well.
Why a person does not see the meaning in life:
- he has the wrong attitudes and principles;
- he did not fulfill his main dream;
- disappointment that your success is not appreciated by anyone;
- chronic and severe diseases that alter the state of the psyche and lead to depression;
- traumatic situations;
- loss of someone from close people;
- loss of big finances, ruin, failure in business;
- feeling of own failure;
- lack of self-development;
- passive life position.
A person lives in a familiar environment, he does not leave the comfort zone.
But suddenly an event happens that knocks him out of a rut. The husband says he goes to the other.
Children move from home. A loved one dies. Severe diseases are detected.
In this moment there is a revaluation of values, and it seems that further existence is already meaningless. If there is no support, then the state may worsen, since not everyone can get out under his own power.
Why live if there is no point? This question is asked by many.
It is good if a person decides to visit a psychologist or entrust his feelings to a loved one who is able to help and support. Otherwise, the actions of the individual are unpredictable.
If a person still does not see the point, it does not mean that there is none. Life is worth living for the sake of himself. You wake up in the morning, and you understand that a new day has come, it is still different from the previous one, even if it is not.
Psychologist tips
Psychology has studied well enough ways of dealing with the sense of meaninglessness of existence. However, it is important that the person himself made some effort to change his state.
I do not see the point in life. What if life lost all meaning? First of all, do not commit acts, which then you will regret.
Some tips will help you:
- Imagine today is your last day. Feel it as bright as possible. Do you feel how reality is changing? Think about what you would like to do on this day. Imagine that you feel, if you don’t become tomorrow, what would you regret, what would you like to change. Think about what you have not done and what you could do. Assessing your previous life, you will realize that it was not for nothing that they lived.
- Now imagine that you have a year left to live. Your goals, what you want to do, to achieve, what trace you should leave behind. At this stage, you can already see more clearly that you can still do something, change, understand your real desires.
- Find out your true motives. - I want something, but why I want it, what moves me. Pay attention to your feelings, sensations, emotions for each desire - true or false.
- Now you have to turn your desires into goals.. Write them on paper, draw, paste on a large sheet of image in the form of your goals.
- Make plans - how you will move to the goals, what stages to go through and what you need for this.
You need to realize that you are valuable in themselves, regardless of status and financial situation. You are a person, and you have the right to desires, achievements, movement towards goals.
How to return the meaning of life if nothing pleases? To return the meaning in life, you need to find clues for it.
- Change jobs.
- Find new friends, constantly expand the circle of acquaintances.
- Get a pet - you will take care of him, and it takes time and emotional inclusion.
- Embark on a journey.
- Find yourself an unusual hobby.
- Make yourself small joys - order a pizza, go to the cinema, to the disco.
- Stop communicating with people who are unpleasant to you - do not waste your time and nerves.
- Read the philosophical book.
- Watch a psychological film whose main plot is the search for the meaning of life.
- Make a rearrangement at home, change furniture or repair it.
- Give yourself bodily pleasures - go for a massage, in the pool, go in for dancing.
How to find meaning in life after 50? After 50 years, life does not end. Yes, the organism is no longer as active as in youth, but joy and pleasure can also be found at this age.
- If there are grandchildren, direct your attention to them - engage in upbringing and education.
- Get a pet.
- More often be with people, go to visit, theaters.
- As an option - volunteering, nursing.
At the age of 50, you still remain active, there are examples when new families started up at this age, so life goes on and you need to use it.
Search for the meaning of life - normal human condition, but it should not be delayed for a long time. Setting goals and motivation will help choose the direction.
What to do if you lost the meaning of life? Psychotherapy:
