While a few people deviated from this path and found what they wanted early on, most people started questioning their life’s purpose during early adulthood. This phase can be an exciting time in people’s lives because they get to explore different options and make choices that will shape their future. 

With so many educational and social responsibilities, people have to rely more on themselves and their own resources without following a routine or receiving much support from school and family. While this process can be anxiety-inducing, achieving one’s life purpose gives people a meaningful life. 

So, what exactly is it like to have a purpose in life? Is it the same thing as having a meaningful life? Often, purpose and meaning are used interchangeably. To understand the benefits of purpose in life, it is important to understand how purpose and meaning are connected. This article will help you do this.

Purpose vs meaning

Purpose in life refers to having a sense of direction or a reason for living. It is about having a goal or a mission that guides your actions and gives your life a sense of significance. According to the APA dictionary, purpose in life is “the mental sense of a goal or aim in the process of living or in existence itself.” 

One’s purpose in life may involve pursuing a particular career, helping others, or making a difference in the world. Having a clear sense of purpose can give people a sense of direction and motivation, leading them to feel fulfilled and satisfied.

On the other hand, meaning in life refers to the subjective experience of feeling that one’s life has value, significance, or importance. It may involve finding joy and fulfillment in relationships, hobbies, spirituality, or personal growth. Research in 2015 showed that meaning in life consists of three dimensions: 

• Coherence: the feeling that life makes sense;
• Purpose: having direction and aims in life; and
• Significance: the worthwhileness of one’s life.

How they are connected

McKnight and Kashdan (2009)’s definition of purpose in life explains the relationship between purpose and meaning: “Purpose is a central, self-organizing life aim that organizes and stimulates goals, manages behaviors, and provides a sense of meaning.” Based on these definitions, purpose in life is one of the key components of meaning in life. Having a purpose in life can lead people to a meaningful life. 

Purpose guides and motivates people to achieve certain goals. It can influence your daily behavior, thoughts, and feelings. 

Meaning, on the other hand, is subjective and unique to everyone. It is a sense of importance that you put into your life; it gives you a feeling that your life makes sense and goes beyond just counting the seconds, days, and years. To do this, you must first understand the direction of your life and have a clear sense of purpose.

Benefits of having a sense of purpose 

Numerous studies have proved the importance of having a purpose in life. People with a clear sense of purpose are more likely to grow old and healthy Moreover, having a sense of purpose has numerous benefits that can positively impact different areas of life, such as: 

Less stress and anxiety

Some of the research explains that purpose in life is like a compass. It is a driving force that offers people a sense of direction. People with a purpose in their lives tend to experience less stress and anxiety because they can manage their emotions better and find multiple ways to overcome the obstacles they might face.

A study in 2018 found that people with a higher sense of purpose in life were reported to experience more positive emotions, fewer negative emotions, and physical symptoms daily. 

People with a purpose in life understand that they are likely to face challenges when working towards their goals and objectives in life. When facing daily stressors, they can cope better and avoid overreacting to challenges.

Better physical and mental health

People with a purpose in life are more likely to engage in healthy behavior, increasing their physical health. This is because having a life purpose makes people more likely to value their health and want to increase their vitality to reach their desired goals.

When people have a purpose, they will feel that their lives are meaningful and their goals are worthwhile. This gives people a reason to choose and maintain healthy habits by getting more involved in physical activities. Not only an increase in physical health but having a purpose in life also leads to better behavioral and psychosocial health.

Research suggests that having a sense of direction and goals in life can lead to better physical health and lower risks of cardiovascular disease or cognitive decline. A study in 2022 led by a researcher from Boston University found that having a higher sense of purpose could even lower your risk of death from any cause. 

This applies to people of all genders and races/ethnicities. The study analyzed data from over 13,000 US adults aged 50 and older and found that those with the highest sense of purpose had the lowest risk of death (15.2% mortality risk) compared to those with the lowest sense of purpose (36.5% mortality risk).

The research found that when people feel like their lives have meaning, they tend to be more satisfied. Hence, when people feel their lives have a purpose and are valuable, they’re more likely to feel happy and fulfilled.

Having a more optimistic outlook 

People with a sense of purpose are more likely to focus on the positive aspects of their lives rather than dwell on the negative, which helps people maintain a more optimistic attitude. 

Based on a study in 2009 found that having a purpose in life can increase a person’s life satisfaction during adolescence and early adulthood. Moreover, being hopeful plays a role in mediating the relationship between purpose and life satisfaction. 

Thus, having a sense of purpose would give people hope for the future, and that hope would contribute to greater life satisfaction.

How to find your purpose

Finding your purpose in life might seem daunting and confusing at times. However, you need to remember that it is a subjective experience, and your experience might not necessarily be the same as everyone else. 

Everyone’s life circumstances and personal experiences can affect their purpose. The phase of your life and what you’re going through can also change your direction. So, you might have different purposes in life when you are in your early 20s and your 40s.

When you feel like you don’t know or are unsure about your life purpose, you can start by reflecting on yourself and your values. Do you have any interest or passion that aligns with your values? Reflect on your past experiences and consider when you think you lived your best life and felt life worth living. 

What are the issues or causes you care about the most? This question can give you clues to what you find valuable and important in life. You can also start by considering the impact you want in the world.

There are no set rules or steps that people should follow to find their purpose in life. It is a process of self-discovery and learning more about yourself. Some ways to learn more about yourself include reading, exploring new interests, or getting involved in new activities or communities. 

Defining your purpose can give you clarity on what’s important. When your purpose guides your choices and decisions, it can give you a deep sense of fulfillment and greater meaning in life. 

In conclusion

The journey to finding purpose in life might feel different for each person with different timeframes and circumstances. What matters is how your life’s purpose drives you to live it and enables you to enjoy a more fulfilling life. Activities that provide purpose may be caused by an overall perspective of what is valuable.

So, how does having a purpose in life lead to higher life satisfaction? Well, it gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning. But on a deeper level, having a purpose can give you a sense of fulfillment and meaning, leading to greater overall life satisfaction.

If you would like to see more resources on the meaning of life, check out the Happiness Science Labs. The lab uses the research of the Institute for Life Management Science to produce courses, certifications, podcasts, videos, and other resources. Visit the Happiness Science Labs today.

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However, people often take this message literally and associate self-care with doing things that provide instant gratification. Although having pleasure or enjoyment is not a bad thing per se, it is essential to remember that it is not necessarily self-care.

One of the common mistakes that people often make is mistakenly considering self-care as self-indulgence or the other way around. Since one activity could be considered as self-care and self-indulgence, it is important to know the difference between them. 

This article will help you understand what each concept means and the criteria that differentiate both concepts, thus ensuring you engage in healthy self-care activities and spot self-indulgent ones.

What is self-indulgence?

One easy way to recognize if the activities that you partake in are self-care or not is to ask yourself the question, “How will this affect me in the long run?”. If you feel like you’re only doing those activities to get instant gratification or you’re only doing them to avoid certain situations and negative emotions, chances are, what you’re doing might not be self-care but self-indulgence. 

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, self-indulgence is “excessive or unrestrained gratification of one’s appetites, desires, or whims,” while according to research in 2021, self-care is “the ability to care for oneself through awareness, self-control, and self-reliance to achieve, maintain, or promote optimal health and well-being.” 

Differences between self-care and self-indulgence

Self-care could become self-indulgent when the activities are used as unhealthy coping methods. Though the activities might be the same, there are specific criteria that could differentiate self-care from self-indulgence, such as:

Self-care is long-term, while self-indulgence is short-term

The purpose of self-care is to maintain and preserve physical and mental health. People need to have some sort of self-care routine and activities to sustain their physical and mental health consistently and in the long run. 

While self-indulgence might feel good at the moment, that positive feeling is fleeting and might even lead to negative outcomes in the future. 

An example is when you resort to impulsive buying to relieve stress. While it is okay to do so occasionally, this could become an unhealthy coping mechanism when done excessively and could affect other aspects of your life, such as bad financial situations or feeling guilty and shame afterward. 

Self-care could include uncomfortable things, while self-indulgence is all about pleasure

Getting enough sleep, taking care of one’s diet, and exercising regularly are all basic forms of self-care — improving not only physical health but also increasing psychological well-being. These activities might seem obvious and something that people should do every day. However, people often sacrifice their self-care routine to engage in self-indulgent activities. 

For example, binge-watching your favorite shows through the night even though you have to wake up early the next day, or sleeping in instead of going to your weekly gym session because you don’t feel like it. 

While self-care often requires self-control and discipline to maintain your health, self-indulgence is all about following your whims and desires at the expense of your health and goals in life. 

Self-care leads to happiness, while self-indulgence leads to discontentment 

Self-care replenishes your energy and enriches you so you can live your life how you want. By maintaining your health through self-care, you will have the energy to work better, have more fulfilling relationships, do your responsibilities, and it can even help you avoid burnout. 

Self-indulgence will make you feel good temporarily, especially if you’re using it to avoid certain situations or negative emotions. But after the initial pleasurable feeling fades away, you will be forced to face reality. And as a result, self-indulgence could do more harm than good. 

For example, instead of fixing your relationship with a friend you have conflicts with, you choose to hold on to anger and sever ties. When people act from a place of self-indulgence, they only think of the present moment and easily be swept away by their emotions.

In conclusion

While indulging yourself is okay and even necessary occasionally, it is important to do so moderately. Self-indulgence can become harmful when used as an unhealthy coping mechanism or mistaken for self-care. 

For example, treating oneself to a favorite food is a common form of self-care; however, it could become self-indulgence when you always choose to make unhealthy eating decisions. 

On the other hand, activities like getting a massage or going on a spa day are often viewed as luxuries and can be seen as indulgent. However, when done in moderation and with careful financial planning, these activities could be considered self-care and should be viewed as a necessary expense.

People need to be more intentional with their self-care practices and pay attention to what is truly beneficial to them in the long run.

If you would like to know more about self-care, visit the Happiness Science Labs. The lab uses the research of the Institute for Life Management Science to produce courses, certifications, podcasts, videos, and other tools. Check out Happiness Science Labs today.

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Research has shown that people who are kinder are also healthier and happier. 

As social beings, human beings rely on one another. The most recent example of kindness in our society is when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world. People all around the world are actively doing an act of kindness in their community by providing food to those in need, volunteering, making a donation, and even as small as doing something that can bring a smile to someone else’s face. 

Benefits of practicing kindness

Kindness is defined as “benevolent and helpful action intentionally directed toward another person.” Often times people who do acts of kindness are motivated by the desire to help others and with no intention to gain rewards or avoid punishments. 

While it is clear that an act of kindness will help and benefit other people, the persons who practice the act of kindness also feels many of its benefit for themselves such as:

Improving psychological flourishing

When people talk about pursuing happiness, oftentimes the first thing that comes to mind is to focus on yourself and fulfill all of your needs. 

However, research showed that people who do acts of kindness toward others, such as bringing food to elderly relatives, enjoy greater psychological flourishing compared with those who focused on self-kindness like treating themselves to their favorite dessert. 

In the same study, researchers mentioned that psychological flourishing entails the experience of positive emotional well-being, positive psychological functioning, and positive social functioning, which means it is beneficial not only for the individual but also for society. People who do acts of kindness to others feel greater positive emotions such as joy, love, and contentment which in turn improves overall well-being and social relationships. 

Creating a sense of belonging

Since the act of kindness involves other people, it is thought that helping others is one of the ways for people to create, maintain, and strengthen their connection with others. 

Being kind to other people through volunteering, listening emphatically to others, reaching out to loved ones, helping a neighbor, or other activities can help you to feel a sense of belonging and connect with your communities and others surrounding you. 

People who volunteer feel a higher sense of interpersonal closeness with other people. They feel cared about by others and feel belongingness in that group or community. 

Furthermore, this benefit also applies in the school setting. A study in 2021 found that students’ sense of belongingness is associated with their perception of kindness at school. The student who feels a higher sense of belonging are more likely to perceive the school as a kind and caring place, where the school members cared for and helped each other.

Boosting self-esteem

An act of kindness regardless of whether they are big or small can boost self-esteem. This is because the act of kindness makes people realize that they are valuable and they are capable to help others and contribute to other people’s happiness. Being kind can make someone feel better about themselves and can lift their mood. 

Helping others can also build a person’s sense of self-competency since one act of kindness can make a difference in someone’s day and it emphasizes that action matters. 

Furthermore, research shows that doing an act of kindness toward strangers has a greater positive impact on self-esteem than on family or friends. Since helping strangers is more challenging and interacting with them might increase a person’s discomfort, therefore coping with greater challenges in helping strangers can foster self-esteem more effectively than helping friends and family. 

How to practice small acts of kindness

Doing an act of kindness to others does not have to be a grand gesture or something that requires a lot of your energy. You can start small and with something that you can do now and to the people around you. There are many things that you can do for a small act of kindness, here are a few examples that might inspire you.

Always practice good manners

One of the simplest things that you can do is to always remember to say ‘thank you’ and ‘please’ in every interaction. While this might sound very simple, this practice can have a profound impact on interactions. 

When you are conscious of your interactions with others, it can help you to notice others and be more aware of their presence. You are more likely to do an act of kindness as simple as a smile to them or compliment them. 

For example, you can thank the barista who prepares your coffee, congratulate your colleagues on their achievements, or thank your friend for spending time with you. These small act of kindness might make their day.

Be sincere and thoughtful

You don’t need special moments to remind the people in your life that they matter to you. Every once in a while, you can give your family or friends something that they will enjoy. The presents don’t have to be a big deal. Think of their hobbies, interest, or something they might need and surprise them with that. Even simply spending time with them or having a cup of coffee together can show your thoughtfulness. 

Offer help in any way

When you notice your surroundings, there is always something that you can do to make someone else’s life easier. Try to offer help without being asked. 

When you see someone looking lost, ask them if they need directions. If your neighbors are struggling with their bags of groceries, offer to help carry them into their house. Hold the door open for someone behind you. Give your seat to the elderly in public transportation. 

There is always something that you can do or give to other people no matter how small it is. Even when you thought your actions are small, they might mean a lot more to other people.

In conclusion

There are so many ways you can do to show acts of kindness. While being kind is oftentimes directed towards other people, you can also feel its many benefits by doing it. You can always try to be kinder towards yourself and towards others.  

If you would like to enhance the practice of kindness, check out the Happiness Science Labs. The lab produces courses, certifications, podcasts, videos, and other learning materials based on the research of the Institute of Life Management Science. Visit the Happiness Science Labs today.

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According to American Psychological Association, gratitude is a sense of thankfulness and happiness in response to receiving a gift, either a tangible benefit (e.g., a present, favor) given by someone or a fortunate happenstance (e.g., a beautiful day). Gratitude is often associated with greater happiness and health. 

A recent survey that was done between July 14 and July 18, 2022, on 2,000 Americans showed that 65% of the respondents who are “very happy” on daily basis are also more likely to “always” give thanks. The survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Motivosity also showed that the respondents express their gratitude to others about six times a month. The respondents also receive the same amount of appreciation back where they receive appreciation from spouses or partners at the top of the list (28%), then from family members (26%), and friends (24%).

Indeed, past studies have shown that gratitude can lead people to greater happiness, experience more positive emotions, improve health, and savor good experiences. While gratitude might not be the answer for every situation in life, gratitude can affect and brings positive changes in several aspects of people’s life which can lead to greater life satisfaction. 

When talking about the benefit of gratitude, people more often talk about how gratitude makes them happier and are generally more aware of the small positive things that are happening in their life. However, gratitude can do more than that. There are other tangible benefits of gratitude that people might feel but are not aware of. These benefits can make you realize that gratitude can improve your life in so many aspects, not only in your personal life, but also in your relationship, and even in your workplace. 

Physical health

While gratitude is oftentimes linked with psychological benefits, several studies also found that more grateful people are healthier. 

Lessens physical pain

One study of gratitude asked college students to write about things that they are grateful for once a week for ten weeks. The result showed that the students reported fewer physical symptoms which include headaches, nausea, shortness of breath, and sore muscles compared to students who wrote about daily hassles. 

Improves healthy behaviors

Grateful individuals have better physical health partly because of their greater psychological health, which gives them an inclination to engage in healthier activities, and a willingness to seek help for health concerns. Similarly, people who are higher in life satisfaction tend to exercise more and smoke less. 

Enhances sleep quality

Another aspect that is also important for overall physical health is sleep. Good quality of sleep increases brain performance and mood, while inadequate sleep leads to increased chances of developing cardiovascular morbidity, diabetes mellitus, obesity, derailment of cognitive functions, and other diseases. 

Interestingly, studies suggest that practicing gratitude can be one way to increase the quality of sleep. This study in 2016 found that participants who practice gratitude journaling for 2 weeks had improved daily sleep quality. 

Aside from the increased quality of sleep, grateful people reported falling asleep more quickly, sleeping longer, and staying awake easier during the day. This is because people who practice gratitude before sleep are having more positive thoughts and fewer negative and worrying thoughts which leads to superior sleep quality. While studies on gratitude effects on sleep are still limited, this practice has enough evidence to make it worth a try.

Relationship

Gratitude is other-directed, which means people are being grateful towards other people, things, or God for the positive things that they have in their life. Saying thank you, giving appreciation, and being grateful for the people around you, can increase the quality of your relationships.

Improves satisfaction

In romantic relationships, a partner’s thoughtful gesture can increase feelings of gratitude which makes the grateful couple more satisfied with their relationship. Furthermore, grateful couples feel that their partner understands, validates their feelings, and cares for them which is an essential part of intimacy and can lead to healthy relationships.

Strengthens connections

People with grateful partners felt more connected with their partners and are more attentive to their partner’s needs. Being appreciated in the relationship also gives people the security to recognize the importance of the relationship which makes them more likely to stay in the relationship. 

Gratitude can also help you to create new friendships or maintain old ones. People are more grateful to the friends that are close to them which in turn makes them feel more connected with each other. 

Influences social behaviors

Gratitude helps people to feel more positive about themselves and others around them. This has to do with the positive social meaning that people associated with gratitude. This study shows that people who express gratitude are perceived as warm and friendly, which makes other people who hear their expressions of gratitude more inclined to form a meaningful relationship with the person.

Career

Whether you are an employee or an employer, gratitude in the workplace can help you not only have a stronger relationship with colleagues but could also improve your mood and productivity. 

Keeps burnout away

Grateful individuals are more likely to experience positive emotions such as joy, optimism, and lower stress which could lead to positive working environments and increase engagement at work. 

Enhances creativity

Furthermore, gratitude can also improve employee cognitive performance. According to this study, gratitude promotes creative thinking in the workplace where grateful employees were indicated as “idea creators” who have unconventional ways to find solutions to a problem. 

Improves motivation and initiative-taking

As an employer, showing gratitude to your employees can increase their motivation. According to an APA survey, 93% of employees who feel valued are motivated to give their best to their work, and 83% said that they feel more engaged. Since gratitude is also linked with prosocial behavior, employees who are grateful are more likely to volunteer and take on extra work assignments, be more helpful, and avoid engaging in harmful behaviors.

In conclusion

Gratitude is an important and beneficial practice that you can incorporate into your life. Whether you want to practice it to improve your physical health or your relationship, or you want to feel the benefit of gratitude in the workplace, grateful people can reap many benefits in every aspect of their life. 

Furthermore, gratitude could enable a positive loop of human flourishing, where a higher level of gratitude may lead to an increase in life satisfaction, which then in turn increase gratitude, and so on.

If you would like to take this reading further, the Happiness Science Labs produces learning materials and tools using the research of the Institute for Life Management Science. Visit the Happiness Science Labs today.

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Hopelessness is the feeling that things will not change for the better and the belief that the person is unable to bring change to the situation. While hopelessness might be the common response that a person feels when facing adversity or challenging life events, hopelessness can affect future outcomes as it is a predictor of depressive symptoms, poor health, increased mortality, and is often implicated in suicide attempts and suicide death. At its worst, hopelessness can be detrimental to your future, health, and life. This makes having hope, especially during challenging times, essential.    

Why is hope important?

According to American Psychological Association, hope is “the expectation that one will have positive experiences or that a potentially threatening or negative situation will not materialize or will ultimately result in a favorable state of affairs”.

Contrary to how people often think about hope as a passive emotional state, or with the saying “sit back and let’s hope for the best”, researchers argue that hope is an active coping approach. 

According to Rick Snyder, one of the leading researchers of Hope Theory, hope is a goal-directed thought and reflects the belief that one can find pathways to their desired goal, and has the agency or motivation based on one’s perceived abilities to reach their goal. Hope is how people think about their goals for the future, identify strategies or pathways to get there, and maintain the motivation to keep working towards that goals even in the face of adversities or obstacles. 

Hope pushes people’s thoughts into action. People who have hope are more likely to put their goals into action and make them a reality. Hope not only creates a positive feeling, but also provides people with resilience and acts as a coping strategy against anxiety, depression, and other difficult life events.

Benefits of hope

Research in the past several years has found that hope is associated with many positive benefits including increased life satisfaction, a healthier lifestyle, better physical health, and better social support.

Aside from that, feelings of hope also lowered stress levels, anxiety, and depression, and led to fewer chronic health problems. People with hope tend to make better health choices. Aside from physical and psychological benefits, hope could also contribute to academic success. A study at Leicester University tracked and followed college students for three years and found that more hopeful students went to have greater academic success. Moreover, the study found that hope was a better predictor of academic achievement than personality, intelligence, or previous academic achievement.

Having hope will not only benefit students, but people can also feel its impact outside of the school context. Hope can also make people more productive at work. A study found that hope accounts for 14% of productivity in the workplace — more than optimism, intelligence, or self-efficacy. 

How to maintain hope during hard times

Though there are many benefits of hope, it’s not always easy to have hope and maintain it, especially during hard times. When things are beyond your control, being hopeful might be a hard thing to do. So here are a few ways that can help you to maintain hope during hard times:

Acknowledge your feelings 

Bad things happen unexpectedly and oftentimes without warning. When it does, it can lead people to feel overwhelmed, and create negative thoughts which can lead to a loss of perspective. 

In these moments, stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and acknowledge what you are feeling. Taking the time to pause and reflect can help you reframe your thoughts and figure out the next step forward.

Focus on things that you can control 

When going through hardship, people often feel that everything is beyond their control and there is nothing they can do about it. While there are circumstances in life that are out of your control, it is important to recognize the situation or things that are still under your control. 

One of the most important aspects of hope is the belief that your action can have an impact on the situation and it is a step towards positive change. Instead of trying to change circumstances beyond your control, try to focus on taking actions that might reduce unpleasant emotions. 

For example, when your loved one dies, this is something that is beyond your control. You can focus on things you can control like taking care of yourself, giving support to your loved ones, or remembering the legacy that your loved one left behind. Focusing on things that are within your control can help you find hope to move forward. 

Look for your support system 

Sometimes when people are going through hard times, their instinct might tell them to withdraw and isolate themselves. While a little time alone might be helpful to understand your feeling and what you are going through, complete isolation from friends and family might lead you to feel more lonely and hopeless. 

Seek friends and family support to help you get through a time of hopelessness. If you are going through something in particular, you can try to find a support group or people who are going through the same circumstance as you. Having relationships and support from people who can listen to you and make you feel safe to talk about what you are going through can help you move forward and can make things feel less hopeless.

Remember what you are grateful for 

Gratitude is an important component that can help people to find hope. While it might not solve the problem per se, gratitude can help people to appreciate the positive things that are happening in their life right now and look forward to the good things in the future.

In conclusion

Finding hope during hard times might be elusive, but it is possible. Things in life won’t always go according to plan or the way you want them to. Bad things happen. However, hope can help you to move forward and remind you that bad times will pass too. Having hope is essential in navigating through life. Hope is not about believing that everything will work out, but it leaves room for the unknown and leads people to take the right action to reach their goals.

If you would like to learn more about the concept and science of hope, Life Management Science Labs’ Happiness Science Labs features courses, certifications, videos, and other learning materials that are based on the research of the Institute for Life Management Science. Visit Happiness Science Labs today.

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