Is joy possible? Finding your purpose through active living

Do you believe joy is possible? Many people I work with feel they passively exist without joy. Depression, anxiety, trauma, etc. may initially cause this, but then it is perpetuated by a lack of engagement in life. People do better when they are actively living. In the last post, we talked about what is the meaning of life and finding your purpose in life. Today we will talk about ideas to get started increasing engagement and enjoyment even if you aren’t feeling well. Active living can kickstart positive feelings and bring in new clarity about life purpose and meaning.

Choose active living:

Even if you need to fake it for a while, do something that helps you take a step back into active living. What do I mean by this?

• Being out in the world,
• Getting out of your head,
• Experiencing new things,
• Creating and learning,
• Engaging your brain in a theoretically enjoyable activity,
• Making choices for yourself.

The simple act of choosing to do something positive for yourself keeps you on a path to create meaning and enjoyment in life. Tucking yourself away at home without interaction with others only serves to keep you stuck in your thoughts and current mindset.

Finding your purpose in life:

Remember back to when you felt well and think about what you would have enjoyed at that time. Take some time to reminisce about positive memories and see if you can get started doing one of these previously enjoyed activities.

Or try an idea off the following list. There isn’t one particular thing that holds the magic key to finding your purpose, but these ideas can serve as a launching point. Doing what you always do when you are feeling lousy will continue to get you the same negative results.

1.Volunteer– The library? Hospital as a greeter or transporter? Animal Shelter? Reading or English as a second language (ESL) tutor? Big Brother Big Sister? Nursing Home? Helping others get their GED? Volunteer opportunities are endless, although it can take work to find the right placement. Volunteering enables you to get outside of yourself and your current life circumstances. Helping someone else feel better can do wonders for one’s life outlook.

2. Go to a craft store and pick up any random craft- paint a vase and fill it with flowers, make a necklace, create anything! Even if you are like me and don’t have any natural artistic abilities, it can still be worthwhile to engage in the process.

3. Join a league or a group- Pickleball? Bowling? Golf? Softball? The town gardening club? Choose an activity that helps you be around other people.

4. Plant some flowers around your house or make an arrangement that will greet you when you come home. Make the entry into your house welcoming and cheerful even if you aren’t feeling cheerful inside.

Make your space a cheerful space

5. Pick a bright paint color, new artwork to hang, or colorful pillow for a room you spend time in. Find an old piece of furniture at a second-hand store and re-do it. Try to re-create something you see online that you like.

6. Ask a friend to start walking or exercising with you or join a club. There are walking clubs in some towns, hiking clubs, skiing clubs. Some of these options can be found in the local paper, on the Meet Up app, or ask Google for ideas. Try something new. I just looked in Meet Up and found a local lecture on introduction to mantras, a humanism club, hikes, pickup soccer games, happy hours, women’s golf club events, etc. There were a ton of options!

7. Write: It doesn’t have to be a masterpiece or written for others to read. Write about your day, an observation, an interaction. Keep a journal. Go to a coffee shop or bookstore to write while being around others.

Get free journal prompts sent to your inbox each month! Just enter your email below to download your first journal prompt. If you’re struggling with depression and anxiety, journal prompts will help you get and stay on track. 

8. If you live near a college, look into the offerings around campus. Often there are events or lectures open to the public for little to no cost.

9. Go out into nature: sit for a while on a bench at the beach or in a local park. Even if you aren’t talking to anyone, you can smile and say hello to the people who walk by. Take some moments to breathe in the fresh air and appreciate the beauty around you.

10. Do something nice for someone else. It can be small, large, anonymous, or done to them directly. When we lift others up, we are lifted in the process. Doing things for others can create that spark in ourselves that makes it easier to start stepping outside our comfort zones.