What do I do if I feel like my life has no meaning?

“My life does not make sense. I feel like I’m drifting, aimless. I don’t know what I want, nothing motivates me enough and I can’t find my way in life“. It is very possible that we can identify with these words, since we have all felt that way at some point. Downturns and existential crises are inevitable at certain stages of life.

Generally, existential crises are born in certain painful situations.such as a breakup, the death of a loved one, a disappointment, a job loss…

Definitely, All those situations that generate pain and hopelessness could precipitate an existential crisis. While it is true that for some people they are temporary crises, for others not finding meaning in life becomes very everyday.

It may be the magnitude of an existential crisis, that we feel very lost. We doubt who we are, looking to the future with the insecurity caused by the feeling of indefinition. “I feel so lost, that I feel like my life has no meaning, that I can’t find a way out.“.

What is the meaning of life?

The meaning of life is a topic that has been the subject of countless reflections and debates throughout history. Many professionals (writers, scientists, philosophers…) have tried to give an answer to this great question, although without anyone having managed to have their own answer adopted as universal.

The meaning of life refers to the meaning that each person gives to their experiences, to the purposes and goals they have in mind. It varies depending on each person, since Each individual needs to find their own meaning in life by taking a journey within themselves.

The psychiatrist and writer Viktor Frankl, in his work Man’s Search for Meaningmaintains that life has meaning in any circumstance, because in situations of suffering and adversity, if a person is capable of giving meaning to adversity, they can turn their tragedy into an achievement, a form of improvement.

Therefore, for Frankl, the meaning of life for each person is there, waiting to be found.

My life has no meaning, sadness invades me

In those moments when my life makes no sense, I may experience certain emotions associated with that state. It is important pay attention to the warning signs, as they are symptoms that something is not right and it is very possible that the help of a professional will be necessary. We are likely to experience:

Feeling of sadness. We feel apathetic, sadness invades us without being able to decipher exactly the reason.. What’s more, some people think that they have no reason to feel this way, since they have a good job, family, friends… and yet they feel a sadness that they cannot explain.I do not know who I am. A lack of self-knowledge occurs. In such a way that “my life has no meaning and I feel lost, without knowing who I am or what I want.”Anhedonia. You lose interest in those activities that you used to like. You don’t enjoy things, nothing is gratifying to you. Therefore, a feeling of boredom arises in the face of all action.Social isolation. Sadness, lack of interest and frustration due to the dissatisfaction with your life lead to greater social isolation, since you do not feel like interacting with others.

Faced with an existential crisis, take a trip inside yourself

Take time to look inside yourself, take a trip inside yourself. It is possible that on that trip you need to consider certain questions about yourself: do I need to make changes in my life? What do I feel, what do I think, what do I want?Do I give myself the priority I need? Am I really who I want to be?

Seeking answers to these questions can guide us on our path to self-knowledge, since behind a loss of meaning in life there may be a low self-knowledge about who we are and what we want. Thus, it is likely that To find meaning it is necessary to connect with ourselves and give ourselves the courage and time we need.

Let’s think, can our lives really have meaning and meaning if we don’t know who we are? Since existential emptiness (loss of the meaning of life) implies the loss of contact with yourself, as if little by little you were disconnecting from yourself and beginning to be another spectator of your life.

What happens is that while you were staying focused on a goal or a person, you were not paying attention to what was happening inside you. Therefore, to a large extent, before “my life does not make sense” Look inside yourself, connect with your interior, with your own being. These simple strategies can help you embark on this inner journey:

Recognize yourself in the mirror

Take some time for yourself, to contemplate your image in the mirror and recognize yourself in it. Do you recognize your virtues, your abilities, your talents? Do you have any gifts that you would like to develop even more? Is there something new that you would like to learn? Are there dreams that you left behind and that you would like to return to? This introspective approach will help you get to know yourself more deeply and reconnect with parts of yourself that you thought were lost.

Dive into the void

Tilt your gaze towards the well of meaninglessness and try to investigate those things that are causing it. Do I really feel happy in my job, with my profession or with my partner? Does the discomfort come from things that I could change? Explore that dark place, only with the goal of recognizing it as something that is part of your life, but that does not define you and that does not have to be there forever. We all go through moments of confusion and doubt about ourselves and the meaning of our existence. Learn to embrace those negative feelings and appreciate them as a source of learning for the present and the future.

Take care of yourself

When we talk about self-care we are not only referring to taking care of our health or our appearance, although of course these dimensions are also very important. Taking care of yourself also means paying attention to your emotions, giving yourself times and spaces for reflection and calm, and asking for help when you feel necessary.

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