Giving meaning to your life: 9 best ways

One day you may wake up and think 'what am I really doing it all for? What is the point of life? What is my role in the big picture'. You are then looking for meaning in your life. Giving meaning to your life, how do you actually do that? In this blog I will discuss possible ways to give your life meaning

What is giving meaning to your life?

Giving meaning to your life is actually a pretty vague idea. After all, when is something meaningful? This is something many people struggle with. In the book Life, Death and Meaning: Key Philosophical Readings on the Big Questions, it is stated that to have a meaningful life, you must have had at least 1 project that was valuable[1].

But one thing is certain: when you believe your life has meaning, it leads to a greater sense of well-being, better stress management, and a lower risk of depression[2].

You might think that being happy and having a meaningful life are the same thing, but they are not. There is some overlap, as you can see in the previous paragraph. A meaningful life also contributes to forming your identity and expressing who you are. In doing so, being happy is often something that happens in the moment. Whereas making your life meaningful is often a long-term project combining the past, present and your future[3].

Giving meaning to your life is therefore very important for becoming happier and healthier. That’s why we’ve compiled these 9 ways to give your life more meaning.

Way 1: Find your higher purpose

In my case, I found my higher purpose by accident. After a drastic event in my life, I knew: I have to quit drugs. For this I went to a hypnosis expert and I was rid of it. I thought this was so special and cool that I knew I had to master this myself. When I could help people with hypnosis I started as the phobia doctor. I helped people get rid of their fears and in the meantime my higher goal is to teach hypnosis to as many people as possible so they can help people again.

Your higher purpose is something that may come your way by chance, or something you are searching for. But if you do or can or want to do something that makes you absolutely happy and that you think will make the world a better place, then you have found your higher purpose.

Way 2: Help other people

In a country in Africa, I don't remember which one, they greet each other with the phrase "I see you," with this they give meaning to the other person and acknowledge the other person's existence. When you find that you have an impact on other people's lives, it is often a way of feeling that you matter. That with your life you mean something to other people.

You can start very small, by shoveling your neighbors’ sidewalk when it snows (especially if those neighbors are a bit older) and offering to help friends and family. Spending a day babysitting children who would otherwise have to go to daycare often gives parents a much-needed break and more financial freedom.

Find it difficult to offer your help or think you can't do anything? Then a hypnosis expert can help you overcome this feeling so that the chances of you daring to offer your help to other people become a lot better.

Way 3: Keep a journal

Maybe your life is not nearly as meaningless as you think, but you just don't dwell on how and where you give meaning to your life. By keeping a journal, you can find out what you are doing in your life that actually does give it meaning. Maybe you've given advice to a friend, maybe you're subconsciously doing much more than you think.

The journal then helps you become aware of this and be more satisfied with how much meaning your life has.

Way 4: Check in what ways your work impacts society

Whatever work you do has an effect in the bigger picture. Most companies and organizations have some kind of gap in the market, a need of people that is being addressed, and you are a linchpin in that work in the bigger picture. Even if you just bake hamburgers at a fast food chain. You still provide people with the pleasure of satisfying their hunger for a tasty burger and feeling good as a result. It brings conviviality.

Consider what the company or organization you work for makes sense of. What need is the company solving and what is your role in it. This is also already great to see that your life has meaning.

Way 5: Engage in volunteer work

Do you find it difficult to offer help to people in your area? You can also volunteer. There are many organizations where you can go to offer help to people. Children, the elderly, people with disabilities there are many organizations that help people who could use extra help but cannot afford it.

Volunteering is a fun way to do your part in the bigger picture and make your life meaningful.

Do you find it difficult to help strangers or are you afraid to take the step, even though you really want to? Then a hypnosis expert can help you remove the blockage.

Way 6: Save at least yourself

You may think that you must have made an impact on other people to be able to say to yourself that your life is meaningful, but that is not true. Everyone has their own life with associated unique problems. Some people have more problems than others and therefore it can be difficult to help other people.

So it's also good to say, It's enough if I at least save myself.

It’s enough to make sure you eat healthily, exercise, and gain control over your emotions, dare to stand up for yourself, and work on your mental and physical health. If you’re already dealing with all kinds of problems, it’s good to take care of yourself—that’s valuable to society, too. Because if no one took good care of themselves, we’d all just be sick.

Do you find it difficult to put yourself first? Then a hypnosis expert can help you improve your self-esteem and self-confidence so that you can focus on working on yourself first.

Way 8: Enjoy nature

Staring at a PC or television screen all day in your home can make you unhappy. Your connection to the environment outside your home can become smaller, making everything seem more useless and allowing the special things in life to pass you by.

So, get outside every now and then and enjoy nature. Appreciate how special trees, plants, flowers, insects, and other animals are. How amazing is it that you can find so many extraordinary things in this world—and that they’re just a natural part of life?

It also includes gardening to have a place where you can enjoy the beautiful things in life. Doing valuable things, as mentioned in the previous way, also means doing valuable things for yourself.

So enjoy life wherever you can find that enjoyment.

Do you find it scary to get out the door and enjoy the things around you? Then hypnosis can help you get over this fear so that you too can find your happiness.

Way 9: Learn hypnosis to help other people (LOL)

Of course, this way could not be missed on this list. Hypnosis has changed my entire life. First and foremost, hypnosis has allowed it to give my life meaning and allow me to be there for myself, my family and people around me. It has created a snowball effect that I feel can only get more beautiful.

When you learn hypnosis, you get the tools to make blockages that make you feel like your life has no meaning go away. In the process, you can help other people struggling with problems which can improve your sense of meaning.

Want to know exactly how hypnosis works? Then come to a hypnosis workshop where you’ll master the basics of hypnosis, or sign up right away for one of the courses offered by the Hypnosis Institute of the Netherlands. Ask about the online options if that suits you better.

[1] Death and Meaning: Key Philosophical Readings on the Big Questions, page 113

[2] https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2000-05667-003

[3] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17439760.2013.830764