Having a sense of purpose sure feels good, but did you know it can also help you to live a longer, healthier life? Being inspired and having a reason to get out of bed in the morning is great for your mental health, and your mental health can make a huge impact on your physical health and well-being. But how can you learn to cultivate a strong sense of purpose in your life, especially when you’re been through trying times in the past?
Stress and trauma close your mind off to new possibilities. Rather than looking toward the future, after a trauma has occurred, oftentimes you will start to think of ways to avoid such trauma in the future. Post-traumatic stress can make you pessimistic, fearing rejection and failure and decreasing your ability to weather uncertainty. Ove time this can have a snowball effect and lead to depression and an inability to focus on your work or life.
Fortunately, there is a way through such trying times. Reframing is a technique by which you can change your perspective on difficult times in order to find a way through them. Instead of focusing on the trauma, you can think about what you learned from the trauma that will help you to become stronger in the future, thus opening yourself up to the prospect of new possibilities in life.
Cultivating a sense of purpose isn’t difficult and you don’t need special equipment. All you need to do is take stock of the important things in your life – your family, your career, your education, your hobbies, and your religious or spiritual beliefs – and work to cultivate them on a regular basis.
It’s important to cultivate these important things together simultaneously, as placing all your eggs in one basket is a recipe for future disappointment and aimlessness. When your entire sense of purpose is wrapped up in one thing, such as your kids or your career, when the kids move out or it’s time for retirement, you can find yourself in a very hopeless place. Cultivating those things simultaneously gives you a safety net of sorts to prevent the aimlessness and hopelessness from setting in.
Having a strong sense of purpose has been proven to be good for your health, well-being, and longevity. In one study, 7000 people over the age of 50 were asked to rate their feelings of purpose in life. Those who reported a weak sense of purpose were 2.4 times more likely to die during the study than those who reported a strong sense of purpose. What’s more, 64% of people credit their health and well-being to their happiness with who they are and how they live their lives.
It’s never too late to start working on improving your life and overall well-being. Pursuing hobbies and educational activities is one of the best ways to ensure you feel a strong sense of purpose in your life – lifelong learning is a gift that should never go wasted! Learn more about the art and science of purpose from the infographic below!

Source:
Online College Plan