How Finding Your Purpose Reduces Anxiety

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“To give life a meaning, one must have a purpose larger than self” - Will Durant

We all know someone who is affected by daily anxiety. People seem to be more overwhelmed, stressed-out and exhausted than ever before. Often times, anxiety stems from working too much and not having enough time to focus on our passions, hobbies and talents. For example, many of us have been taught to get a college-degree, find a good paying job and work hard. This seems like a good plan, but sometimes it leaves us feeling drained and not having enough time to focus on things that bring us purpose and joy.

Patrick Hill, an assistant professor of psychology at Carleton University, decided to look at data in the U.S. to study if purpose has an effect on aging. There was a 15 percent lower risk of death when people felt they had a sense of purpose. For them a purpose could be making sure their families are happy, being creative, contributing to social change, or doing well in their career. Hill felt that it was possible that having purpose reduced stress, therefore contributing to a lower risk of death.

This is why it appears that people with purpose tend to have less anxiety, because they feel less stressed. Here are a few ways to find purpose in your life so you can feel less anxious.

Local Community Involvement

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Are you active in your local community? Do you support the small businesses and get involved in concerns that are important to your area? This can be easily ignored but it is something that really matters and can give you and your community more purpose and growth. You probably have people in your community who are actively involved in education, arts, women's’ rights, politics, environment, church, animal rights, farming, and so many causes that need more attention and active involvement. Try to search for meetings and reach out to others to see where to get started. Additionally, many small businesses are suffering because of online shopping and free shipping. It is affecting things more than you may realize so it’s important to find a few local shops that you can support more often. You will probably receive better customer service and personalized attention than you will online. By giving attention to your community, you will consistently feel purposeful.

Acts of Kindness

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It isn’t always easy to find time to help others when we are working and caring for our own families. However, a random act of kindness or volunteering once in awhile can add a lot of purpose and gratitude for your life. You can send a gift to an elderly neighbor, cook a meal for a sick friend, purchase back-to-school supplies for a child in need, babysit for a single parent, donate money to a cause you believe in, and so much more. You can even find an hour every week to donate your time to a cause that you are passionate about with kids, animals, environmental issues, etc. Volunteer at an animal shelter or a boys and girls club or bring awareness through social media. You may be surprised at how much joy it brings you to help someone who needs it. You never know when you may need the favor returned.

Finding Purpose at Work

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Do you love your job? Do you feel a sense of purpose while you are there? Or does it have you watching the clock while time ticks slowly by? Whatever the case, we spend so much of our time working. Many of us spend more time at work than we do at home and with family and friends. Technology makes it even harder to unplug fully when we’re away from work since we can receive e-mails, messages and conference calls anywhere. Find purpose during your workday however possible. Go back to why you took this job in the first place. Were you excited about the company’s mission? Did you want to be part of a team? Do you love to sell? Try to look at your job position from that original perspective. It may give you more energy and excitement to be there. If you haven’t taken a vacation in awhile, it’s time to relax and unwind so you can come back rejuvenated. If you hate your job and none of that will help, it may be time to find a new opportunity. Until then, help a co-worker through a difficult project, send an appreciative message to your boss, contribute to a charity, or use your unique skills in the best way possible.

Purpose and Creativity

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Think back to when you were a little kid. What made you feel alive and happy? Did you love to paint, dance, tell stories, knit, read, play games, ride your bike? Are you currently doing anything that brings you joy and laughter? It’s important to have a creative outlet to destress your entire body and mind, even as an adult. This will help you to be more present and energized in your everyday life. Plan a paint night with friends. Ride your bike to the beach. Go to a dance class. Get a fiction book from the library. Play a game with your kids. Spend time every week being creative and using your talents to take a break from the everyday chaos. You can even make unique gifts for others by writing a poem, knitting a scarf or making a ceramic bowl. This will give you purpose and help you to be focused, distracting you from work and your to-do list.