Dealing with Hopelessness: What to do When Life Seems Like it has no Meaning

Some call it existential depression, others are simply focused on making their existence more meaningful and they’re dissatisfied with the current sense of purpose. Are you one of those individuals? How often do you ask yourself about the meaning of life? How often do you feel lost? Most people go through such sentiments.

​If you want to be a good human being and you want to accomplish something, chances are that every once in a while you’ll feel that life is completely meaningless. It’s crucial to fight these negative emotions. Finding a purpose in life is possible, as long as you manage to overcome the effect of those negative voices in your head.

Why Life Feels Meaningless

Even the biggest of optimists can feel once in a while that their life has no purpose, that it’s empty of meaning. 

​Burnout is one of the most common causes of desperation. Though most people associate burnout with their career, it can impact just about every aspect of life. Burnout has a couple of easy to distinguish symptoms:

• Mental and physical exhaustion
• Detachment from life and isolation 
• Feelings of cynicism and lack of purpose
• Feelings of lack of accomplishment
• Anger and depression
• All-encompassing pessimism

This isn’t something that happens all of the sudden. People begin feeling burned out after long periods of extreme exhaustion or not feeling satisfied with their personal/professional lives. These individuals are passionate high achievers. They believe there’s something more out there and they never feel satisfied with the current level of accomplishment. 

In other instances, people begin pursuing a dream that isn’t clearly defined or that’s not the one thing that they’d like to accomplish in life. With the passage of time and the realization that the dream isn’t “it,” it’s possible to start feeling like life has no purpose and meaning.

Important Questions to Ask

It’s possible to discover meaning and purpose, even if you’ve been completely disillusioned. Taking a break from the everyday existence and coping with chronic stress are both essential for getting to feel complete once again. 

Stop trying to keep yourself busy without being productive. Stop relying on the routine that feels comfortable but that keeps you drowning in a sea of meaningless chores. A few days of relaxation can help you regain your mental clarity and see that it’s not all lost.
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Asking yourself a couple of important questions is also wonderful for finding the meaning and the purpose once again:

• ​What makes you smile: the pursuit of happiness will make you feel fulfilled, no matter what others may say about it. This may seem like a very narcissistic approach towards discovering the meaning of life but it’s only the beginning – a first question that can help you get focused.
• Which people inspire you the most: what do these people do? Why are you so touched by their stories and their accomplishments?
• Are you willing to fight/sacrifice for x: the things and activities that you’re willing to make a sacrifice for are the ones that matter, the ones that will make you feel accomplished.
• How are you going to change the world: it doesn’t have to be big. In fact, some of the smallest things we do and stick to are the ones that can have the most profound impact on larger groups of people. Charity work or donating to a crowdfunding campaign may seem like something minor but in reality, you’re contributing to something bigger – something that will improve the lives of others.
• Why are you doing the things you’re currently doing: for many of us, the answer is simple. We do the things we do because we’re expected to or because that’s the social norm (the responsible thing to do). If the things you’re doing currently aren’t giving you satisfaction and a sense of purpose, chances are that you’ll need to make major adjustments.

So, What should You do When Life Feels Meaningless?

You’ve slowed down and you’ve asked yourself the most important questions. You’ve taken steps to counter chronic stress. Now what?

It’s interesting to point out that people who survived disasters and overcome highly unfavorable circumstances believed in their life’s higher purpose. This phenomenon is known as the Stockdale paradox. So, it’s not about how you came into existence, the bigger questions is why.

​Instead of focusing on happiness and positive things in life, you may want to focus on what’s wrong and making it better. Happiness will be a natural consequence of fixing injustices, no matter how big or small. Happiness as the purpose of life is going to be empty of meaning, it has to be a byproduct of the things that you do. The very same thing applies to success, whether in your personal or professional life.

People often search in different places for meaning. In a spiritual search, people may visit psychics or mediums, investigate religions, and try praying. In finding a purpose, it is important to find something to serve, something bigger than yourself. A spiritual life can be a great place to find this connection. 

Once you see a higher purpose and you begin understanding the connections between people (the way in which the things you do are affecting others), you will get to experience the fulfillment and satisfaction that will make your life meaningful once again.
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A hedonistic approach isn’t going to cut it. Try being altruistic and chances are that you’ll see major changes.