Depression doesn't just brand yous feel tired and unmotivated. It can also affect part of what makes you feel you — your sense of purpose.

Man sitting on a rock under starry sky Share on Pinterest
It may experience difficult at first, but finding your purpose when you live with depression is possible. (bjdlzx/Getty Images)

Your purpose is unique to you. It's that overarching goal that pushes you through life's mundane moments.

You may be driven to help animals in need. Possibly your passion is for coaching children. You might exist a professional athlete looking to examination your potential.

Your sense of purpose is what drives y'all and brings yous fulfillment. It can as well be difficult to connect to it when you're feeling depressed.

But depression can be treated, and that sense of hopelessness and lack of management tin be managed.

Feeling that you lot have a sense of purpose can exist an important role of your mental well-being.

According to partner studies from 2013 and 2017, this sense of direction may help you stay emotionally balanced — not also afflicted by negative or positive situations.

Research also suggests that you might accept a more positive outlook and fewer physical responses during a stressful day when you lot live with a sense of purpose. Information technology may amend your mood and your ability to manage intense emotions.

In addition to daily benefits, living with intent may help you maintain cognitive part, similar retentivity and conclusion-making, as you lot age and may subtract the chances of dementia, according to study data.

Living with low may mean more than experiencing a lack of purpose as a symptom. Some researchers believe low is the upshot of loss of purpose. Hither's how they explicate it.

In a recent study, experts worked with participants who screened positive on low tests.

Rather than describing themselves as living with a clinical status, the participants associated their symptoms direct with a loss of direction in life.

They attributed their depression symptoms to major disturbances to their aspirations for work, relationships, and other factors of life that were meaningful to them.

As their sense of purpose declined, they started to feel formal symptoms of depression, merely remained primarily focused on how their dreams and goals were deteriorating.

In other words, participants seemed to think that losing a sense of purpose had acquired depression.

The question is, could reconnecting with that sense of purpose improve your depression symptoms? It'due south possible. More inquiry on this topic is needed to attain a decision.

The causes of depression aren't yet established. Evidence points to a combination of contributing factors and diminished resources to handle them.

When y'all live with depression, it can feel as though everything is working against yous.

Not only can you lot feel unmotivated, hopeless, or self-critical, yous might not be able to concentrate long enough to focus on what y'all want to accomplish.

Only depression doesn't have to be permanent. At that place are ways to get back on track by reconnecting to those things that bring you lot fulfillment.

These tips may assistance yous find your purpose once again, even if you live with depression.

Identify your sense of purpose

Non everyone tin can clearly state their sense of purpose — with or without symptoms of depression.

When you know what drives yous in life, you can accept something specific to work toward. Your purpose might non be the same as someone else'south. It may not fifty-fifty be what it used to be a few months ago.

What satisfies you and brings you inner peace is very unique to you lot and your current circumstances.

You may want to let go of what yous idea was important in the by. Perchance you've changed, and that's OK. Endeavour looking at the meaning of your life with new eyes.

You may also want to resist the urge to add a "but" at the finish of your sentences.

It may feel like you don't accept all the resources or opportunities correct now. Try not to let that train of thought stop yous from setting your goals and life vision.

Seek professional guidance

Low is a diagnosable status. It can be treated with high success through psychotherapy and medication.

Regaining your sense of purpose may be less challenging when you lot're addressing the other symptoms of depression, such as:

  • difficulty thinking or making decisions
  • loss of free energy
  • loss of interest in activities
  • feelings of worthlessness
  • fatigue

Do something for someone else

If you don't know where to beginning to regain your sense of purpose, doing something kind for someone else might be a adept starting time step.

Research suggests that doing something for the benefit of others creates a greater sense of meaningfulness.

Meaningfulness can pb to satisfaction and fulfillment, the very things yous're later when finding your sense of purpose.

Embrace mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of managing mental menses with intent.

It'due south the ability to live in the moment, viewing your thoughts without bias and without fixation.

A study evaluating how mindfulness practices impact a sense of purpose found that people who practice information technology tend to build purpose statements with a greater sense of clarity, focus, and authenticity.

Mindfulness can exist practiced in a number of ways, including as a form of meditation.

Heal your relationships

When you alive with depression, you may find socializing challenging. This could pb to relationship strain or distancing.

Sometimes the people you care about don't sympathize what you're going through and may altitude themselves.

Enquiry suggests keeping your supportive relationships intact could be directly related to maintaining a sense of purpose.

Living with depression tin can mean besides experiencing a loss of purpose.

Like nearly lost things, however, your purpose can be plant again. It's non gone forever — depression has simply hidden information technology behind a curtain.

You can start pulling back that curtain with cocky-intendance strategies and professional depression treatment.

When the symptoms of depression aren't property you in place anymore, you tin rediscover the things in life that bring yous fulfillment.

Y'all can reclaim your sense of purpose. After all, it is still yours to claim.