In this article I aim to illuminate the connection between life-purpose, reduced anxiety and depression, with the wonderful tool that is hypnotherapy, as a means to facilitate this journey through life.
What does it mean to live a purposeful life?
The basis of living with purpose involves having a good understanding of yourself; your passions, your values and aspirations. You can then apply this understanding in consciously choosing to take action, in congruence with these elements and to the benefit of others (service). This action then results in the fulfilment and satisfaction of others and yourself. Purpose is an inter/intrapersonal process of self-understanding, conscious choice, service of others and fulfilment.
Living a purposeful life may, or may not elevate your social status and material success. Either way, status and materialism are not defining characteristics of life-purpose.
How does life-purpose contribute to life meaning?
Kim et al., 2021, Bronk et al., 2009, Park et al., 2010 have linked an underlying sense of purpose to improved physical health and overall life statisfaction. Purpose provides a path to follow and a way to navigate life. When things inevitably don’t go according to plan, you make mistakes and experience setbacks. Your purpose can help you to reorient yourself and get back on track. Your purposeful life can only truly come into fruition when your affirmative action demonstrates it. Purpose becomes effective only when tested through real life experiences that confirm its claims (Park et al., 2010).
How can living your life-purpose help you overcome anxiety?
Anxiety often stems from feelings of being overwhelmed by future possibilities. You cannot control the future completely. Indeed the majority of life is uncontrollable, but a sense of purpose can build in expectations that shine a spotlight on your capabilities, without denying the existence of uncertainties. This is more than enough to empower you and satisfy your need to feel in control. Having a sense of control can indicate that you are moving beyond your anxiety.
Research has shown that those who lead purposeful lives are less likely to suffer symptoms of anxiety. The application of life purpose boosts wellbeing and enriches life for people with social anxiety disorder (Kashdan and McKnight 2013). A sense of life purpose helps reduce the development of anxiety and calms responses to emotional stress (Ishida and Okado, 2006).
How can living a purposeful life help you overcome depression?
Feeling purposeful can help us feel more involved and connected with the world and less helpless and depressed. Living your purpose provides a structure to call into action your skills and capabilities for the benefit of others. Involvement and connection with others and the world is an integral part of this process.
According to Schaefer et al. (2013), people with a strong sense of purpose in life may be more highly protected against depression.
How can hypnotherapy help you create a purposeful life?
Hypnotherapy increases metacognition, including; gaining a greater awareness of strengths and greater flexibility of cognition. This aids inner vision and stimulating change (Drigas et al., 2022), fundamental aspects in creating a purposeful life. In hypnotherapy, you and your therapist work together to diminish your critical self-talk and unite your conscious and unconscious minds more closely. This can open up a channel for communication, often difficult to achieve in normal waking states. Unfettered by limiting beliefs, it becomes easier to illuminate your personal values and passions, as well as the capabilities you have that add value to the lives of others.
Conclusion
To live your life purposefully is to bring self-understanding, conscious choice, service of others and fulfilment together. Purpose provides stability that guides you in gathering evidence that your intentions are playing out in real life. This evidence then strengthens your purpose, which makes life more satisfying. It empowers you with a sense of control about your future, which can settle anxieties that you may have had. Purpose by its very nature connects you meaningfully with others and the world, which can make it harder to be depressed. Hypnotherapy is well situated to help clear your cognitive and emotional clutter, freeing you to clearly identify your values, passions and capabilities and set them in motion.