What Is the Point of Life? Why You Feel This & How to Find Meaning

What Is the Point of Life?

Our brains are wired to find meaning in what surrounds us, and asking, “What is the point of life?” can be completely normal. It’s easy to fall into the comparison trap, but remember that the “perfect” life looks different to everyone. If you find that this question is paired with intense feelings of hopelessness, it could be a sign of depression, and seeking professional help is important.

Why You May Be Wondering What’s the Point of Life

You may ask yourself, “What is the point of life?” if you’re going through a big transition or a time of great stress. You could be having these thoughts if you feel unsure of who you are or feel like you don’t have a purpose. It could also indicate a mental health disorder, like depression.

Reasons a person may wonder what’s the point of life include:

Experiencing a Loss

Loss is an unavoidable part of life that every one of us will experience at some point. There are many different types of loss, including the death of a spouse, death of a parent, loss of a child, loss of a pet, and perinatal loss. Each one of these comes with its own unique set of circumstances and feelings. Going through a loss may cause you to question the meaning of your own life. It can bring up things you want to make peace with before you die or even how you want to be remembered.

Someone You Know Has a Terminal Illness

If someone in your life is diagnosed with a terminal illness, you may begin to reflect on your own life and purpose. If the diagnosis comes quickly or without much notice, this can also make you feel like your life and health can change quickly with no notice. It can bring up worries or fears surrounding the meaning of your own life.

Experiencing Trauma

Trauma can deeply impact our sense of self and how we interact and engage with the world. Experiencing trauma can have you questioning why we are even here if such bad things can exist and happen. Trauma will make you feel unsafe and out of control, leading you to question the point of being here in the first place.

Struggling With Depression

Research shows that lower levels of “life meaning” is associated with depression and more depressive symptoms.¹ The feelings of hopelessness and chronic sadness associated with depression may make someone wonder what is the point of living.  Existential depression is a specific type of depression that goes hand in hand with questioning the meaning of life.³

Signs and symptoms of depression include:

• Feeling hopeless
• Change in sleep or appetite
• Sadness
• Apathy
• Loss of energy
• Restlessness
• Loss of interest in activities you previously enjoyed
• Isolation
• Low self-esteem
• Suicidal ideation

Being a Spiritual Person

Being spiritual typically means being connected to something bigger than ourselves (whether it be God, Spirit, Source, or something else) and also may include exploring the meaning of life. Although you don’t have to be spiritual to feel this way, being connected to a higher power can have us questioning meaning as we move through our lives and defining what success and failure actually mean.

Going Through a Life Transition

Going through a big life transition can cause us to question the meaning of life since our world and environment are changing (sometimes without us being able to control it).  Failure to launch syndrome, when young adults remain excessively dependent on their parents after high school and college, can lead to feeling stuck and questioning the meaning of life. Similarly, having a midlife crisis can also give into questioning one’s purpose as they move into the next chapter of their life.

Having a Child

Becoming a parent is a major life transition that comes with great responsibility but also great rewards. Being responsible for someone else’s well-being may also have you questioning your values and identity as your family grows. Personal sacrifices may make you question if the sacrifices are worthwhile and if there is more meaning than your normal daily routine.

Going Through a Divorce or Breakup

Going through a divorce or breaking up with a partner is another time in your life when you may question your choices and existence. Divorce may have you re-evaluation your priorities and what you want those to look like moving forward. It can also have you questioning your self-worth and what your identity looks like outside of the marriage, and what meaning your life has outside of the relationship once it ends.

Losing Your Job

Today, we often tie our worth and identity to our careers, although that is just one facet of our life. However, losing a job can cause financial uncertainty or fear about the future, leading to questioning your career choices. Losing your job not only disrupts your financial goals but also your daily routine, giving you more time to question what’s next and how your career fits into that. It can also be a time to pivot or make changes in your career.

Religious Exploration or Deconstruction

As we move through life, sometimes our values change. Exploring your religious beliefs can challenge your worldview and your purpose in life. This can make you feel uncertain about life and how to move forward. You may be questioning your morals and beliefs, leading you to search for a different or more authentic way of living.

Falling Into the Comparison Trap

In our current environment, it’s easy to jump on social media and scroll through a feed of people who seem to have it all. You may pressure yourself to perform a certain way or meet societal expectations for things like getting married or having children. Looking at other people’s lives can have you questioning your own identity and self-worth, but it’s important to remember everyone’s path looks different.

10 Ways to Find Meaning in Life

Finding your purpose in life may not be obvious and will likely require deep reflection and questioning of your beliefs and values. Fortunately, there are tools and interventions that can help you to find meaning. Begin with reflecting on your goals, values, and passions.² Then contemplate what your ideal life would look like and work to create that reality.

Here are ten ways to find meaning in life:

1. Volunteer Somewhere Meaningful

Think about your passions and research an organization that suits those passions to volunteer with, either in person, virtually, or giving financially. Volunteering somewhere that aligns with your passions gives you purpose and allows you to use your skills meaningfully. It can also connect you to others with similar interests to build community and support.

2. Focus on Trauma Healing

It can be difficult to see a meaning in life if you have experienced trauma, so beginning to process your trauma is crucial to finding a purpose. By healing your inner child, you restore a sense of safety and connection within your environment and relationships. Consider beginning trauma therapy, such as EMDR or Internal Family systems, which can help you to heal. There are also techniques, like journaling about your PTSD and meditation for PTSD, that can quicken the process.

3. Find Hobbies that Make You Happy

Engaging in a hobby that you enjoy can lead you to live a more fulfilled and joyful life. Hobbies that allow you to be creative will encourage you to express yourself and are also an easy way to practice mindfulness. Learning a new skill will give you a sense of accomplishment and progress. Hobbies can also connect you to others with the same interests as you, allowing you to build meaningful relationships.

4. Reconnect to Your Spirituality

Reconnecting to a higher power can give you a sense of purpose and allow you to use this connection for spiritual guidance and wisdom. This can give you clarity or a sense of purpose on how to move forward in your life. Using prayer or meditation can allow you to be focused on the present moment. Connecting to your spirituality will give you the opportunity to explore your core values and beliefs.

5. Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is being aware of the present moment without judgment. Practicing mindfulness allows us to deepen our connection with our mind and body and what’s happening now. It can be used as a way to anchor or ground yourself using grounding techniques if you find that you are constantly worrying about the future. Using mindfulness is a way to work on acceptance of the current circumstances and practice compassion towards ourselves and others.

6. Set Big & Small Goals

Setting goals guides us on how to live our lives, what we want to accomplish, and motivates us to work towards something. You can set small or big goals for your spiritual practice, health, family, and career. Having a goal to work towards gives you a sense of purpose, even if small, and something to celebrate once you’ve completed that goal.

7. Re-Discover Your Values

Living in accordance with our values allows us to live authentically. Our values can change over time, and we may have different personal and professional values. It can be helpful to write down your top three values and notice if your career or lifestyle aligns with those values. When our values are misaligned, we can feel lost or not purposeful.

8. Cultivate Meaningful Relationships

Humans are wired to connect, and we use relationships to find security and support. We also can work on healing trauma through safe connections. Having a network of friends you trust and lean on gives you a sense of belonging. Being able to love and practice compassion and empathy also enhances our overall well-being and deepens our connection with the world.

9. Seek Guidance From a Therapist

If you find yourself questioning the meaning of life so much that it impacts your ability to go to school, work, or maintain relationships, that’s a sign that it could be depression or something else. It’s normal to question life during turbulent times, but if it doesn’t resolve, reach out to a therapist who can give you guidance and tools to work through these feelings.

10. Embrace Challenges

Life will always have stressors and ups and downs, and discovering what is important to you at any given moment can help manage these stressors.⁴ Embracing life’s challenges instead of worrying about what’s next can be one way to manage existential thoughts. Using skills like radical acceptance and mindfulness allows you to be present at the moment without assigning an emotion or judgment to it. Stress management is essential to one’s well-being and will allow you to have greater psychological flexibility.

When to Seek Professional Support

While it is normal to occasionally wonder, “What is the point of life?” if you find yourself fixating on the question to the extent that it paralyzes you, it may be time to seek professional support. When looking for professional support, it is helpful to know what type of therapy you would like to explore. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety or CBT for depression may be a good option because it focuses on creating cognitive flexibility. Alternatively, you may seek a psychodynamic therapist with whom you can explore the reasons in your history that may be causing your existential anxiety or depression.

You can use an online therapist directory to find a therapist in your area that specializes in your chosen therapy modality. Alternatively, you can explore online therapy platform options, which make therapy more accessible to you.

In My Experience

In my experience, having questions about the meaning of life is normal and comes up often when we go through a big life transition or a loss. It’s important to identify what these feelings are trying to tell you. I find that having clear goals and values is very meaningful when trying to work through existential questioning. Reaching out to a professional for help working through these can change the trajectory of what you’re going through and help find purpose- having a different perspective really allows you to see things from a different angle to help move forward.