One cannot sit on the fence especially when there are vital lessons to be learned from @hildabaci attempt at breaking a world record. As we applaud the brave Hilda, there are a few mental health lessons to be learned from the whole scenario.
People say passion doesn’t put food on your table, but the truth is provision follows purpose. When you walk in your purpose, you do it because you love what you do and you want to use your skills to improve the lives of others, but when you do this diligently and consistently, provision follows automatically.
For Hilda to stand up on her feet and cook for four days nonstop is not a coincidence, she enjoys what she does and that helped her mental health. It is positive psychology.
According to research, When you do what you love, and what flows for you effortlessly, some feel-good hormones like dopamine, adrenaline, and serotonin are released to your system, and you just don’t feel good about yourself but you are fired up to keep doing more.
The viral Hilda cooking should be a wake-up call for those who have passion but couldn’t take steps due to procrastination and impostor syndrome. It is not too late to start where you are, you are enough!
A sense of purpose refers to having a clear understanding of one’s values and goals, and feeling that one’s life has meaning and direction.
Research has shown that having a sense of purpose is associated with better mental health outcomes, including improved psychological well-being, increased resilience to stress, and a reduced risk of depression and anxiety.
A sense of purpose refers to having a clear understanding of one’s personal values and goals, and feeling that one’s life has meaning and direction. Research has shown that having a sense of purpose is associated with better mental health outcomes, including improved psychological well-being, increased resilience to stress, and a reduced risk of depression and anxiety.
Here are a few ways in which having a sense of purpose can contribute to better mental health:
- Improved self-esteem: When individuals have a clear sense of their values and goals, they may feel more confident and self-assured. This can lead to improved self-esteem, which is associated with better mental health outcomes.
- Increased resilience: When individuals have a sense of purpose, they may be better able to cope with challenges and setbacks. This increased resilience can help them to maintain good mental health even in difficult circumstances.
- Reduced stress: Individuals with a sense of purpose may be more motivated and focused, which can help to reduce stress levels. When individuals feel that their life has meaning and direction, they may be less likely to experience feelings of helplessness or overwhelm.
- Greater life satisfaction: When individuals have a sense of purpose, they may feel more satisfied with their lives overall. This can lead to a greater sense of happiness and well-being.
WHY DO PEOPLE LOSE THEIR SENSE OF PURPOSE
As simple as it seems, finding one’s essence of being is not usually an easy task, especially in a society where different things are calling for one’s attention. It’s even more difficult now in the social media era where distraction is the order of the day. A lot of people find it difficult to understand their purpose on earth, and those who got a glimpse of it also lost it due to different factors. Here are some reasons you might find it difficult to locate or connect to your purpose:
- Wrong Conditioning: Most people grew up in a family where society or their parents dictate their career choices, unfortunately, most of these parents project their failure or unachieved dreams onto their children. For example, a man who had always dreamed to be a medical doctor but could not, eventually forced his son to be one. Same with families where everyone toed the same career line just because it is the parent’s choice. It is nearly impossible for someone not to have a gift of Tech, Entrepreneur, or Art in a family of six where everyone turned out to be a lawyer.
- Poverty: Survival drives human instinct and in an environment where basic human needs are not available, pursuing one dream or passion might become a suicide mission. Since there is no enabling environment to think and develop one’s idea, any business, and career that can generate income will be more attractive to someone in this kind of environment.
- Lack of Focus: Social media has a lot to offer when you talk of distractions, a lot of things are begging for your attention, especially with the tendency to put people under unnecessary pressure due to fake lives that so many people are portraying online.
- Get-rich-quick syndrome leading to a lack of patience, consistency, and persistence to see your dream grow.
HOW TO FIND YOUR PURPOSE
If you struggle with finding your passion there are different types of therapy that can help clients to find their passion or sense of purpose in life. Here are a few examples:
- Existential therapy: This type of therapy helps clients to explore questions related to the meaning and purpose of life. By examining their beliefs and values, clients can identify what is most important to them and what gives their life meaning.
- Career counseling: Career counseling can help clients to identify their interests, values, and skills and match them to potential careers or vocational opportunities. This can help clients to find a sense of purpose and fulfillment in their work.
- Narrative therapy: Narrative therapy focuses on helping clients to construct a personal narrative or story that reflects their values, beliefs, and experiences. By examining their life story, clients can identify patterns or themes that are meaningful to them and use them as a guide to finding their passion.
- Positive psychology: Positive psychology is a field that focuses on the study of positive emotions, strengths, and virtues that can help individuals to thrive and flourish. A therapist who uses positive psychology techniques may help clients to identify their strengths and interests and explore how they can be used to find their passion.
- Mindfulness-based therapy: Mindfulness-based therapy can help clients to cultivate awareness of their thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. By developing a greater sense of self-awareness, clients can identify what brings them joy and fulfillment, and use that awareness to guide their life choices.
In Conclusion, having a sense of purpose is an important factor in maintaining good mental health. Individuals who have a clear understanding of their personal values and goals may be more resilient to stress, have improved self-esteem, and experience greater life satisfaction. Mental health professionals can help individuals to identify and cultivate their sense of purpose as part of a comprehensive mental health treatment plan. Need to talk to a therapist? CLICK HERE
