Meaning in Life for Mental Wellbeing

Mental wellbeing starts with the individual.

Consider the elements of your life which contribute to your mental wellbeing. Now, consider what is the meaning of your life? What guides you in your life? What accords meaning to your life?

I posit there is an intersection between your sense of mental wellbeing and your sense of meaning in your life. I posit that there is meaning in your life which contributes to your sense of mental wellbeing.

Let’s explore further.

Life Has Meaning

Each of us is alive. If you are reading this, I bet you are alive right now. I could be wrong. Please reach out to me if you are a being who has passed beyond this physical life so that I may correct my erroneous supposition.

Being alive requires a sense of meaning in life. Granted, some people may have a desired meaning for life which they are not fulfilling because they feel constrained by circumstances: domestic violence, poverty, alienation by a community, lack of educational resources, inadequate access to financial resources, weather disasters, and a myriad of other variables which may constrain a person. A person experiencing one of these circumstances may feel unable to realize the meaning they desire in life.

Human beings continue to astound me by their resilience. People who have experienced situations surpassing the imagination of many of us have not succumbed to their experiences and, rather, have transcended them. The potholes where I come from can become large cavities which we call chicken nests. Life’s potholes have not enveloped resilient human beings. They pursue their lives with meaning.

How We Acquire a Sense of Meaning in Life

Growing up, we learn how life may evolve over time through the lenses of our caregivers and our teachers and the public illustrations of ideal people. Reflect on who those people were in your childhood and youth.

Sometimes the learning is a result of verbal directives. ‘You will become a …’

Children are keen observers and learning may take place implicitly, as they watch the world around them. ‘I see that this person has … and they do … in life.’

Prohibitions may teach a child. ‘Don’t do as X does. Look at how… X is in life.’

Mockery is a form of teaching. ‘Y is … Goes to show you how bad/good it is to do … as Y is doing.’

Comparisons teach us. ‘Look at Q and look at J. Which life do you want for yourself? A life like Q’s or a life like J’s?’

Habits learnt in childhood teach us. We absorb habits and the feelings they engender. We remember taking the bus to our aunt’s house, with our mother, and spending the evening chatting, talking about sewing, drinking the forbidden soda drink we never had at home, hearing family stories, baking, watching mother and aunt do pedicures on each other, and observing these two formidable women console each other for what they wished they had in life and recognizing the wealth of what they did have in life.

Mother and aunt found meaning in their lives, despite the unfulfilled wishes of their lives.

The Meaning in Your Life: Meaning for Mental Wellbeing

Dissect your life. Deconstruct it. Identify what contributes meaning to your life.

Mother Teresa had a very distinct meaning to her life, visible to the public. Likely, she espoused a meaning to her life which we do not see. Some of us likely have a mission statement in our lives which marks our actions.

Meaning on a grand scale is not the only meaning in our lives. Let me rephrase. My life, your life, does not require a grand meaning for life to be relevant and significant.

Of course, I want a meaningful activity in my life. Doing something makes me feel useful to myself and to others. I may not be a famous leader. Few of us are. I do not want to be a famous leader with the narcissism and sociopathic tendencies that characterize many leaders. Doing something which can benefit other people is all I need.

Meaning in life exists on an even smaller scale and this level of meaning is important for harmonious functioning in society. Being kind to strangers. Graciously greeting people. Interacting with positivity. Harbouring hope. Fostering learning. Sharing. All of these actions make our communities good communities in which to live.

Leading with Meaning: How to Destroy Mental Wellbeing

I would like to share a story about leadership which can destroy the mental wellbeing of individuals and of a community. The example is not unique to this nation and is not reflective of the beauty of the nation’s multicultural community.

There is a doctor in the community in question who has received private monies and government funding for his pediatric clinics. Two investigative journalism reports have documented a culture of intimidation, psychological abuse, and incivility. At least twenty people were canvassed by the reporters and offered testimony of their experiences in this business, a healthcare foundation. I have a friend whose colleague can attest to the allegations made in the article. Yet, leadership has responded by attacking the reporters.

Another reporter has characterized the foundation as a factory of burnout. Read: working in the environment of the foundation destroyed the mental wellbeing of the employees. A person becomes paranoid during encounters with potential healthcare employers, fearing that there will be a repeat of the circumstances experienced at the foundation. A person doubts himself. A person questions his value. A person starts to believe there is something wrong in himself, that he must be the cause of problems.

But, the problems stem from the leader.

Meaning in Life for Mental Wellbeing

Take a look at a classic book on meaning in life: Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning

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Laughter for Mental Wellbeing

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Otherwise, you will accord yourself too much importance. Laugh at yourself.

Don’t take things personally. Otherwise, you may fall into the trap of deeming yourself to be the problem in all situations.

Recognize the narcissist and step away, immediately. Let them lead themselves into self-destruction. Perhaps, they will learn from your example or the example of others but only if they are ready for change.

Listen to a comedian who is irreverent without being insulting, a comedian who can laugh at himself and challenges each one of us to laugh at ourselves. My favourite is Sugar Sammy. He understands his audience. He challenges each of us not to take ourselves seriously. Sugar Sammy challenges us to bond with each other and see that each of us is the other.

That is the meaning of our lives. To live together in harmony, recognizing our differences, compromising, and sharing our hurts and our loves and our successes.

Give meaning to your life for the mental wellbeing of everyone, including yourself.

Be well. Be kind. Laugh and share. Your mental wellbeing is at stake if you don’t.

Selected References:

Lagacé, Patrick. (June 13, 2024). La fabrique à burn-out du Dr. Julien. La Presse. Accessed online on June 13, 2024, at https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/chroniques/2024-06-13/la-fabrique-a-burn-out-du-dr-julien.php

Sugar Sammy https://sugarsammy.com/

Disclaimer: The content of this post is not meant to substitute for a consultation with your healthcare team.

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