podcast link:
www.anchor.fm/boscom
https://anchor.fm/boscom/
Hello, this is Jose Parappully, Salesian priest and
clinical psychologist at Sumedha Centre for Psychospiritual Wellbeing at
Jeolikote, Uttarakhand, with another edition of Psyche & Soul.
In this weekend’s podcast I shall continue
exploration of mental health and wellbeing by looking at the role of meaningful
living
An important resource for our mental wellbeing is
finding life meaningful and purposeful, even in the midst of tragedy.
Recent research on health and happiness show that a
sense of meaning in life is one of the major contributors to emotional and
physical wellbeing. Psychologists call finding meaningfulness in life creating
“Coherence.” Coherence, is founded in the deeply human desire to make sense of
the world. Trauma, such as caused by Covid-19, fragments our basic assumptions
about life, especially of safety, security, predictability and a benevolent
universe. When this happens, meaningfulness of life can get diluted or even
disappear altogether. We can gradually sink into clinical depression and
sometimes think of ending our life and even attempt to do so.
When we find some meaning in the midst of personal
tragedy it improves our mental health. Based on his extensive research on
expressive writing, Psychologist James Pennebaker observes that when people
write about traumatic experiences and reorganize these experiences into
coherent and meaningful narratives, their psychological health and well-being
increases.
Something Meaningful to Do
When we have something meaningful to do, something
we enjoy doing, life becomes meaningful, satisfying, fulfilling. When we do not
have it, we feel frustrated, unhappy, become sour with life. Loss of meaning and purpose is at the root of
depression and suicidality. Finding life meaningful is antidote to depressive
and suicidal ideation.
While having something to do in the present, having
something to which we can look forward with hope and some certainty, such as
getting a new job, or getting a promotion, finding a spouse and looking forward
to a happy married life, or getting ordained a priest adds to the
meaningfulness of life.
Having something to which we can look forward gives
us a feeling of control over our lives and boosts our self-esteem, enhances our
wellbeing. It makes it much easier for us to triumph over present difficulties
and problems and maintaining our sanity and serenity.
Reaching out to others, making others’ lives
significant, is one of the major ways that we can bring meaningfulness into our
own lives. Personality psychologist Dan McAdams observes that goals that enhance
the future of humanity as a whole contributes in special way to health and
happiness. There is much research that says that when we engage in acts of
kindness and compassion it can create positive emotions in us which in turn
boost of our mental wellbeing.
Questions to Ask
Psychologists Craig Polizzi and colleagues suggest
some questions that can help us create meaning and purpose: What is important
to me? What makes me feel good, even when confronted with a situation I can’t
fully control? What do I want other people to say about me and how I respond to
painful situations? What do I want to be known for? What is it to which I look
forward with eagerness? The answers to these questions often reveal to us our
deeper motivations and what really matters to us. This enables us to pursue
meaningful goals and activities under the darkest of circumstances and achieve
a resilient outcome and maintain long-term psychological wellbeing (Clinical
Neuropsychiatry, 2020 17, 2, p. 61)
Daily experiences of positive meaning come in several forms. Psychologist Barbara Frederickson cites some of these based on her many years of research. The most frequently reported forms include: feeling connected to others and cared about (22%), having an opportunity to be distracted from every day cares (21%), feeling a sense of achievement, pride, or self-esteem (17%), feeling hope or optimism (13%), and receiving affirmation or validation from others (11%).
The Religious Worldview
Many persons find meaning in the midst of suffering
through their religious worldview. Belief in an afterlife sustains many to
remain undisturbed in the face of impending death. Gordon Allport, the
founder-father of personality psychology had observed a long time ago: “The
religious sentiment…is the portion of the personality that arises at the
core…and for this reason is capable of conferring marked integration upon
personality.”
Contemporary personality psychologist Robert Emmons, echoes Allport: “Religion and spirituality can provide a unifying philosophy of life and serve as an integrating and stabilizing force in the face of constant environmental and cultural pressures that push for fragmentation, particularly in post-modern cultures.”
We have to find our own ways to find meaningfulness
in life. Without it mental wellbeing would be a challenge.
Nandita (name
changed), who is therapy for some years, has frequently struggled with
meaningfulness of her life. She recently expressed the following that shows how
not finding meaning in life affects one’s wellbeing. She wrote:
"One
existential query about meaning of life/universe that I have been struggling
with and for which I can’t see a possibility of an answer within my reach,
still has me in its grip. It has set in a kind of inertia. On the surface life
is going on in the way possible under current circumstances but deep down there
is a sense of existence being non-sensical. I came across the following during
my readings, which exactly describes what I am presently experiencing: ‘For humans
to be able to live they must either not see the infinite, or have such an
explanation of the meaning of life as will connect the finite with the
infinite.’
The desire
is to get an automatic tailor-made answer that brings with it an instant
clarity of purpose, passion in its act and potential for a sense of fulfillment
– so that life can move on meaningfully. ...
I need to
overcome my inner inertia emerging from lack of trust in being able to ever
find a meaning in life through this ocean of unknowing."
Introspection and Prayer
We could now take a few moments to ask ourselves:
What gives meaning and purpose to my life? ….. If I am experiencing
meaninglessness at this time, what is it I can do to create meaning and
purpose?
We could offer to our ever present and compassionate
God who has our welfare and wellbeing at heart, whatever is causing
meaninglessness in our lives and listen to what God might tell us as to how we
can enhance meaningfulness in our lives and thereby improve our mental health
and wellbeing…..
Have a meaningful weekend.
Be well. Be safe. Be blessed.
Thank you for listening/reading.
Pictures: Courtesy google Images
JOSE PARAPPULLY SDB, PHD
sumedhacentre@gmail.com
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