Have you noticed that people keep talking about finding meaning in life? Meaningfulness can seem so abstract and perhaps a little flighty, certainly abstract for children and adolescents. Yet, studies continue to show that having a strong sense of meaning and purpose in life is associated with greater life satisfaction and improved wellbeing (Khanna et al., 2021; Shoshani & Slone, 2017).
Try this
- Take some time to think and share your values – what is important to you, what do you look for in relationships with others, what core values are important to you, your family and in your roles as a parent/guardian?
- Fold them into problem-solving - by paying attention to your values when working out that mammoth problem you are trying to solve can help ground us, provide a new perspective and assist with decision making.
Take some time to think and share your values with your children.
For further learning and fun;
- Listen to Jenna LeJeune’s podcast episode on finding meaning Beyond Well
- As recommended by clinical psychologist, Dr Louise Hayes – “Check out this podcast on finding meaning amidst the chaos by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Powers. It’s a novel about a father and neurodiverse son, that traverses our connection to forests, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and losing our values. It took my breath away”.
- Mindfulness hurts; that’s why it works. A nice blog for mindfulness sceptics and for those who don’t find it fun.