The Meaning of Life: Mental Health and Existentialism

The Meaning of Life: Mental Health and Existentialism

You woke up, you had coffee. Maybe you helped dress your children before you dropped them off at school, or you took your dog for a walk in the morning. Work was fine, dinner was good. You started a new book or watched a television show. Showered and cozy in bed, another day has come and gone. As you begin to drift off, an unfamiliar thought creeps in, keeping you wide eyed in the soft darkness of your room. "Who am I?" you wonder as you replay the motions of your day. Maybe you're able to come up with an answer to this question, and so you shut your eyes. Another question enters your mind..."What is the meaning of life?" Unable to find the answer, you begrudgingly reach for your phone. After scrolling aimlessly for half an hour, your partner turns over and whispers "Go to sleep". Finally, you do, so that you can wake up, have coffee, and help your children dress before you drop them off at school.

The Meaning of Life Is…

Albert Camus, a French philosopher and author, stated the meaning of life is...well...that there is no real meaning. "What?!" you retort, dropping the chip you were eating. Camus believed that at a fundamental level, life is absurd. According to Camus, the meaning of life is inherently absurd because we humans seek and assign meaning to a world that has no inherent meaning. Camus believed in our desire as human beings to make sense of our reality - our world - directly conflicts with the indifference of the universe, chaotic in all knowing and unknowing.

Camus's resolve was to accept the notion that life is absurd, to accept that we have no real idea of what is going on, and to go on living life the best we can anyway.

"I've had enough of these games!" you cry upon reading this, storming out of your kitchen and out onto the sidewalk, passing a little Buddha statue in your neighbor's garden.

Let's Travel to the East

You may have heard of Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and other philosophies with origins in the East. All give us the opportunity to gain perspective into the meaning of life. Like Camus's view of the absurd and the suffering it can cause, Buddhist philosophy also acknowledges this suffering. However, it gives us a formula to end the suffering, and encourages us to follow the path of enlightenment. Enlightenment results in nirvana, a place of ultimate bliss. To begin, we start by recognizing the Four Noble Truths:

1. Life is suffering.

2. Suffering is caused by craving.

3. Suffering can have an end.

4. There is a path which leads to the end of suffering.

The Noble Eightfold Path, which Buddhism suggests is the way to break ourselves from the cycle of suffering, states we follow these principles:

1. Right understanding (Samma ditthi), or to understand things as they are.

2. Right thought (Samma sankappa), or to understand our thoughts are powerful and can dictate the happiness or sadness we feel.

3. Right speech (Samma vaca), or to understand our words have meaning, and to use them wisely.

4. Right action (Samma kammanta), or to understand our actions influence our minds, and to live accordingly; do not harm, do not cheat, etc.

5. Right livelihood (Samma ajiva), or to work in a peaceful profession.

6. Right effort (Samma vayama), or to rid yourself of unwholesome thoughts.

7. Right mindfulness (Samma sati), or to be in the now, with no attachment to the past, or what is to come.

8. Right concentration (Samma samadhi), or to meditate.

After your brief, blissed out trip to the East, you suddenly remember in the middle of a meditation that your mother in law is coming to visit and you forgot to clean the downstairs bathroom. Let's get you back home and explore what Carl Jung, a revered Swiss big thinker, thought about how to live a good life.

Let's Travel to the West

Carl Jung stated that in order to live a good life, we just have to adhere to these five things:

1. Good physical and mental health; Be physically and mentally sound.

2. Have good personal and intimate connections; Jung believed human beings need connection with one another in order to thrive.

3. The faculty for perceiving beauty in art and nature; Jung thought that the beauty in our lives could help us find purpose and be inspired.

4. Reasonable standards of living and satisfactory work; the means to live, and enjoy the work that supplies those means.

5. A philosophic or religious point of view capable of coping successfully with the vicissitudes of life; adopt a religious, spiritual, or philosophical outlook that helps to anchor you when you're feeling lost in the sauce.

"Yes, that's it! I can do this!", you think. But then you remember when Jung said, "No matter how ideal your situation may be, it does not necessarily guarantee happiness", and start to feel sad. "Here we go again", you think, before wandering into the kitchen to heat up leftovers.

How Existentialism Affects Your Mental Health

Thinking about the meaning of life and purpose can be both a positive and negative experience. Our bio and social desires that prompt us to be happy and live harmoniously with ourselves and others exist in everyone on some level. It's when we are pummeled by existential conflicts more than we are at peace that we develop thoughts or symptoms of those thoughts that become harmful to our wellbeing.

On one hand, using an existential lens can help us identify what we hold dear to us. Shining a light on the things we value helps us to highlight and incorporate them in our lives. It can also help us understand the purpose of our routines. For example, remember when you woke up and had coffee? It was so you could be up early enough to make a nourishing breakfast for your children. You took the dog on a walk because it was a beautiful day, and you want your dog to experience that for their health and happiness.

On the other hand, existentialism can prove difficult for those struggling with concepts like self-identity, responsibility, and feelings of anxiety and depression. Existential thoughts can amplify feelings of hopelessness, and uncertainty. At times, the search for meaning may feel completely overwhelming, causing us to feel existential dread. So what do we do?

What Makes Life Worth Living?

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus, King of Corinth, is punished by the god Zeus for a life of evil and tyranny. As his punishment he is banished to Hades, where he spends eternity wrestling a giant boulder up a steep hill. Just as the boulder reaches its peak, it slips from his hands, crashing down before settling back at the bottom. With that, Sisyphus makes his descent and wrestles the giant boulder up the hill again. Most people would agree that the fate of Sisyphus is a cruel one, though there is a glimmer of hope. As Camus suggests in his essay the Myth of Sisyphus, "one must imagine Sisyphus as happy".

Finding meaning in life is a unique journey, as what you find meaningful is subjective and ultimately up to you. Instead of asking yourself questions like, "What is the purpose of life?", asking yourself questions like "What can help me nurture my inner sense of purpose?" may prove a powerful tool when aiming to understand the meaning of life. Begin with the understanding that even considering existential questions can be a sign that you are expanding your consciousness. When your mind increases awareness, you may more deeply consider the nuances of the world, and this may help you to come closer to figuring out what life is all about. Or maybe it makes you feel like you want to run and hide.

Finding A Therapist That Specializes in Existentialism

Reading this could go many ways. It may motivate you to explore Taoism and the teachings of living harmoniously with nature. It could prompt you to notice the specks of paint on the wall and decide you want to paint your walls "Palo Santo Beige". Or it could lead you to realize you could use someone to talk to and bounce some of these ideas about life that you've been having. This is where a therapist can help.

Therapists trained in existential therapy can walk alongside you as you navigate big concepts like freedom and emptiness. A therapist trained in mindfulness can help you interrupt thought patterns that trigger feelings of sadness and fear, helping you connect more to the "now". A therapist can simply be a person with whom you bounce around ideas of what the "now" is in a place where you feel supported.

You can self schedule an in-person or virtual therapy session to help with your mental health and existentialism at the Center for Growth by calling (215) 922-5683 x 100.

Our Guarantee: If after your first session you are not sold that you are working with the right therapist, do not hesitate to call our intake line at 215 922 5683 x 100 or Alex at (267) 324-9564 and ask to be rescheduled with another therapist. The choice of how you want to proceed is yours. Our only goal is to support you in becoming the best you possible.

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