- [Narrator] Hey, Psych2Goers. Welcome back.
Spoken word Poet Connor Franta once said,
"It is not darkness in my heart
but emptiness, waiting for the sun."
And if you find yourself relating to this quote,
then you've most likely realized the terrifying truth
that the emptiness and meaninglessness of life
is something a lot of us had to confront
at some point in our lives.
Whether it's all just a part of growing up
and trying to figure out who you are and where you belong,
we all find ourselves wondering how to make sense of it all
and discovering what we were put on this earth to do.
With that said, if you are struggling with deep feelings
of emptiness in your life right now,
here are seven signs to help you figure out why
and what you can do about it:
(animation thuds)
Number one, your relationships aren't fulfilling.
Do you often find yourself spending time
with people you don't even like?
Or having uninteresting conversations
where you just nod along and pretend to act interested?
Or date people you don't even have any real feelings for
just because you don't wanna turn them down?
One of the longest and most famous studies on happiness
known as the Harvard Study of Adult Development found
that it was the quality of our relationships;
meaning the level of emotional intimacy, support,
and active listening that determined our life satisfaction
and sense of well-being, not the quantity.
So leave behind all the unfulfilling relationships
in your life to make room for better ones to come.
Number two, you struggle with overdependence.
Another telltale sign
you might be feeling deep emptiness in your life
is if you often find yourself overly dependent,
needy, and clinging to those around you.
You might be jumping from one relationship to another
because deep down inside you feel like
something is missing in your life
and you think other people can feel that void for you.
You're scared to be alone
because you don't know who you are
when you're not defined by your relationship.
Other people give you your sense of identity and self-worth
and without them, you can't help but feel lost and empty.
Number three, you are perpetually bored with your life.
"I am going out of my mind with boredom.
I don't know what I wanna do with my life."
Is this something you find yourself feeling
or thinking a lot of the time?
Are most of your days uninteresting and unengaging?
Do you feel like you're just wasting your life
and all your potential unable to find anything
that brings you joy or meaning?
When people feel a deep emptiness in their life,
it can look a lot like boredom.
And that feeling comes from a lack of engagement,
challenge, change, and opportunities for self-growth.
Number four, you feel emotionally numb a lot.
Although the people around you often remark
that you seem sad or down lately,
the truth is most days you have trouble feeling
anything at all.
Where there was once joy, sadness, excitement, and interest,
there's now apathy and emotional detachment.
While a lot of people do experience emotional detachment
at certain points in their lives,
it usually just kind of comes and goes.
So if the feeling or lack thereof it
has stuck with you for a while now,
it's most likely a sign that you're becoming aware
of a deep emptiness you feel in your life.
Number five, you feel alone and isolated from everyone else.
The heavy feeling of life's emptiness,
meaninglessness and incompleteness
can drive us away from the people around us,
even those we love the most.
You might be feeling disconnected
from everyone around you
and struggling with a deep sense of loneliness
that keeps you from emotionally connecting with others.
This becomes even more evident
once you start avoiding people,
canceling plans and hiding away to be by yourself
for long periods of time.
Number six, you've lost touch with yourself.
Longing for something more but not knowing what it is
is one of the clearest and most telltale signs
that you've lost touch with yourself
and are now living out of alignment with your purpose.
You don't know who you are anymore or what you want
and you're painfully unsure about where your life is going.
And until you reconnect with your inner self
and once again rediscover your purpose in life,
a deep sense of emptiness tends to set in.
And number seven, you have what you want
and you're still not happy.
On paper, it might seem like you have a lot
to be grateful for
but deep down inside,
you know that something is still missing.
If you find that you have what you want
and you're still not happy,
then it's most likely going to leave you
feeling disheartened, confused,
unsure of yourself and empty.
This might be because all those wonderful things
aren't actually things you wanted for yourself
but rather, what everyone else has decided for you to want.
Discovering your core values
and what your personal mission in life is
can help you get back on the right track.
So did you find yourself relating
to any of the things we mentioned here?
Hopefully, even if the answer is yes,
some of the things we've mentioned
may help cultivate more meaning and purpose in your life.
And if you or anyone else you know
is seriously struggling with your mental and well-being,
please seek help
and talk to a mental healthcare professional today.
Getting in touch with the right person
can be a great first step to getting back on track.
What are some things that you've learned?
What's something you wish to learn more about?
What's been your experience?
Write them down in the comments.
As always, thanks so much for watching
and we'll see you in the next video.