On this blog we talk a lot about how physical activity, food, sleep, and technology can help us to lead healthier lives. But One Precious Life is about empowering all aspects of your life to improve your health and well-being, and an important one is feeling as though we have a sense of purpose in life.

In the grand scheme of all the things we can do for our health, most of us probably don’t even consider the impact of our opinions of ourselves. But new research conducted over more than ten years tells us that this is one of many aspects that could help us to live longer and healthier lives.

The researchers noted that people who felt as though they had a sense of purpose in life lived for longer than those who didn’t. This could be for many reasons, for example being an optimistic minded person has previously been linked to better health, and if you feel as though you have a purpose, for example looking after the grandchildren, then you might be more likely to engage in some more health promoting activities like tidying up after them and socialising.

I think that at any age, having a sense of purpose is important, if not for our lifespan then more so for our mental well-being. Perhaps though this is exacerbated as we age and reach retirement age, and it’s not unusual for people to feel lost when they suddenly have no plans after a life time of working nearly every day.

Having something, as insignificant as it is, to be accountable to can give us some direction in life, and it’s something we shouldn’t forget about. So remember to make time for something that you enjoy and feel free to be selfish, perhaps consider giving a rescue dog a new home, booking a slot every week at the golf range, agreeing to mind the kids every Friday, or like my Grandad.. having an obligation to walk to the betting shop every day.

Faye Prior (Researcher)

Source

Hill, P., & Turiano, N. (2014). Purpose in life as a predictor of mortality across adulthood. Psychological Science, doi: 10.1177/0956797614531799