We all know that eating well and exercising are beneficial, and even measurable, to health. Indeed, you can write down your calorie intake in a notebook and calculate your steps in the appropriate app. But in the fast-paced and stressful world we live in, it’s easy to lose sight of the third aspect of a healthy life: a sense of purpose.
“Measuring a goal is difficult, and it’s different for everyone. Finding a sense of purpose can be a long road full of difficult thoughts and challenges. However, finding the end is the most important aspect of achieving better health,” said Dr. Milagro Sosa, Abbot Prefect of Physicians.
The health benefits of having a purposeful life
Having a sense of purpose helps give meaning to your life. The program helps you make good decisions, set goals, and take on challenges, all of which can benefit your health. When the new year begins, you can give yourself the opportunity to establish this period.
Check this out: According to a study by Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine, having a 1 sense of purpose can improve your heart health and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Also, a meta-analysis published in the special journal Psychosomatics 2 shows a link between a strong purpose in life and a lower risk of cardiovascular events and death. These data are taken into account in Chile, 25.5% of the population with high cardiovascular risk, according to the most recent National Health Survey3.
With this, research in the journal Brain4 found that young people who had a strong sense of purpose were less likely to be depressed than their peers who did not work towards a greater goal. In Chile, the prevalence of depression among young people between 18 and 24 years old is 6.2%, according to the most recent National Health Survey5.
If you want to sleep better, find something that you like about the time, you can improve your rest at night. A study published in Sleep Science and Practice6 indicates that mindfulness can improve sleep and reduce the risk of developing sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome. The decision of 13.2% of the Chilean population, who in 2022 declared that they have moderate or severe insomnia.
Tips to reveal your identity
Finding your life’s purpose is a happier and healthier life, but it takes some work. Observing your surroundings is a good way to start. You can start a new activity, for example, pottery classes at a community center. Conversations with new people can inspire you to enter a coffee shop. You can also go back to school, volunteer at an animal shelter, or join social or professional groups with people you have an affinity for. You can include a new goal in the plan for this new year that has started.
Notes:
1 Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Have a sense of purpose in life? So protect your heart. Peer-Reviewed Publication https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/547686
2 Cohen, R. Bavishi, C. Rozanski, A. End of life and relationship to all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events: A meta-analysis. Psychosom Med. 2016 Feb-Mar; 78 (2):122-33. doi: 10.1097/PSY.000000000000024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26630073/
3 Ministry of Health, Government of Chile. National Health Survey 2016-2017. The second delivery of the results. P. 36
4 Kapli, A. Anzaldi, L. The New Movement in Neuroscience: A Life Driven. The brain 2015 May-Jun; 2015: 7. Published online 2015 Jun. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4564234/
5 Ministry of Health, Government of Chile. National Health Survey 2016-2017. The second delivery of the results. P. 50
6 Arlener D. Turner, Christine E. Smith & Jason C. Ong. Are life goals associated with less sleep disturbance in older adults? Sleep Science and Practice Volume 1, Article Number: 14 (2017)
https://sleep.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41606-017-0015-6
7 Bravo, D. Errázuriz, A. Campos, Thermometer in Chile, Quinto Rotundo. Pontifical Universidad Católica de Chile (UC), UC Center for Longitudinal Studies, Chilean Security Society (ACHS). 28 June 2022. P. 23.
