We are hard wired to take action and get stuff done. It only makes sense, doesn’t it? Our survival as a society depends on the actions of lots of different people. We each do our part and everything runs smoothly. It only makes sense then that we have an internal mechanism in our brain that also rewards us for getting things done.
I’m sure you’ve seen this happening in your own life. It’s a great feeling when you finish a project and it’s what drives us to get things done on a regular basis. It’s motivation to get to work and take action.
On the other hand, when we don’t have anything meaningful to do and maybe feel like we’re not contributing, we get depressed. People who don’t think they have a fulfilling job, or feel like the work they do doesn’t make a difference, are much more likely to feel down, tired, sad, and depressed. It’s important to remember that you are not your job! Your job is like a jacket you put on over the person who is you. And YOU matter, you make a difference in the world just by being you. Rethink your job—what you do matters to someone or they wouldn’t be paying you to do it. Who benefits from what you do? Sometimes we need to take a long view.
If you are feeling insignificant or unproductive, try doing something that does make you feel productive. It doesn’t have to be a big thing—you don’t have to save the world. Just do one little productive thing. Write, draw, read a book. Or start with your home: Go clean the bathroom, organize your book shelves, or do a load of laundry. Use the accomplishments from those to motivate yourself to get something else done. Take note of how good it feels to create a little art or writing, to have a clean bathroom, freshly folded laundry, less clutter. Keep building on it, and before you know it you’ll notice your mood changing for the better.
If you want to supercharge this experience, go out and do something that also helps others. Go work at a soup kitchen for a couple of hours, or help at your local animal shelter. Offer to baby sit for a friend with little kids who hasn’t gotten out all week. Do something that benefits someone else and you’ll feel even better than before.
For the long run, make it a goal to work at a job, or build a business that helps fuel this feeling of contributing and giving back. Wouldn’t it be great if the hours you spent earning a living each week, also contributed to your overall happiness and a feeling of fulfillment? What can you do this week or this month to work towards this goal? That’s where you want to start and in the meantime, keep volunteering, keep taking action, and do things that make you feel happy and accomplished.
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