That persistent feeling of ‘lacking’ despite checking all the boxes society told you to check.
The nagging voice wondering if this daily grind is truly all life has to offer.
The quiet resentment building as your precious hours disappear into work obligations and responsibilities.
The late-night scrolling through others’ highlight reels, wondering why their lives seem more vibrant, more purposeful.
The dreams you’ve shelved for “someday” that are collecting dust alongside your once-passionate self.
If you’re nodding along, you’re not alone. Millions of people walk through their days feeling like spectators in their own lives rather than active participants.
But that yearning for something more isn’t a crisis—it’s a compass. Your soul is simply telling you it’s time for a change. Let’s explore nine practical ways to answer that call without upending everything you’ve built.
1. Identify and eliminate energy drains.
Most people struggling to find meaning in their lives aren’t lacking time; they’re lacking energy. Your vitality gets siphoned away by activities, obligations, and even people that drain rather than nourish you.
This first step requires honest assessment. For one week, track what fills your tank versus what depletes it. Then look for the patterns.
Does scrolling social media for “just five minutes” leave you feeling worse thirty minutes later? Do certain friends or family members consistently exhaust you? Are you saying yes to commitments out of guilt rather than genuine desire?
In my experience, eliminating just one significant energy drain can create enough space for transformation that seemed impossible before. For me, that thing was reading through the news first thing in the morning—when I stopped, my entire day shifted.
Your environment matters too. Clutter, unfinished projects, and disorganization create constant low-grade stress. Even small changes such as clearing your desk, donating clothes you never wear, or finally handling that paperwork can free up mental bandwidth you didn’t know you were using.
Remember, saying no to energy drains means saying yes to what matters most.
2. Redefine your relationship with work.
For many, work consumes the majority of their waking hours yet provides minimal fulfillment beyond a paycheck. This imbalance often fuels that “something’s missing” feeling.
What purpose does work actually serve in your life? Beyond financial security, work can provide community, creative expression, intellectual stimulation, and positive impact. Which of these elements matter most to you? Which are currently missing?
Your job doesn’t need to fulfill every need. Perhaps it provides excellent financial stability while volunteer work satisfies your desire for meaning. Maybe your creative side gets expressed through hobbies while your job offers intellectual challenges.
The concept of “job crafting,” developed by organizational psychologists Amy Wrzesniewski and Jane Dutton, suggests we can reshape our work experience by adjusting tasks, relationships, and our perception of the work itself—even without changing jobs.
When feeling trapped, look for small adjustments. Can you spend more time on aspects of your work that you enjoy? Might mentoring a colleague add meaning? Could mastering a new skill reinvigorate your interest?
Neither quitting impulsively nor resigning yourself to misery are the only options. Often, the middle path of intentional adjustment creates sustainable change, especially if you are dreading having to work for the rest of your life.
3. Define your own version of success.
We absorb definitions of success from parents, media, culture, and peers—often without questioning if these definitions align with our authentic values. No wonder achieving society’s version of success can leave you feeling strangely empty.
The remedy starts with permission—permission to want what you actually want, not what you think you should want. Some find fulfillment in traditional markers like career advancement or financial wealth. Others value relationships, creativity, or making a difference above all else.
Your unique success definition likely combines elements from multiple areas. Perhaps success means financial stability plus close friendships plus regular creative expression. Or maybe it’s professional respect plus time freedom plus physical wellbeing.
The clarification of your values helps immensely here. List what matters most to you: honesty, adventure, security, recognition, connection, autonomy? Then rank them. Knowing your top five values provides a decision-making framework for everything from job opportunities to relationship choices.
An exciting shift happens when your internal compass guides your choices instead of external expectations. Activities that once seemed important fall away naturally. New priorities emerge. Life simplifies as you focus energy on what truly matters to your unique spirit.
4. Explore spirituality or philosophical traditions.
Many modern lives lack a framework for understanding life’s bigger questions. Without this context, daily challenges and successes float disconnected from any larger meaning.
Spiritual and philosophical traditions offer wisdom cultivated over centuries about human purpose, suffering, joy, and connection. You don’t have to accept any tradition wholesale—consider it more like visiting a buffet of perspectives where you can sample what resonates.
Stoicism, for instance, offers practical approaches to accepting what we cannot change while courageously changing what we can. Buddhism provides insights about detachment from outcomes and present-moment awareness. Various religious traditions offer community and rituals that connect individual lives to something larger.
On my own journey, I’ve found value in diverse traditions. I realized that the key is to approach everything with curiosity rather than seeking absolute answers.
Modern philosophers like Alain de Botton (a favorite of mine) have made philosophical concepts more accessible through books like The Consolations of Philosophy, showing how ancient wisdom applies to contemporary challenges.
The goal here isn’t to “find” religion or adhere to a strict philosophy. Rather, it’s finding ideas that illuminate your experience and provide context for your unique journey. Even exploring one new concept monthly can gradually transform your perspective.
5. Connect with nature regularly.
Something profound shifts when we step away from screens and buildings into natural settings. Blood pressure lowers. Stress hormones decrease. Mental clarity improves. These benefits aren’t just subjective experiences—they’re measurable physiological changes.
Natural settings activate our parasympathetic nervous system—the “rest and digest” mode—counterbalancing the “fight or flight” state many of us operate in daily. Even brief exposure to nature can reset your nervous system.
Beyond physical benefits, nature reminds us that we belong to something larger than our individual concerns. Watching waves crash against the shore or stars emerge at night naturally evokes perspective on personal problems.
Your connection to the natural world needn’t be dramatic or time-consuming. A twenty-minute walk through a local park. Tending houseplants. Watching birds at a feeder outside your window. Even gazing at clouds from your balcony counts.
For those living in urban environments, creativity helps. City parks, rooftop gardens, or weekend trips to nearby natural areas can provide that essential reconnection. The Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing” teaches that simply being present in natural settings—not hiking vigorously or achieving anything—provides healing.
When life feels overwhelming or meaningless, nature offers both comfort and recalibration. It reminds us we are part of an ancient, continuing story.
6. Seek out awe-inspiring experiences.
That breathless moment watching a sunset paint the sky. The humbling feeling gazing up at ancient redwoods. The overwhelming emotion hearing music that seems to express your soul’s deepest feelings. These moments of awe do more than feel good—they fundamentally shift our perspective.
Research from psychologists Dacher Keltner and Jonathan Haidt shows awe experiences make us feel smaller yet more connected to the world around us. Problems that loomed large shrink against the backdrop of something magnificent.
Awe needn’t come from grand adventures or expensive travel. A clear night sky away from city lights. A powerful piece of art. A moving concert. Even watching videos of natural wonders or space exploration can trigger awe responses.
My favorite awe practice involves seeking one “everyday miracle” daily—like morning light filtering through leaves or the mathematical perfection of a flower. It trains your attention to notice the abundant wonder hiding in plain sight.
The transcendent feeling awe provides directly counters that “something’s missing” sensation. When we experience awe, we momentarily step outside our limited perspective and connect with something larger. This reset can break cycles of rumination and discontent.
Most importantly, awe experiences remind us that life itself—despite its challenges—contains astonishing beauty and mystery worth witnessing.
7. Start a daily gratitude practice.
Gratitude practices have become so common in wellness circles that they risk seeming trite. Yet research consistently confirms their effectiveness in increasing life satisfaction. The key lies in understanding why gratitude works and practicing it meaningfully rather than mechanically.
Neurologically, gratitude activates the brain’s reward pathways and releases dopamine and serotonin—natural mood elevators. Regular practice literally rewires neural pathways, making appreciation more automatic.
And effective gratitude practice goes beyond listing obvious blessings. It involves deeply noticing things you might otherwise take for granted. Not just “my home” but “the way morning light falls across my kitchen table.” Not just “my health” but “the miracle that lungs know how to draw breath without conscious instruction.”
When beginning, specificity matters more than quantity. One deeply felt observation carries more transformative power than ten generic items.
According to positive psychology researcher Robert Emmons, gratitude’s power lies in its dual nature—acknowledging both the gift and the giver. This recognition of our interdependence counteracts isolation that often accompanies feelings of emptiness.
Some find written journals effective; others prefer speaking gratitude aloud or sharing observations with others. The medium matters less than consistency and authenticity. With practice, you’ll notice gratitude moments throughout your day without prompting.
8. Reconnect with passions and curiosities.
Do you remember the activities that once made time disappear? Interests that stirred excitement before adult responsibilities took precedence? These abandoned passions often hold the keys to what your soul needs now.
In particular, your childhood enthusiasm deserves to be revisited. Children naturally gravitate toward activities that match their authentic interests before social pressures and practical concerns intervene. What captivated you at eight or twelve years old might reveal genuine preferences you’ve overridden.
These reconnections needn’t become careers or major commitments to provide value. Even occasional engagement with activities you genuinely enjoy can bring disproportionate fulfillment.
For those struggling to remember what once sparked interest, try exploring broadly. Visit museums, take introductory classes, read widely across subjects. Notice what captures your attention. Follow curiosity threads without demanding immediate productivity or mastery.
The theory of “flow states” developed by Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi—where challenge and skill balance perfectly, creating complete mental absorption—represents an important component of life satisfaction. Activities that once created flow for you likely will again, even after a long absence.
9. Schedule regular life audits to reassess priorities.
Life continuously evolves, yet many people review their direction only during crises. Regular life audits prevent drift and ensure alignment between daily activities and deeper values.
Quarterly reviews work well for most people—frequent enough to catch misalignments early but spaced enough to observe patterns. Calendar these reviews like important appointments with yourself.
During your audit, examine major life areas: relationships, work, health, creativity, learning, finances, and spiritual well-being. For each area, assess satisfaction, alignment with values, and needed adjustments. Consider both what you want more of and what you need less of.
The power of regular audits comes from their cumulative effect. Small course corrections prevent the need for dramatic overhauls later. They also build self-trust as you demonstrate commitment to your own priorities.
Effective audits require honesty about trade-offs. Every “yes” implies “no” to something else. Time, energy, and attention remain finite resources regardless of efficiency, and acknowledging these limitations leads to more realistic planning and greater satisfaction with chosen priorities.
Your audit process will evolve over time. Some prefer journaling prompts while others use specific frameworks like the Wheel of Life. Whatever method you choose, the essential elements remain the same: honest assessment, reconnection with values, and actionable adjustments.
The Simplest Truth About Finding “More”
That persistent feeling that something’s missing often stems not from lacking experiences but from missing presence within those experiences. We chase “more” while failing to fully inhabit what already exists.
The practices above work because they gradually shift how you engage with life rather than just adding new activities to your schedule. They help you notice what’s already meaningful, eliminate what isn’t serving you, and align your daily choices with your authentic values.
Remember that meaning rarely announces itself dramatically. More often, it accumulates through seemingly small moments of connection, contribution, and presence.
The “something more” you’re seeking might not be waiting in some distant achievement or radical life change—it might be quietly available in this very moment, waiting only for your wholehearted attention.
Your journey toward meaning belongs uniquely to you. Trust the pull toward greater alignment—it’s the voice of your truest self guiding you home.
