Finding Meaning When Life Feels Empty

Introduction

There are moments in life when everything feels hollow.

You wake up, go through the motions, maybe even check off tasks or take care of others—but inside, there’s a deep sense of emptiness. Joy feels out of reach. Nothing excites you. Life seems to have lost its color and purpose.

This internal void is more than sadness. It’s a loss of meaning—a quiet ache that whispers, “What’s the point?”

Whether triggered by illness, burnout, trauma, a major transition, or an existential crisis, this emptiness is something many people experience at some point. And for those living with chronic illness like multiple sclerosis (MS) or navigating long-term depression, this feeling can persist or resurface again and again.

But there is hope.

Finding meaning doesn’t require fixing your life, achieving big things, or waiting for circumstances to change. It’s about reconnecting—with yourself, with the present moment, and with something bigger than your pain.

In this article, we’ll explore why emptiness arises, what meaning really is, and how to gently cultivate a sense of purpose and connection even in the most barren inner landscapes.

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🕳️ Why Does Life Sometimes Feel Empty?

Before rushing to “fix” the feeling of emptiness, it’s important to understand its root causes.

1. Loss or Change

Grief, loss of identity, career shifts, chronic illness, or life transitions can sever us from the things that once gave us direction and purpose.

Example: A person diagnosed with MS may lose their sense of identity as a “healthy, active” person. Suddenly, life’s previous meaning feels inaccessible.

2. Disconnection

When we are cut off—from our emotions, from people, from our own inner voice—we lose the threads that tether us to meaning. This is especially common in depression or trauma survivors.

3. Burnout or Numbness

Constant stress, overwork, or emotional exhaustion can cause us to go into survival mode. We stop feeling. We become hollow.

4. Existential Questions

At some point, many people face big questions: Why am I here? Does my life matter? What happens when I die? These questions can be overwhelming without a framework to hold them.

5. Unrealistic Expectations

Society often sells us a version of meaning tied to success, productivity, or happiness. When we don’t measure up, we feel like we’re failing—even if we’re just human.

🧠 The Psychology of Meaning

Psychologists define meaning as a sense of:

Coherence: Life makes sense.
Purpose: There’s a reason to keep going.
Significance: Your life matters.

Even people with pain, illness, or loss can experience deep meaning if these three components are present.

In fact, research shows that:

People with a strong sense of meaning are more resilient to depression and anxiety.
Meaning improves immune function and physical health.
Meaning can reduce the perception of pain and increase life satisfaction—even in terminal illness.

🌱 You Don’t Have to “Feel” Meaning to Start Cultivating It

Here’s the truth: You can build a meaningful life even when you feel numb.

Meaning often comes after action—not before. You don’t wait to feel inspired to do meaningful things. You start where you are, even if all you feel is emptiness.

🪴 Practices for Finding Meaning in Emptiness

These practices are not quick fixes—they’re gentle invitations to reconnect with life, one thread at a time.

🧩 1. Reconnect with What Matters (Even if It Feels Distant)

Ask:

What used to give me a sense of meaning?
What did I care about before things got hard?
If I could remove the pain, what would I want to do or be part of?

Don’t pressure yourself to feel passion. Instead, remember what used to matter, and gently explore it again—without expectation.

🖐️ 2. Create Micro-Purposes Each Day

When life feels big and aimless, shrink your goals.

Examples:

Water your plant.
Text a friend just to say hi.
Light a candle and sit in silence.
Feed your body something nourishing.
Smile at a stranger.

These small acts reinforce your place in the world. They counteract helplessness.

📖 3. Reflect Through Writing (Even One Sentence)

You don’t have to journal pages. Try:

“Today, I felt ___.”
“I’m grateful I noticed ___.”
“One thing that made me pause was ___.”

Reflective writing helps you process the undercurrents of your experience—and sometimes meaning rises through the cracks.

🌤️ 4. Build a Daily Ritual

Rituals give shape to time and tether us to purpose—even if the meaning isn’t obvious.

Try:

Morning tea or coffee with intention
Evening candle and deep breath
A weekly walk, regardless of weather

Over time, these rituals become symbols: of showing up, of care, of quiet faith in something more.

🧘 5. Connect to Something Larger Than You

When life feels meaningless, it helps to feel part of something bigger.

This might be:

Nature
Spirituality or prayer
Volunteering or service
Art or creativity
Collective healing or advocacy

Even moments of awe—watching a storm, hearing music that moves you—can remind you: I’m part of something vast.

🧑🦼 6. Redefine Meaning When Living with Chronic Illness

Living with MS or any long-term condition forces you to rebuild meaning from the ground up.

You may no longer find meaning in work, adventure, or physical goals—but:

Caring for your body can be meaningful.
Educating others can be meaningful.
Resting with self-compassion can be meaningful.

You may become a witness, a storyteller, a beacon for others just by existing truthfully.

👂 7. Let Go of “Feeling Good” as the Goal

Meaning isn’t always about feeling happy. Sometimes it’s about enduring with integrity, loving deeply, or telling the truth about your pain.

You don’t have to fake positivity. You can be honest and still find purpose in small acts of truth and care.

💬 8. Talk to Others (Or a Therapist)

Sometimes emptiness comes from isolation. Talking to someone—a friend, mentor, therapist, or group—can reconnect you to shared humanity.

Others may reflect back your worth, your strength, your impact—even when you can’t see it.

🎨 9. Make Something (Anything)

Create not to achieve, but to express.

Draw, even if badly
Write a poem or song fragment
Bake a new recipe
Rearrange your room
Plant a seed

Creative acts say: I am here. I influence the world around me. That’s powerful.

🌌 10. Sit With the Void—Don’t Rush to Fill It

Sometimes, the emptiness is a sacred pause. A clearing. A moment between stories.

Rather than rushing to distract or escape, try asking:

What is this emptiness asking me to notice?
What happens if I sit with it, gently?

There may be something underneath—grief, truth, a new chapter waiting to emerge.

🧭 Meaning Looks Different for Everyone

Don’t compare your purpose to someone else’s.

Your meaning may come from:

Being a safe person for your children
Tending your little balcony garden
Telling the truth about mental illness
Being kind, even when you’re hurting
Surviving. Showing up. Existing.

That is enough.

⚠️ When to Seek Help

If your sense of emptiness is accompanied by:

Suicidal thoughts
Complete loss of interest in life
Total social withdrawal
Inability to function in basic areas

Please talk to a professional. Therapists, doctors, crisis lines, and support groups can help you navigate this terrain. You are not meant to carry this alone.

Looking for online therapy? Click here.

🔚 Final Thoughts: Meaning Can Be Rebuilt

If you’re in a season where life feels meaningless, know this: you are not broken.

You may be in a liminal space. A time of reevaluation. A sacred unraveling before the rebuild. The emptiness is not a dead end—it’s an invitation to explore a new way of being.

Start small. Be patient. Trust that meaning can be found not just in joy or achievement—but in slowness, in pain, in resilience, and in the quiet act of breathing through another day.

There is no single answer, no grand purpose you must discover.

Sometimes, the most profound meaning is simply this:

You are still here. And that matters.

📚 References

Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press.

Steger, M. F. (2009). Meaning in life. In S. J. Lopez (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Positive Psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 605–610). Wiley-Blackwell.

Park, C. L. (2010). Making sense of the meaning literature: An integrative review of meaning making and its effects on adjustment to stressful life events. Psychological Bulletin, 136(2), 257–301.

Heintzelman, S. J., & King, L. A. (2014). Life is pretty meaningful. American Psychologist, 69(6), 561–574.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Emotional changes and MS. https://www.nationalmssociety.org

Wong, P. T. P. (2012). Toward a dual-systems model of what makes life worth living. In P. T. P. Wong (Ed.), The Human Quest for Meaning: Theories, Research, and Applications (2nd ed., pp. 3–22). Routledge.

Kross, E., et al. (2011). Self-talk as a regulatory mechanism: How you do it matters. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 106(2), 304–324.

American Psychological Association. (2023). Understanding existential crises. https://www.apa.org