If you’re like me, you’re always down to experiment with new ways to improve your mental health and find happiness. So, I’m sure you can guess what I did when I came across Ikigai, a Japanese concept referring to something that gives you a sense of purpose and reason for living. (Actually, I have to get my mom credit for finding this. She thinks of more content ideas than I do.)
What is Ikigai? A Simple Meaning
Ikigai is a Japanese concept referring to something that gives you a sense of purpose and a reason for living. Said another way, Ikigai is the feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment when you do something you’re passionate about. Ikigai includes two Japanese words: iki, meaning “life” or “alive” and kai, meaning “an effect or results.”
Ikigai Pronunciation
So, how do you pronounce Ikigai? It’s not as hard as you think.
The correct pronunciation of Ikigai is: [ ee-kee-gahy ].
The Concept of Ikigai: How to Apply it in Your Everyday Life
I’ll admit that I don’t always give “less traditional” mental health strategies and tactics a chance. It’s why I’ve struggled so much with meditation, controlled breathing, and exercise. I guess it’s the need for instant gratification that steers me away. That said, there’s something sticky about ikigai.
Purpose: Something to Get Out of Bed For in the Morning
During my darkest days, I didn’t get out of bed. I still remember Christmas of 2018, about a month after my Grandma passed away. What’d normally be a happy time of celebration turned out to be a 24-hour hiatus…in my bed. Now, I’m not one to turn down some good shuteye, but there’s no getting around the fact that I was in bed because I was incredibly depressed. At that very point, I didn’t have a purpose.
Ikigai is literally all about purpose. Today, a big part of my life is building Strategic Wander and normalizing mental health, especially OCD. So, when I’m feeling down or sense that I’m letting my OCD win, I remember my purpose. It sounds corny and I’ll admit that I’m not always on board with this type of medicine, but as I try hard to shift my mindset and address my mental health in other ways, this idea seems to be helping. If nothing else, ikigai gets me out of bed and I know that’s the best thing I can do for my mental health.
Passion: Something to Work For Everyday
Finding (and maintaining) a passion goes hand in hand with purpose. Again, this concept is at the heart of ikigai. I’m incredibly passionate about Scandinavian culture. (Is that a weird thing to be passionate about? I have other passions, too.)
In fact, I want to live in Copenhagen someday, so recently I changed my phone’s lock screen to a picture of Nyhavn (see below). Now, whenever I look at my phone—way too many times, I’ll admit—I’m reminded of that passion and all the work I have to do to fulfill it. This alone is often enough to keep my brain in check and my life moving forward.
Minimalism: Less to Worry About on a Daily Basis
I’m not talking about mainstream minimalism; I’m talking about mindset minimalism. One of the most helpful aspects of ikigai is that it centers your life around a handful of things, i.e., passions and purpose. For me, that means my life revolves heavily around traveling, writing, and mental health.
To that end, I try to fill my days with activities, tasks, projects, and people related to such. If they’re not aligned, I try to avoid them. This isn’t to say that I don’t step outside the box, but I’ve found that when I try to do too many things or put too much on my plate, my OCD intensifies. Centering my life around a handful of things keeps that from happening.
Resources I Love: Learning About Ikigai
If you want to learn more about ikigai, there are a handful of resources you must check out.
The crown jewel is Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life – Héctor García and Francesc Miralles. It’s a few bucks and will teach everything you need to know about ikigai. If you’re familiar with The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well, think of this in the same light.
Beyond that Ikigai: Giving every day meaning and joy by Yukari Mitsuhashi is another good resource. It’s similar to the above, but I like that it really dives into interviews from real people practicing ikigai. I find that it’s always easier to apply something to my life after I see how others apply it to theirs; it becomes less of an idea and more of a reality.