Regulation

Some may say I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.

Are you the type to reflect on the past? Do you think about where you’ll be in the future? Perhaps you’re more of a person who likes to propel the mind into hypothetical scenarios. I’m not sitting in an office. I’m sitting on a beach somewhere overseas. The person on the beach overseas is thinking what’d it would be like to be in an office…maybe not.

When we imagine these scenarios, we’re essentially sending our minds into a world that doesn’t exist. It’s the wonderful joy of abstraction that can help us pass the time on a crowded train or send us into despair as we contemplate our existence.

A recent series of studies shows that this ‘mental simulation’ might be the gateway to a more meaningful existence. Across several studies the researchers showed that people reported a greater sense of meaning when they were asked to contemplate the future or past in detail (also see blog on nostalgia).

In contrast, when they were asked to think of these points in time superficially, they didn’t feel the same sense of meaning. That is, the superficial recollections didn’t evoke vivid enough recollections. Interestingly, these effects were also found when participants were asked to imagine themselves in another location, suggesting that when we simply mentally simulate a scenario, we somehow feel as though life is more meaningful.

But it’s all well and good to feel like life is meaningful. Is meaning actually meaningful? The researchers suggest that when individuals feel as though life has purpose, they are also less depressed and anxious and their physical health can improve. There is also a sense of connectedness that could promote cooperation and teamwork (I’ve also posted a blog on the importance of meaning here).

Now ask yourself whether returning to your work feels like a meaningful exercise or if you’d prefer to contemplate these ideas further and propel your mind somewhere else.