Happy New Year? Today is unofficially known as "Blue Monday", or the most depressing day of the year. Resolutions are often broken by now, winter is gripping much of the world, and this year adds the Omicron surge that nobody wanted.

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If you're feeling down, please know that you are not alone. Surviving is all that's being asked of you right now. Whether you're working in the near-impossible conditions of healthcare or education or dealing with a new or chronic disability in yourself or a loved one, life is not easy or fair.

In my search to find ways to maintain motivation and feel hopeful for the future, I keep coming back to one word: purpose.

Purpose is what makes us feel like we have a reason for being. It's the answer to the question "why am I here?". Having a purpose gets us out of our warm beds and engaging with the world around us. And when we feel we are acting out our purpose, we're far happier and more satisfied than just doing things that are "fun". (Good news when many fun activities are currently out of reach.)

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What is your purpose?

Can you put your finger on what sparks your fire? What is your meaningful contribution to the world? It doesn't have to be just one thing, and your purpose can change throughout your life.

Perhaps right now it's raising your children, helping others, caring for animals, or sharing your knowledge or skills. Maybe you create things that make people happy or make life more beautiful. You may find purpose in your work, your family, your hobbies, or your community.

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When purpose is lost

When people who have lost the ability to fulfil their purpose, we know that the risk of depression increases dramatically. This can be true of some empty nesters and retirees whose family and work kept them going. This is also extremely common in people who have had a stroke or brain injury and cannot return to their previous roles.

It is a critical part of our jobs as therapists and caregivers to help these people find a new purpose. And this new purpose can be the focus of the goals we set together and work toward. Things like:

• volunteering at an animal shelter, library, public garden, or other organization
• adopting a pet (which is therapeutic in many ways, as explained here)
• creating arts or crafts that can be shared with and bring joy to others
• taking on more household tasks with increasing independence to share the load
• educating & advocating for stroke or aphasia awareness and accommodations
• the important job of working on recovery and self-improvement

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Focus on purpose

Nobody wants to feel like they're a burden. We all want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Discovering what that can be and how to do it is an important part of the recovery process. And once a person is motivated and engaged, gains in abilities will naturally follow.

I hope this will help as you set goals and decide where to focus. If you need more information or tools, check out these resources:

• ​Guide to setting goals in therapy with a list of 100 purposeful activities
• ​Home exercise program for those focusing on regaining their communication skills
• ​Healing the Broken Brain - a book answering important questions about recovery

Hopefully there's something here that resonates with you. The good thing about Blue Monday is that it's about as low as it gets, so it's only up from here. Stay strong, be well, and keep sharing your unique talents with the world.

Wishing you a purpose-filled week,

Megan

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P.S. Want to know my purpose? This Instagram post describes one of the things that keeps me going.

P.P.S. Feeling down is one thing. Clinical depression is quite another. This email is not meant to offer medical advice, and if you or someone you know is suffering from a serious mental health condition, please seek the help of a licensed counselor or physician. If you need help finding where to go or who to call, please let me know so I can help.

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