If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.
Please reply

[Blank]
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
Post edited by Leyla on
4
Comments
Sending hugs,
Amy22
It's understandable to be scared about the future, especially when you've just started working. It can feel daunting to be on benefits but is there a reason why you believe that the situation is not gonna change for you? Why do you think this will be on benefits or stuck in a job you don't like for the rest of your life?
I can understand how you feel on purpose. Finding your purpose feels like a big deal, and it can feel like life is a little aimless without a direction or a guide. I wanted to say that your purpose here isn't just to work. You have value, use and purpose as a human being, even if you aren't in a job. It sounds like having a job is a way you derive value, and that's fine - plenty of others do as well. But you still have value without a job - for example, helping people and caring for others is great for anyone to do!
I think there is a lot more focus on "finding your purpose" these days, and it can make it feel like one huge decision that decides your life. But the reality is, "purpose" isn't just one idea, and not everyone always has one. It's simply your reason for doing something. Some people might have one overall purpose, others may have multiple, others yet may have none. And most people will change between these throughout life too. The point being, don't worry if you don't know what your purpose is right now. Most people your age won't have any idea either, and that's totally fine. You'll work it out, piece by piece, as you go through experiences in life. It's something we all work to figure out, and it's not a neat answer - it'll be a work in progress.
That being said, I think the way you develop your sense of purpose is through experience. The more things that you try out, the more people you meet, the more you learn about the world - the more you begin to figure out what you really care about, deep down. What things really drive you, what things really call to you. And you'll make a decision to use your time, money, attention, towards some of these, and they'll help to form that picture. For you, you've placed importance on working, and that can be a part of it. After all, you'll be spending a quarter of your week in a full-time job, so it's a great place to explore what you want to work on!
As @Laura_tigger82 says above, trying out a range of roles can help you to find what you want to do. What kind of work you like, what kind of skills, who you want to work with. And, perhaps overarching all this, you'll find something that you feel purposeful. The dream role that we all aim for is something that does all of this, and it's really difficult to find! But, keep gaining those experiences, and in time, you'll be far more informed about what purposeful means to you.
Sorry that this went on - it's hard to talk about purpose concisely! But I hope this helps you on your concerns about the idea of purpose. There's lots of really interesting reading material and articles out there if you want to learn more. But if I were to summarise, it would be this - the more you try things out, the more information you'll have to use to working out what your reason for living is, and the more likely you'll make choices that help you to live a life where you feel like you're moving in a direction that makes you feel fulfilled