Does life ever actually feel good? Or are we all just… coping?

I have the same work/personal life routine. Nothing special. I don’t know how to keep doing this. Everyone else seems to be getting through it fine, and I’m just sitting here feeling like I’m going crazy because it all feels so bleak and pointless.

Does this get better? Or is this just what life is and most people are just better at ignoring it?

Think you should go see a therapist…

Life can feel good. I felt it when i took six months off from work a few years ago. I had no stress, woke up naturally with my dogs, enjoyed spending time outdoors every day instead of the majority of my life in an office building. I then accepted a government job, and it was low stress for decent pay and life was good.
Then i changed jobs and now i make more money, have more responsibilities, and get the Sunday scaries every night.

If it feels pointless then something’s off balance. Someone else said it but definitely see a therapist, maybe take a LOA if you can. Figure out what’s not bringing you joy (as cliche as that sounds) and get rid of it. I took one earlier this year and now I’ve changed my job and I’m spending more intentional time doing things I love (seeing friends, getting outside, yoga/workouts that I love).

Hope you can feel better about things soon.

Same same i feel i just only going with the flow without having clear view on what my life goal is

I’ll put myself in your shoes to think about this as I answer.

For me, the question is not whether life ever feels good. No, the question is: why does the mind insist on chasing this feeling of goodness at all? Why does it demand pleasure? Why does it search for security, for comfort, for continuity?

Have you noticed this? That the very movement of seeking.. seeking to feel good, to feel safe, to feel stable.. is what makes life feel heavy. Not necessarily bleak, but monotonous. Repetitive. A cycle.

When I say I am coping, what does that mean? Think about it. Coping means I am enduring. Adjusting. Fitting myself into a pattern. That pattern may be work. It may be relationships. It may be the daily routine of existence. But is that pattern life? Or is it something thought has invented?

The mind builds these patterns. It repeats them endlessly. And then, within that repetition, it asks, “Why does all of this feel so empty?”

Do you see what has happened? The emptiness is not in the routine. It is in me.. the observer. The one who stands apart and then asks, “What is the meaning of this life?”

I believe this is the trick of thought. First it divides: here is “me,” there is “life.” And once it divides, it begins to ask: “How can I give life meaning? How can I make it better?”

So perhaps.. the real question is not, “Will this get better?” but rather: can I look at life without that demand? Without asking it to be better, or happier, or more meaningful?

What happens when I stop asking altogether?

I begin to notice simple things. The sound of the birds outside. The way the trees move when the wind passes through. The rhythm of my own breathing.

And in that noticing, you’ll see that nothing else matters. There is no coping. No escaping. No bleakness. Only attention. Attention to the kind of “now” that you I had been chasing all my life. Because my “life” was being “observed” from within me all along.

Life is not something I must endure until it improves. Life is here. Life has always been here. It shows itself the moment the mind stops running after improvement.

And in that silence, in that complete presence, there is a different kind of quietness. Not the quietness of absence, but of being utterly alive.

Svasti.

I’m a newly retired clinical school social worker and never felt more at ease. I’m out of the rat race and no longer feel responsible for the safety of our students. It’s such a relief to have that off my shoulders. Sometimes you don’t even know how impactful your job can be, positively and negatively until you’re out of it. I thought I’d do some private practice work post retirement, as I’ve done in the past but honestly I’m closing that chapter and not renewing my license.

It's time to talk to someone about your feelings. Friends, family, or maybe a therapist can help you figure things out. Part of the problem is many people equate boredom and lack of passion to being a failure, when it just means you need to mix things up and try something new.

I personally turn to Jesus for that. If you don’t have a higher-rooted power, it can feel redundant and purposeless.

Life is pain. Anyone who tells you different is selling something.

Everyone deserves to live a life they enjoy. Maybe time to shake it up? Could be to find a new hobby/pursue something you've been wanting to. Or something more drastic like to get a new job or move.

Sounds like you need to find something that brings you joy. Start with therapy if what that could be isn’t obvious to you. Social things, clubs, volunteering, etc are a great start.

Age often plays a factor in these types of point of views and self assessments social media consciously or subconsciously doesnt help. See a therapist no meds just behavior and gets some directional support you will feel better about where you are in life.

I think depending on what generation you’re from, we were sold a big lie of “doing what you love” and “following your dreams” and having that lead to fulfillment, then feeling disillusioned when it doesn’t. I think the key is finding fulfillment outside of work and remembering your job is your job and not your life. It’s all the other stuff - friends, family, hobbies, travel, art, music - that is what makes life special.

Same same thing is happening to all, we just not built to stop showing up.

I have no life outside of work. I have no friends, no nothing.

Work is what you do to build a life outside of work.

incorporate hobbies into your life that you enjoy to ensure your life isn't just your "job".

Life can feel great and fulfilling. Prayer and faith has worked wonders for me. I asked God to show me what my purpose is and He revealed it to me. Everyone has their journey but I truly find joy in my Christian faith. God is so good. Having joy in Christ is something so unimaginably pleasant, it’s like the cheat code you want to tell everyone about. I pray you find joy too.

Try something new.

no, but I can tell you it can be much worse so unless you're getting abused by your boss just be grateful to have a job