Ikigai guide (N1ko)
The word ikigay uses the symbols "iki", or "life", and "kai" to mean the result of a certain action. In order to live happily, it is important for a person to find the answer to the central question, "What should I do with my life?"
Ikigai: a Japanese concept originating from OkinawaIn Japanese culture, "Ikigai" identifies four bases for a sense of self-realisation:
•Doing what you love (Passion and Mission)
•Doing what you are good at (Passion and Profession)
•Doing what you can be paid for (Profession and Vocation)
•Doing what the world needs (Mission and Vocation)
Here's how neuroscientist and author of Awakening Your Ikigai Ken Mogi explains it.
According to research, becoming aware of your Ikigai affects the functioning of the prefrontal cortex. There is statistically significant evidence that it corresponds to lower levels of stress/anxiety and feeling healthy. The presence of ikigai leads to a balanced release of the happiness hormones dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin and β-endorphin.
Finding your purpose in life through the concept of Ikigai is all about focusing on a few key things:
-start small, accept yourself, connect with the world around you (through other people and the environment) to find small joys,
being in the here and now.
Ken Mogi suggests focusing on these ideas after waking up to start your day right.
4 questions for the morning ritual
To find your Ikigai, according to the 4 basic principles outlined above, answer yourself the 4 questions:
•What do I like to do?
•What am I good at?
•What can I be rewarded for, now or in the future?
•What does the world around me need?
Second co-author of Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, Francesc Miralles describes ten more rules.
10 rules for unlocking your "Ikigai" which we should apply in our life:
Ikigai encourages you not to give up what you love to do and what you are good at, no matter what the circumstances. It also means not retiring, which is why Japanese people continue to work and pursue hobbies, no matter how old they are.
Haste is inversely proportional to quality of life - this is literally a quote from one of the Ikigai books. If you want to live a quality life, it makes sense to live slowly and take your time, thus controlling yourself by being mindful of your decisions and the situations in which you find yourself every day.
Yes, there is such a rule in ikigai as well. To stay healthy longer, ikigai recommends eating a little less than your hunger demands. In Japan, there is a proverb that reflects the third rule: "Eating 80 per cent full gets rid of the doctors".
4. Surround yourself with friends
According to ikigai, friends are the best cure for homesickness. Don't isolate yourself from others; people who refuse to socialise with acquaintances cannot have ikigai. Some philosophers believe that ikigai can suddenly be found even in interpersonal relationships! For example, you may suddenly discover that your life's purpose is to take care of your children.
In ikigai there is a comparison of the human body to water: it is better when the water is fresh, when it is not stagnant, because it is its nature to move and change. In the same way, the human body needs daily care regardless of age. Both paying attention to the body's needs and regular exercise will do the trick.
It's simple here: smiling is both relaxing and helps you make friends with ease. Ikigai is also gratitude for waking up today and getting a chance to live a new day, do something important and interesting, or help someone. In short, positive thinking is essential.
7. Reconnect with nature more often
You can simply take a walk in a park or forest, if it is not far from your home. According to ikigai, humans are meant to be part of nature, for they came from it. Now, we can't be in nature every day, but we can definitely recharge in nature.
This is about the traditional practices of gratitude, well known in the West. Thank your ancestors, the nature around you, the food you eat, your friends and acquaintances, your family, the opportunity to work, to pursue hobbies, etc. This will inevitably affect your mood and with it your physical well-being.
Do not regret the past - it will never happen again. Don't be afraid of the future - it's not as scary as it may seem. Try to live in the present, being in gratitude in every moment of your life. Ikigai, as we can see from these rules, is a whole philosophy, not just a way to live long! After all, all you have is the present.
10. Follow your ikigai and trust it)
How to put this into practice
Finding your Ikigai is easy enough - create yourself a morning ritual of the 5 elements.
Ikigai: a Japanese morning ritual to help you find your purpose and become happyFor example, your steps could be as follows:
Start small:
Take 10 minutes to read a book - about Ikigai, happiness, or what's important today.
Accept yourself:
Tell yourself three positive attitudes or compliments.
Be in touch with the world around you:
Put your phone aside and enjoy the sights and sounds of the real world.
Look for small joys:
Find three activities/events that make you smile throughout the day.
Be in the here and now:
Take time to enjoy lunch or just a cup of coffee without distracting yourself with other things to do.
"It's important to realise that your mood can be changed through small pleasures," explains the neuroscientist.
"The fact is that after a change of context, your brain adapts to this new context. Your mood can improve in a short time."
I wish you good luck in finding your purpose - find your Ikigai and be happy!