Potential TW: Mental health, self-worth, mention of depression/anxiety/panic attacks I started seeing a therapist due to severe anxiety and mild depression. It’s been a real eye-opener. I realized I probably could have been depressed because I’m not working toward anything (like goals). Once I graduated high school, I immediately started college. Once I graduated with my bachelor’s, I immediately started my master’s. Once I’ve earned my master’s, I started applying to jobs to achieve my career goal. Once I got hired… now what? I worked non-stop to achieve goal after goal, and now, I don’t have a goal. I’m very grateful for being able to achieve my goals. So very extremely grateful and I feel very blessed. Thanks be to God. But, now what? How do you all continue on? I don’t know what to do with myself now. I never really had “free time” to pursue my hobbies. I crochet, I play animal crossing on my switch (or minecraft). But I feel like they don’t give me purpose, so what now? Has anyone felt this way? If so, what do/did you do? I don’t feel worthless at all. I’m very happy with my life, but now I feel like I’m not working toward anything. Any advice? TYIA!!!

I relate to you about chasing degrees. I was the same. I don’t think hobbies will give you ‘purpose’. Because I also crochet and diamond paint. They bring me joy, but that’s not purpose. My opinion is, you need to find a purpose to make your life ‘meaningful’. Work on appreciating the day, each day. Appreciate the space in between ‘the next chapter’ you never know if you’ll get this again so appreciate the opportunity to be with the uncomfortable feeling of not knowing what’s next. It is scary even terrifying. But it’s also exciting. No one but you knows what will come next, just be ready for it when it comes to you. ❣️

I think there are a couple different ways to look at this. If you don't feel purpose or meaning in your job, you could try voluntering or joining an organization for a good cause. Goodness knows we need more people organizing and working toward the common good in the world right now. However, you could also reframe this, because you don't HAVE to have a "purpose" in life. It's okay to just enjoy being alive, loving others, being in nature, etc. Since you've spent your whole life working towards a specific goal it might take time to retrain yourself to be okay with not doing that. But I don't think that human beings MUST always be working toward something to justify existing.

Thank you both so much, @PennyLane102 and @aurielle. I appreciate your time and words to me. Honestly, it helped so much! Thank you.