Page No 169-179
Neelam Rathee and Deepankita Syal
Panjab University, Chandigarh
Your life’s purpose is derived from the goals that inspire you and the reasons that wake
you up each morning. It gives your activities a direction, sets goals, gives meaning and
purpose to your existence. Many people discover that their purpose is entwined with
their occupation, discovering contentment and significance in their labour. In its broadest
definition, the Japanese notion or philosophy of life, “IKIGAI”, refers to “a reason for
living” or “a purpose of life”. Ikigai contributes to improving human well-being and general
quality of life, including life longevity, according to phenomenological and empirical
perspectives. The idea became widely recognized with Garcia and Miralles’s (2016)
book “IKIGAI – The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life”, outlining the five key
elements which contribute towards finding one’s purpose, and living a long and happy
life. Since this theoretical assertion has not been empirically established, it becomes
imperative for the research. The present study tries to comprehend and investigate the
relationship of the five factors – physical activity, social support, loneliness, stress, and
mindfulness with ‘Ikigai’, and to explore and identify the predictors of Ikigai