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Ever feel like you’re just going through the motions — working, eating, sleeping, and then doing it all over again? You’re not alone. Many of us hit a point where life feels like a never-ending treadmill, and we start wondering if there’s more to it than just checking off boxes. If you do, you might need to find and discover your own “Ikigai.”

You’ve probably heard of the buzzword in social media or through your wisdom-filled friends, but what does it really mean?

As we step into a new year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what truly matters and set intentions for a more fulfilling life. In this article, we’ll be diving deeper into this Japanese concept and what experts have to say on how we can incorporate “ikigai” into our lives.

What is ‘Ikigai?’

Roughly translated to “reason for being,” “Ikigai” is a Japanese concept that combines the two words: “iki,” which means life, and “gai,” which means reason or worth. For the Japanese, this word refers to something that brings value and joy to life: from your loved ones to hobbies and work — simply put, a reason to wake up in the morning.

In a book written by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles, “Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life,” this word is referred to as logotherapy — a form of existential therapy founded on the premise that the primary motivational force of individuals is to “find meaning in life.”

If we go back even further, the term “ikigai” has been around for a long time, becoming a central theme in Japanese psychiatrist Mieko Kamiya’s 1966 book, titled “Ikigai-ni-Tsuite (On the Meaning of Life).” In her book, Kamiya gave a two-part definition of the term, stating that “ikigai” refers to a source of happiness, while “ikigai-kan” refers to the emotion that these sources give that makes one feel that life is worth living.

How to Find Your ‘Ikigai,’ According to Experts

The word “ikigai” has seen numerous definitions, but how does one really find their own? According to García and Miralles, who wrote the aforementioned book after interviewing the centenarians in Ogimi, Okinawa, Japan’s “village of longevity," because many people reach the age of 100, there are ten rules to discover and live your ikigai.

• Stay active; don't retire – According to the book, people who stay active and work well into their old age stay passionate about life. Work, however, refers to something one loves to do.
• Take it slow – Rushing through things is normal, but the authors suggest that it affects one’s quality of life. Take time to stop and appreciate the “now.”
• Don’t fill your stomach – The secret to a long life is avoiding overeating. In the book, the authors suggested eating until you’re only 80% full.
• Surround yourself with good friends – No man is an island, so having a great support system and having fun with them can enrich your life. The authors found this to be true as they discovered that Ogimi’s centenarians often found joy in spending time with others in their community centers and playing games.
• Get in shape for your next birthday – Exercise, according to the centenarians they interviewed, is also a huge component for living long, as it contributes to happiness and, of course, physical health.
• Smile – While it’s also good to acknowledge bad things, the authors encourage people to never forget what a privilege it is to be in a world full of possibilities.
• Reconnect with nature – “Human beings are part of the natural world,” the book says. Hence, for the people of Ogimi, it is imperative to return to nature to help them recharge.
• Give thanks – Whether to your ancestors, to nature, to your family, or friends, spending a moment to give your gratitude to them will increase your happiness, the book suggests.
• Live in the moment – Make no regrets, instead make the most out of the present and make it something to remember.
• Follow your ikigai – According to the authors, everyone has their own “ikigai,” a passion that keeps one going, and it’s our own mission to discover it.

Meanwhile, Tokyo-based neuroscientist Dr. Ken Mogi, in his book “The Little Book of Ikigai,” said that there are five pillars of “Ikigai,” which help in keeping one healthy and having a balanced state of mind.

• Starting small – It is all about doing small things that make you happy, like taking your dog for a walk or having a good cup of coffee.
• Releasing yourself – Be honest about your true self and accept what you are.
• Harmony and sustainability – Being mindful of the impact of your actions towards others and thinking beyond one’s selfish needs to create harmony with other people and society as a whole.
• The joy of little things – Have pleasurable and rewarding experiences embedded in your routine, like meditating, working out, or simply having a delightful breakfast every day.
• Being in the here and now - According to Mogi, appreciating the present helps bring one’s inner child, and being in touch with your inner child can give one an avenue to be free, creative, and make the best out of every moment.

Overall, one’s “ikigai” does not need to be something grand, like being rich, famous, and having a lot of friends. It can be found in the little things in life — we just have to learn to appreciate them.

Want to know if you are living your "ikigai?" Take this quiz!

In 2024, Oxford announced “Brain Rot” as the word of the year, a term that encapsulates the cognitive decline associated with overconsumption of online material. In an era where digital content is at our fingertips 24/7, brain rot is a consequence of our screen-centric lives.

But what exactly is brain rot? Are you in danger of this phenomenon? How can you protect yourself from its effects? Below, we learn more about brain rot and how you can prevent it so you can keep your mind clear and your thoughts sharp.

Understanding "Brain Rot"

According to sources, "Brain Rot," sometimes written as "Brainrot," refers to the deterioration of one’s mental or intellectual faculties due to excessive consumption of trivial online content. It’s said to be prevalent among younger generations who spend hours on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), engaging with posts that offer minimal cognitive stimulation.

The term traces its roots back to 1854 in Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, where he critiqued the society’s intellectual decline. Brain rot reemerged in modern contexts around 2004, gaining traction in discussions about low-quality entertainment like video games and reality TV shows.

By 2007, "brain rot" became a common phrase on social media, particularly among younger generations like Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

How to Tell if You’re Experiencing Brain Rot

Do you often find yourself scrolling endlessly on social media? Do you constantly check your notifications? If you answered yes to these questions, you might be experiencing brain rot. Brain rot often manifests in subtle yet impactful ways. Recognizing the signs early can help you take the necessary steps to keep them from affecting your mental and emotional well-being.

Signs of Brain Rot to Watch Out For:

• Shortened attention span – you find it difficult to focus on tasks and conversations for extended periods
• Mental fatigue – you feel mentally drained even after minimal cognitive effort, often due to excessive screen time
• Memory problems – you sometimes struggle to recall names and dates
• Decreased motivation – you lose interest in activities that once brought you joy
• Poor sleep quality – you experience insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns
• Increased irritability when offline – you feel restless when you’re away from screens
• Compulsive social media checking – you constantly check for notifications or updates, even in inappropriate situations

Certain behaviors may also hint at the presence of brain rot. These include "Doomscrolling" or continuously scrolling through negative news, which can add to your feelings of anxiety; "Zombie Scrolling" or mindlessly browsing social media; and excessive gaming, or spending extended periods gaming, at the expense of real-life responsibilities and relationships.

Knowing these signs and being on the lookout for them can help you combat brain rot and reclaim mental clarity.

How to Prevent Brain Rot

With smartphones in our hands and constant access to the Internet, it’s sometimes inevitable to spend hours glued to screens and scrolling through social media. Protect your mental health in the digital era by setting screen time limits and engaging in activities outside cyberspace. Start building good habits with the tips below:

• Limit screen time: Set specific time frames for digital device usage to prevent overexposure.
• Take digital detoxes: Disconnecting from digital devices can help reset the mind and reduce mental fatigue.
• Exercise regularly: Physical activity can help promote brain health by increasing blood flow and reducing stress.
• Set meetups with friends: Engaging in face-to-face interactions can boost emotional well-being.

• Read books: Dedicating time to reading can improve concentration and expand critical thinking skills.
• Spend time in nature: Visit parks for quick walks. Exposure to natural environments has been shown to reduce stress and improve mental well-being.
• Learn new skills: Challenge your brain with new activities that can enhance cognitive function.
• Engage in creative hobbies: Pursuing creative endeavors can stimulate the mind and give you an outlet for expression.
• Get adequate sleep: Quality sleep is important for memory consolidation.
• Maintain a balanced diet: Proper nutrition supports overall brain health and function.

2025 is here, and with it comes a fresh wave of energy to tackle our goals and dreams. It’s always a good idea to start the year with something to strive for. The tradition of having a New Year’s resolution is a way for us to reflect on where we are at the moment and the new changes we should aspire toward in the forthcoming months.

But as the weeks roll on, life can often get the best of us and it’s easy for that initial spark to fade, leaving us unmotivated and stuck. The good news is motivation isn’t just an event or movement that happens at the start of the year, but is actually a skill you can cultivate!

We sat down with sports psychologist Kenneth Roy V. Aranas, RPm, RPsy, and talked about what motivation is — what fuels it and what hinders us from achieving the goals we set for ourselves. Whether you’re striving for personal growth, career milestones, or healthier habits, keep reading to discover the keys to maintaining your momentum.

Motivation As Your “Why?”

A dictionary-based definition tells us that motivation is a psychological force that initiates behavior. The word is derived from the Latin word “motivus” which means “a moving cause.” It goes without saying that motivation is an internal phenomenon that makes us act toward a particular aim.

There are several other definitions for it, but it all boils down to one thing, which Kenneth simplified, “Motivation is basically your ‘Why?’ It’s your drive, which is the basis for a lot of our behavior.”

We often come across this term when setting up goals for the new year. Everyone welcomes January with renewed energy and excitement, hoping to achieve things that will change the course of their lives. For the most part, there are several theories in psychology that try to pinpoint people’s basic motivations, but Kenneth explained that it mostly depends on one’s context and situation.

“At different stages of life, we need different things. In the earlier stages, we’re motivated a lot by care or being taken care of. As we grow older, we start to become more social. So, the needs change. Now, we go to school, we need to get good grades, and we need to learn and interact with people. As we grow even older, our motivations change again. You start to connect with people, so you need to establish yourself. You need to create your identity. So what fuels motivation? It really depends on the person and we can look at it from where you are in life. What’s important to you or necessary for you at this stage of your life.”

Our needs fuel our motivations. If you’re striving for a healthier lifestyle, it drives you to set fitness goals — to go to the gym more often or add more to your daily step count. If one is striving to get promoted, they might decide to take up a master’s degree or to take up more leadership roles in the office. The things we want to achieve stoke the flames of our drive and kickstart our momentum.

Now that we know what fuels it, we also need to be aware of what hinders it. Motivation is like a muscle and just like toning one’s body, it requires time and effort to train. Setting up goals is easy enough especially when you know your “Whys” well. But is it enough to simply just set goals?

Kenneth answered, “We have to be very realistic about the goals, especially now we're in an age of instants. A lot of people want instant gratification, and if they can't get it, they’re like ‘I don't want to do it anymore.’ There are people who give up easily if they don’t achieve a goal.”

Let’s take a look at fitness goals. A lot of people set objectives like losing weight or gaining more muscle. They’re often energized in the first few weeks, sticking to their workout routines but later on, the motivation begins to fade, and they lose interest in keeping up with their exercise sessions.

This brings us to the first enemy of motivation: Time. People often set lofty goals that are meant to be achieved over time. Change doesn’t happen overnight. Your six-pack won’t magically appear after a few days of doing crunches.

The passage of time also means things are constantly happening which pushes us to shift our priorities. When priorities change, so does our drive. If you’ve set up a daily step count of 10,000 steps a day while working full time in front of a computer, it may make it feel unachievable as you won’t have time to complete it.

Kenneth reminded us, “A key part of motivation is setting smaller goals for yourself to make sure that you're achieving small steps every day or in increments.”

Another enemy we should be aware of is social comparison. Kenneth explicated that comparing yourself to others “puts you back mentally.” When we see others progressing faster or more successfully than us, it makes us wonder what we’re doing and fosters self-doubt.

“There are a lot of things that people don't realize when it comes to things like fitness, for example. There’s a lot of time and effort that is required in order to actually achieve that goal. If you go to the gym, there will definitely be people progressing at different rates. So, it's not really a matter of comparing yourself to them but where do you want to be?”

“Every day is an opportunity to learn something new, and just because you're not making significant progress daily doesn't mean you're not progressing. It doesn't mean that you're not getting a little bit better. Small progress is still progress.”

Keys To Staying Motivated

Practicality is key in sustaining that driving force that pushes us closer to our goals. We’re listing down helpful practices that will help keep you motivated all year round.

Make SMART Goals

Kenneth stated that motivation is a “very individual experience” that deals with the goals we set for ourselves. There is no specific theory that provides a step-by-step procedure for sustaining our momentum, but the psychologist expressed that we need to be practical when setting up our goals — making sure that they’re Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

“It’s actually a blueprint for setting goals that can be achieved [SMART approach]. A lot of people set these big, lofty goals, but they tend to forget the smaller [goals] — more achievable ones that can actually help boost your motivation,” he explained.

“If there are days where it feels like you didn't accomplish anything, maybe that's because the goals that you set for the day are too difficult. So, a more practical solution would be to set a smaller goal for yourself today.”

Intention is also a big factor when setting up goals. As motivation is our “why,” it’s important to understand the core of that “why” and determine its layers, so you can better recalibrate your objectives and achieve them within a reasonable time frame.

Practice Mindfulness

This movement encourages people to be present in the now. Mindfulness is all about focusing on what’s going on in your life right now without worrying about the future or obsessing over the past.

This practice helps us be more laser-focused on what we hope to attain. Looking too much into the future or our action’s consequences fosters hypothetical scenarios that tend to slow down our progress. These are things that haven’t — or might never even happen. So why worry? Ever heard of the saying, “We’ll cross the bridge when we get there?” It’s the same for setting up goals.

“I think that mentally we need to remind ourselves that at the end of the day, we are ultimately in control of our actions. We need to practice focusing on what we can do right now rather than focusing on the ‘What Ifs.’”

Reward Yourself

You deserve it! Every hard work should be rewarded and recognized. Rewards are key to sustaining motivation because nothing drives a person more than the promise of something good. Why do you think people are motivated to buy holiday drinks at Starbucks? It’s to collect the stickers for the reward, namely the limited-edition planner.

When we celebrate our wins, it brings a sense of accomplishment which in turn makes us feel energized to keep going, to keep making progress.

However, we also have to make sure not to overdo it, otherwise it loses its meaning. Kenneth raised the importance of diversifying the rewards and warned that getting used to them may lead you to skew your results.

In a fitness goal, for example, if you put more steps into your daily count for the day, your mind may reason that walking a little bit more would count as going to the gym for that day. Although you're still getting the exercise that you're looking for, it's not the same thing.

“You'll try to find a shortcut,” Kenneth explained. “Which will not always be beneficial to you in the long run. So, don't forget to reward yourself, while also mixing up the rewards.”

Be Resolute This 2025

Having a New Year’s resolution is a great way to welcome the new year as it gives you purpose and sets you off toward a better future — more specifically, a better version of yourself.

But the psychologist reminded us about the whole point of the tradition, and how it shouldn’t be our only goal for the year.

“We need to remind ourselves of the deeper impact of what a resolution is,” he said. “Taking a look at the word, it’s a much heavier thing to be resolute — to stand by principle on something that you will make a change. That you are committed to something. So, you need to really embody that.”

He also pointed out how priorities change over the course of a year and that we should be able to adjust our goals as necessary. We need to be mindful and ask what’s important in our lives right now to set attainable goals and have checkpoints throughout the year.

“You need to mentally prepare yourself to make change because it’s not something that happens overnight. If you get demotivated in February then you need to recognize that maybe I set this goal a little bit too high. Maybe we can change it into something that's a little bit more doable. Small goals matter for you to be able to say to yourself, ‘Okay, I achieved this small one, maybe we can step it up a little bit.’ You need to consistently challenge yourself.”

For counseling and mental wellness inquiries, you can get in touch with Kenneth via Instagram.

The New Year is always a time for reflection and renewal. As we all try to make sense of the past year, many of us are in the annual “New Year, New Me” phase, starting new activities with the hopes of sticking with them all year long.

Among these activities, journaling is becoming more popular and relevant than just a “trendy hobby” to jump on. It’s a powerful practice for relaxation, mindfulness, and self-discovery. Contrary to what you might think, journaling is more than just scribbling in a fancy notebook with a fancy pen — it’s a way to align your goals, process your emotions, and envision your year ahead.

Still hesitant to try journaling after scrolling through elaborately and creatively done spreads on social media? Don’t worry, you don’t have to be an artist or a writer to make it work out! Whether you’re a seasoned journaling enthusiast or just starting out, journaling can help you find some clarity, reconnect with your inner self, and stay grounded while the world goes ‘round.

To help you get started on your 2025 journey, here’s a curated list of journal prompts to spark some creativity, spur a time of reflection, and set your intentions for the upcoming year.

Wrapping Up 2024 and Entering 2025 With a Clean Slate

• What were my biggest lessons in 2024?
• What moments or events in 2024 brought me the most joy?
• What challenges did I overcome? And how did they shape me to be who I am right now?
• What am I leaving behind in 2024 to make space for in 2025?

Intentional Planning and Goal Setting for 2025

• What are three words that I want to define my upcoming year?
• What personal goals am I looking forward to achieving in 2025?
• How can I make more time for the things that truly matter to me this year?
• What new routines do I want to incorporate?
• What is one area of my life that I want to improve on? And what can I do to do that?

Creativity, Imagination, and Vision Boards

• If I had a day where I could do everything that I wanted with no restrictions, what would I do?
• What new hobbies do I want to do this year?
• What is one skill that I’d like to learn by the end of 2025?
• What is my word of the year?

Positivity and Gratitude

• What am I most grateful for as I start my 2025?
• Who are the people I want to appreciate more in 2025?
• What are the small joys I want to notice more this year?
• How can I reward myself for my progress, big or small, this year?

For When You’re Feeling Stuck

• What’s one thing I can do today to be closer to my goals?
• Who or what inspires me to keep going?
• Imagine you are your future self. What would you tell your past self about today?
• What can I do to be more positive in this situation?

2025 is looking out to be a great year ahead, and it’s up to all of us to get a head start on an amazing year! Looking for some planners to use this 2025? It’s not too late; you can check out The Beat Asia's recommendations for 2025 planners here!