Modern life is toxic
Ikigai The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life intrigued me from the title. By the time I read this book by Hector Garcia and Francesco Moralles, it was an international bestseller.
Notice your surroundings
Two months ago, I rediscovered ikigai which had been languishing, unloved in my book pile. Someone else needed to unlock the secret to a long and happy life that Ikigai might provide. So, it was time for me to return this book to my good friend.
Be aware of how things look and feel
After a feverish three hours, I sat back and considered how I might incorporate the principles of ikigai into my life. The soothing powder blue cover covered in blossom and strong typeface drew me in. At a little bigger than the size of an adult female hand, the book felt light and accessible.
Why have I dedicated so much attention to the details of the look and feel of this book? Because one of the guiding principles of ikigai is to stay in the moment: dedicating yourself to whatever it is you are doing and completing your task to the best of your ability.
This can be something as simple as taking notice of the look, feel, and weight of a book before reading it.
Long life and the inhabitants of Okinawa
‘According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai – what a French philosopher might call a raison d’etre.‘ Nowhere is this more evident than in the inhabitants of Okinawa. Garcia and Moralles spent time in Japan and visited Okinawa ‘where there are 24.55 people over the age of 100 for every 100 000 people.’
This extraordinary statistic prompted the authors to investigate why this might be, and how others could adapt their lifestyles for themselves. Health and happiness typify those in Ogimi, a town on the island of Okinawa. These people have the greatest life expectancy in the world.
Why is this? What makes the citizens of Ogimi more likely to outlive the average person elsewhere? Are there any secrets, or should we practise behaviours we know can benefit our health? I was eager to find out the answers to these questions after struggling with my own health.
Japanese citizens and retirement
As hinted at previously, Ikigai is about living with purpose. As evidenced in Japan, the concept of retirement does not really exist. One could argue that this (in part) is due to the lack of state support.
Further to this, living space in Japan is at such a premium that multi-generational households are the norm. Therefore, to keep occupied all the time means you are not spending as much time with your family. In some cases, I’m sure this is a relief. In addition, the cost of living is high so many might not feel able to retire.
Anecdotal evidence
When I lived in Japan, I witnessed how everyone, no matter their role, approached it with a purpose and dedication I have not seen elsewhere. From fast-food servers, train conductors, musicians, and sensais, all were immaculately dressed, greeted you with quiet calm, and focused on their job with precision and poise. It was a humbling experience.
What is the meaning behind the kanji?
The kanji (Japanese writing system based on Chinese characters) for ikigai breaks down to mean ‘life’ and ‘to be worthwhile‘. According to the book, everyone has an ikigai deep inside them but finding it can require a lot of work.
Some people, especially those in Ogimi, believe following your life’s purpose and pursuing it is why we get up in the morning. Over time your ikigai can change, but you need to seek out what it is and ensure it becomes part of your daily life.
Perhaps this is why I felt this from Japanese citizens when I lived there.
Practical advice: how to find your ikigai
Some of the advice in this book is common sense, but it is good to give yourself a reminder to help you reinforce the message.
Under current circumstances, following this advice is easier for some than others. Firstly, you need to eat well and, if possible, eat a well-balanced diet. Following on from food is exercise. Again, this isn’t earth-shattering, but it is worth bearing in mind how much our mental well-being is connected to our physical health.
Another piece of advice is to find your purpose and pursue it. Finally, the idea of developing and maintaining strong social ties with friends and family. In a Covid world, it can be hard to maintain relationships that may have languished over repeated enforced lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.
We are all slowly emerging from our shells, some more hesitant than others, blinking into the light. Be kind is a sentiment we can all get behind and if your close ties feel precarious try to strengthen them.
Further on in this book, the authors discuss how modern life is lived at such a frantic pace ‘and a nearly constant state of competition.’ People want and think they need, a job with higher status, or a bigger salary, a grander home, more holidays, and more possessions. And this more, more, more mantra will make us happy.
While these pursuits may elevate our state of mind, the effects are transitory. Other activities we engage in can bring us temporary joy but are often harmful. Especially activities such as drinking too much alcohol, gambling, or excessive shopping which provide an immediate dopamine hit but not a long-lasting high.
Other techniques explored in the book
Unquestionably, the advice given so far seems obvious. Further in the book, the authors discuss how to live better for longer we need to adopt a more stoic attitude. For the same reason, we need to maintain serenity in the face of a setback. One way to do this is to engage in logotherapy which reframes mental struggles as spiritual anguish as opposed to illness.
The distinction may seem subtle, but it is a way to see ourselves as wrangling with our spirituality rather than being ill which can only be treated by pills.
Viktor Frankl: the founder of logotherapy
Viktor Frankl was a prisoner at Auschwitz where he witnessed appalling cruelty and suffered inhumane treatment. How was he able to survive such torment? On arrival, he had all his research notes confiscated which he planned to turn into a book.
His desire, or ikigai, was to work as a therapist upon his release. This desire gave him a reason to live and something to get up for every day. Whenever he had the chance, he would scavenge scraps of paper and write all of his notes again from memory. This readied him for the day he was set free and gave him hope and focus for the future.
Shoma Morita
Next, the book deals with the work of Shoma Morita and the therapy he developed. Firstly, you need to accept your feelings. He likened feelings to the weather: you cannot predict or control them merely observe them. Feelings pass over you like clouds on a summer’s day.
Secondly, you need to do what you should be doing. This sounds simple, yet most find this difficult advice to follow. Many people are trapped in jobs they despise which grind them down and rob them of joy. If they can find a way to monetize joy, they can find purpose and life will be easier and more pleasurable.
Have a job that is too easy, and you will disengage and get bored. Challenging jobs can fulfill us, so we can create flow that makes life easier. However, if we are working beyond our capabilities, we will suffer from anxiety.
Some of this advice seems like a luxury. To be able to work in a field we desire, at a level that provides a challenge without stress seems beyond many jobs. Many people have limited resources or access to work due to circumstances including caring responsibilities. I would argue that, on average, women have fewer choices than men. Therefore, it would seem women are less likely to have flow in their lives due to the emotional burdens they shoulder.
Achieving flow through focus
Another way to improve our lives, if we cannot change jobs, is to focus on one thing at a time. This, according to Morita, could be the single most important factor in achieving flow.
For example, if you are reading a book, you should focus on the words on the page. If you are writing an article, you need to discipline yourself to research thoroughly and then write without distraction.
All of these suggestions are great in theory, but many of them rely on the privilege of space and money.
Better health in Ogimi, Okinawa
So, how do the inhabitants of Ogimi manage to live such long and happy lives? Japanese people, in general, practise hara hachi bu, a custom dating from the twelfth century that prescribes eating until nearly full. Ogimians practise tai-chi daily. Tai-chi is credited with slowing the development of osteoporosis and Parkinson’s, increasing circulation, and improving muscle tone and flexibility.
This is great news for those of us who prefer our exercise to be on the gentler end of the scale rather than pounding pavements.
From their extensive research, Garcia and Miralles conclude that adopting elements of stoicism, Buddhism, and ikigai into our lives will improve them.
Finally, they encourage you to be led by your curiosity and keep busy doing things that fill you with meaning and happiness.
My ikigai is communication – what’s yours?
