I’m in my mid to late 20s, have a long term girlfriend, great job, earn more money than my parents earned after their 40 year careers and I’ve bought a home in my home town while many around me struggle to do so.
Despite having what everyone would traditionally want, I am feeling empty. I don’t ever want to do anything, going through long periods of wanting to spend time alone by myself, not wanting to leave my house. This causes issues in my relationship as I can’t bring myself to be enthusiastic about trips etc and when I force myself I feel even more miserable and this causes more issues for us. I spend all my free time chasing things I feel will bring me joy in the long term, be it a side project or a goal I’m working towards but once I achieve the goal, I still feel empty.
I then see in the world there are those who have none of what I have and one could argue I’m living the dream, this then fills me with guilt for not being grateful for what I do have.
I’m at a point now where I just don’t know what Im even working towards and this empty feeling is growing
Any advice / experience with this sort of feeling would be greatly appreciated
Reading a bit about anhydonia may help.
It may sound strange but controlling artificial light exposure and really strict sleep (really darkness) hygiene has banished this feeling for me (and it's been nearly twenty years, now). True darkness at the same times every night, at least nine hours (seasonal variation to match sunset is ideal but I don't do that.)
Melatonin keeps your mitochondria healthy, and they are your energy-engines. If they aren't working well, you're going to be as listless and unmotivated as starving people are, for similar physiological reasons.
Maybe adopt a dog? I think you can even foster them if you just want to try it out.
Lifting heavy does wonders for my mood. If you can motivate yourself to get to the gym, Starting Strength and 5x5 are good programs.
I try to make the world a little better each day - trite and I'm sure that I often don't succeed, but I think that it helps.
Material success, once you have achieved security, has fast-diminishing returns. I worked with people earning 10x what I was (and I was not badly paid) who couldn't understand why I wasn't driven to earn more.
It doesn't mean you have to or even can follow religious path (it doesn't work this way), but it may be that you lost deep intimate contact with your inner self and it's desires.