One of the most influential factors when people have suicidal thoughts is the feeling that their life has no meaning or value due to a lack of purpose, objectives, or goals to accomplish. Properly developing life plans helps people stabilize their emotions, manage difficult circumstances, and make better decisions. In the context of World Suicide Prevention Day, we call on the public to reconsider their current life plans amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Suicide is multifactorial; many factors influence it: personal, familial, social, even political. One of them is precisely not being clear about my goals, dreams, and aspirations. Lacking a clear path, a person’s sense of purpose or meaning in life diminishes.
If a person is clear about what they want or what their aspirations are throughout life, they will have a strength that will foster their resilience, hope, and motivation. When their sense of purpose or life purpose is clear, it will become their support when a risky, complicated, or difficult situation arises, and it will allow them to see alternatives other than suicidal thoughts or attempts.
Having life plans allows for personal growth and the acquisition of a series of tools or personal skills to face difficult situations. It also makes it easier to seek support networks and help from people close to them.
A life plan is a map on which a person sets short-, medium-, and long-term goals and objectives, considering all areas of their life (personal, educational, family, work, spiritual, financial, etc.). It is a roadmap of what a person wants to do with their life, their goals, dreams, and aspirations, and accordingly, they structure or organize all the actions necessary to achieve them.
Setting your life plan
Life projects can include studying for a degree, exploring different places, getting a job, starting a family, starting a business, etc. For example, if traveling is part of your life plan, starting in adolescence, you can set goals such as:
Short-term: strive to learn English and learn about travel online.
Medium-term: open a personal savings account.
Long-term: make a list of countries you want to visit.
It’s important to clarify that life projects aren’t solely related to academics and should be based on each person’s personal experience and not be influenced by social models. Furthermore, they aren’t static plans; they can be modified based on each person’s experiences.
It’s recommended to rely on logotherapy, which considers it important to consider elements such as setting short-, medium-, and long-term goals, having educational, academic, family, and personal aspirations, and remembering that motivation, optimism, and resilience are some of the elements closely intertwined with a life project.
Life Plans: Essential in Adolescence
Although there is no rule establishing a specific age for developing life plans, counselors affirm that adolescence is an important age to begin discussing the topic.
This becomes even more important considering the high incidence of suicide attempts among adolescents. Data from the Ministry of Health and the General Directorate of Social Adaptation, compiled by the State Distance Education University (UNED), indicate that suicide attempts among people between the ages of 10 and 19 increased from 1,505 to 1,558 between 2023 and 2024.
Families and teaching staff at educational centers are called upon to provide adequate support for this segment of the population in developing life plans, as a protective factor against the threat of suicidal thoughts.
Schools and colleges have protocols for assisting students with self-inflicted injuries and/or at risk of suicide attempts. Various efforts have also been made to provide tools to prevent suicide.
Guidance professionals play an important role in supporting families, both in elementary and secondary schools, working on life skills such as strengthening self-esteem, properly managing emotions, and making decisions that allow individuals to have a different perspective on difficult situations.
It’s always very important to talk. If you’re going through a difficult situation, reach out to someone you trust. If you’re a student, you can turn to guidance professionals who know how to address the situation and provide support. Or you can turn to other professionals, friends, family members, or classmates or coworkers.
Despite the situations you’re experiencing, it’s essential to remember that things are temporary and things can change and get better. However, it’s important not to isolate yourself, but rather to communicate what you’re feeling and going through, strengthening your support networks.
For those who have experienced shifts in consciousness and know that more peace, joy, and love awaits in a better living environment. A bold shared vision. A living community and hub for innovation. A sustainable ecosystem for living and working. A model for the new future.
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