What is Existential Anxiety: Existential Anxiety means worrying about your existence. In simple words, it’s a state in which you keep on thinking about yourself and your identity. In today’s fast-forward lifestyle, it happens many times that we start worrying about our existence.
This problem occurs when we try to find out the meaning of our existence. We try to understand our ultimate goal, what will be our future? What will happen to us after death? Do we have any existence or not? What are we doing? Why we are doing everything?
Many such questions which are related to ourselves, gradually make us worried. The anxiety arising due to these questions is called Existential Anxiety. Where do we start feeling that our existence is equal to non-existence, or may we usually ask ourselves if we exist?
What do psychologists say about Existential Crisis
According to psychologists, Existential Anxiety is mainly related to four things: fear of death, freedom in life, loneliness, and lack of purpose in life. For example, if a person keeps thinking about death continuously, then after a while he starts getting so scared of the fear of death that he always remains stressed.
Read More: Emotional Agility: An Art That Can Change Your Life
What will happen to me after death? What is my existence? Why am I alive? Such questions keep going on in his mind, and many times, a person becomes a victim of depression and mental illness by getting entangled in these questions. Similarly, a person can also become a victim of depression by thinking about the future or thinking too much about his life.
Existential Crisis Symptoms and Effects
Existential Anxiety directly affects our sleep; we are not able to get deep sleep. Along with this, we also keep getting nervous again and again. Negative thoughts keep coming into our mind, which gradually take us toward the future and then entangle the brain in the loop of overthinking. Sometimes, the stress increases so much that one starts skipping food and water, and gradually, the person starts fearing all situations. In such a situation, we should immediately seek help from someone or meet a professional.
Ways to deal with Existential Anxiety
Accept your emotions– If you are having some thoughts about your existence. Some emotions are arising. So do not give such thoughts a negative form. Learn to accept your emotions, whatever the emotion may be. This is the first step towards dealing with Existential Anxiety. Therefore, please do not run away from your own emotions, accept them.
Explain to yourself that these thoughts are normal- Whenever we have such thoughts that question our existence, we start running away from these thoughts. We try to dismiss these feelings straightaway. Do not do this at all; explain to yourself that it is normal to have these thoughts; we all struggle with these thoughts at some point in our lives. The more easily you understand this, the easier it will be to deal with this problem.
Make tiny goals for yourself– There is a category of people struggling with Existential Anxiety. Those who do not have any big goal in life or it can be said that now they do not find any goal which is not achievable for them. Superficially, these situations may seem to be contradictory to each other. But believe me, both these people are in the same boat.
People on one side feel that they can no longer do anything in life, while people on the other side may feel that now there is nothing left for them to do. In such a situation, both types of people start struggling with Existential Anxiety.
The direct way to get out of this is to tell yourself that only big goals are not goals. The purpose of life is not just to achieve bigger goals. Real life is spent in achieving small goals, in living small joys.
So keep setting small goals for yourself. Like learning a new language, painting something new, writing something new, going to a new place, talking to some new people, trying something new. If you give yourself such small goals, you will feel very happy inside your heart and will be able to see life from a new perspective.
Meditation, peace, and exercise will increase your pride– Make meditation and exercise a part of your daily life. As meditation becomes a part of your routine, you will keep distracting yourself from these thoughts and questions and will become closer to the universe. You will be able to deal with the fear arising from these questions on your own.
Do not be afraid of taking professional help– Existential crisis sometimes reaches a level where we should take help from a professional. So if you are not able to sleep properly for weeks or months, you are having trouble eating, or you are constantly stressed, then do not hesitate to seek help from a professional. Remember, like physical health, mental health is an integral part of life too.
FAQ- What is an Existential Anxiety
What is an existential crisis?
An existential crisis is a situation in which a person feels that his life has no meaning and no purpose.
What are the ways to avoid the anxiety of existential crisis?
To avoid the anxiety of existential crisis, one should do things like setting small goals, doing regular meditation and exercise, and accepting oneself.
1 thought on “What Is Existential Anxiety? Here is A Guide to Understanding and Healing”