An existential crisis is a profound and often unsettling moment in an individual’s life when they confront fundamental questions about the meaning, purpose, and significance of their existence. It is a period of intense self-reflection and contemplation that may arise when individuals grapple with the realization of their mortality, the nature of human existence, the search for personal identity, realizations about free will and choice, and the meaning of life. It can feel heavy and overwhelming, as it consists of questioning the meaning of living at its most basic explanation. An existential crisis can not only impact your personal life, but your professional one as well.
Key Aspects Of An Existential Crisis
- Questioning one’s purpose, direction, or reasons for living
- Feeling disconnected from people, activities, or values that previously gave life meaning
- Having a sense that life lacks inherent meaning and questioning the meaning of existence
- Experiencing intense boredom, apathy, or feelings that nothing matters anymore
- Rethinking assumptions, beliefs, or values about the world and one’s identity
Existential crises can be triggered by various factors, and the causes are often complex and subjective. Karin Akre for Britannica explained that existential crises most often arise during various periods of transition throughout life.
Common Triggers That Can Contribute To An Existential Crisis
An existential crisis can be triggered by major life events that cause a person to confront their mortality, fallibility or relative smallness in the big picture of existence. These deep questions about reality and purpose usually culminate over an extended period of time. Here are some of the most common triggers:
Major Life Changes
Events that disrupt one’s sense of security, identity or place in the world can prompt an existential crisis. The process of adapting to new circumstances may prompt individuals to question who they are and what their lives mean in the context of these changes. Examples include the death of a loved one, divorce, losing a job, diagnosis of a serious illness or disability.
Transition To Adulthood Or Midlife Crisis
Significant life transitions, such as entering teenhood, adulthood or reaching midlife, can trigger an existential crisis. During these stages, individuals may reassess their goals, achievements, and the direction of their lives. Turning 30, 40, 50, or other big decade markers can also lead people to evaluate their lives and have an existential crisis related to goals, accomplishments, purpose, passage of time, and fear of death.
Significant Failures
Not achieving an important goal, failing in a career/life ambition, or having a major setback can all trigger existential doubt and anxiety. The discrepancy between expectations and outcomes may lead to a profound reevaluation of personal capabilities and goals. Additionally, Failures may prompt individuals to question the purpose of their efforts and the significance of their achievements. This questioning can contribute to an existential crisis as individuals contemplate the meaning of their endeavors in the face of setbacks.
Disillusionment
Delving into deep philosophical or spiritual inquiries can lead to existential questioning. As individuals explore their beliefs, values, and the nature of existence, they may confront uncertainty and grapple with existential concerns. For example, adults who grew up religious may have a crisis of faith.
Monotonous Living
Going through the motions in life without much variety or vitality can drain meaning and spur an existential crisis focused on breaking out of routine to seek excitement. Additionally, feeling a lack of meaning or purpose in life, whether due to unfulfilling work, relationships, or a general sense of dissatisfaction, can contribute to an existential crisis. Individuals may question the significance of their actions and the overall purpose of their existence.
Burnout, Unfulfillment, And Uncertainty At Work
Work-related factors can contribute to the onset of an existential crisis, particularly when individuals face challenges or experiences that prompt them to question the meaning and purpose of their professional lives. Feeling undervalued, unappreciated or replaceable in your job can call into question your purpose and self-worth. Or burnout and monotony from unfulfilling work can lead to a crisis of meaning and disconnection. Some may even realize their values do not align with their company’s ethics or mission, which can can produce disillusionment.
Not being where you believe you are supposed to be in a career due to pressure from others or pressure from yourself may spark a crisis about achievements and the direction of your professional path. This is especially so when you reach milestone career years (10, 20+ years in). Or instead of being stagnant, major setbacks like getting passed over for a promotion, losing a job, or failing at a work project can shake core beliefs about capability and control.
Trauma And Crisis
Experiencing trauma, whether physical, emotional, or psychological, can lead to feelings of vulnerability and a reevaluation of the reliability of the world. Traumatic events may shatter one’s sense of security and stability, prompting existential questioning.
Trauma often involves a confrontation with mortality, either one’s own or that of others. This confrontation can trigger existential questions about the impermanence of life, the nature of suffering, and the meaning of existence.
Traumatic experiences may also result in a loss of control over one’s life circumstances. The perceived lack of agency can contribute to feelings of helplessness and a deeper exploration of existential themes related to freedom, responsibility, and the unpredictability of life.
Mortality Awareness
Realizing the finite nature of life and coming face-to-face with one’s own mortality can be a powerful catalyst for an existential crisis. This awareness may be prompted by personal experiences with illness, loss of a loved one, or other life-threatening events.
According to Arlin Cuncic for Very Well Mind, people with mental health disorders such as anxiety, Borderline personality disorder (BPD), depression, and Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may be more prone to experiencing an existential crisis. However, these disorders do not cause them.
The causes of existential crises often correlate with the type of crisis one experiences. Existential crises can manifest in various forms, and individuals may experience them differently based on their unique circumstances and perspectives. While there isn’t a rigid classification of types, certain themes or variations in existential crises can be identified.
Common Types Of Existential Crises That Can Occur
Existential crises can manifest in various forms, and individuals may experience them differently based on their unique circumstances and perspectives. While there isn’t a rigid classification of types, certain themes or variations in existential crises can be identified. Here are some general types:
Meaning Crisis
This existential crisis focuses on questioning the purpose and significance of life, actions, and experiences. It involves questioning the fundamental significance of one’s actions, experiences, and existence. This crisis may arise from a disconnect between personal values and daily activities, unmet aspirations, or a broader existential questioning of the purpose of life. Triggers include lack of fulfillment, dissatisfaction with life’s direction, or confronting the perceived meaninglessness of certain aspects of existence.
Identity Crisis
An Identity Crisis occurs when individuals experience uncertainty or confusion about their sense of self, personal identity, and role in the world. This crisis often involves questioning core aspects of identity, such as values, beliefs, career choices, and relationships. It may be triggered by major life transitions, external expectations, or a discrepancy between one’s self-perception and societal roles.
Mortality Crisis
This existential crisis revolves around the awareness and contemplation of death, leading to a fear of mortality and the impermanence of life. A heightened awareness of death and human impermanence can cause great anxiety, especially surrounding the question “What happens after I die?” This can prompt feelings of pointlessness if life is finite. Personal encounters with mortality, such as illness, loss of a loved one, or a near-death experience can trigger this crisis.
Freedom/Choice Crisis
A sudden agonizing responsibility can be felt over one’s complete freedom to make life choices combined with the belief that those choices are meaningless. There is anxiety over having to create purpose through action.
“In this way, freedom can lead to despair, and the responsibility that comes with this freedom can cause anxiety,” Cuncic wrote. “How often have you struggled with a decision and feared it was the wrong one? That fear of making the wrong choice reflects angst about freedom related to existential concerns.”
Isolation Crisis
This existential crisis occurs when individuals experience profound feelings of loneliness, social isolation, or a sense of disconnection from others and the world. This crisis may result from a breakdown in relationships, a lack of meaningful connections, or external factors that limit social interactions. The isolation crisis involves questioning the significance of human relationships and the impact of social connections on one’s well-being.
An isolation crisis can be characterized by feeling a deep and pervasive sense of loneliness, even in the presence of others. It is additionally characterized by a sensation of being disconnected or estranged from social groups, leading to a sense of not belonging.
Groundlessness And Spirituality Crisis
This entails feeling adrift without any stable foundation for meaning or values. It is basically like having “the rug pulled out” from under a firmly held philosophical, political or religious worldview. It often involves questioning or reevaluating one’s spiritual or religious beliefs and grappling with existential and metaphysical questions.
Existential crises can manifest with a range of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. It’s important to note that these symptoms can vary widely among individuals, and experiencing some of them doesn’t necessarily mean someone is in the midst of an existential crisis. However, certain patterns of thoughts and behaviors may indicate a deeper questioning of one’s existence.
Common Symptoms Of An Existential Crisis
- Persistent sadness, hopelessness, or depression
- Difficulty enjoying activities that used to bring joy
- Withdrawing socially
- Extreme anxiety or dread
- Contemplating risky behaviors like substance abuse
- Existential Depression: Feeling a persistent and deep sadness related to existential concerns, leading to a sense of hopelessness.
- Psychological crisis or suicidal thoughts in extreme cases
Effective Ways To Cope With An Existential Crisis
Coping with an existential crisis can be a deeply personal and challenging process. Different strategies work for different individuals, but it is important for all individuals struggling with an existential crisis to remember you have strength, choice and time ahead to heal. Here are some useful coping methods:
Connect With Others
Share your thoughts and feelings with trusted friends, family members, or support groups. Connecting with others can provide comfort, different perspectives, and a sense of belonging. Reach out to friends, family, or mental health professionals for guidance and empathy. Or Engage in support groups or communities where individuals with similar experiences can connect and share. This is great for those that lack those close relationships or do not feel understood by them.
Photo by Ernst-Günther Krause (NID) on Unsplash
Find Meaning In Small Joys
Focusing on and appreciating small, positive moments in daily life can contribute to a sense of meaning and well-being. Appreciate simpler pleasures you may be overlooking – pets, nature walks, laughter, music. Recognizing and savoring these small joys can help shift attention away from existential concerns and cultivate a more positive perspective. Savor the journey.
Whether it’s doing a spot of retail therapy or taking time to do a crossword on a quiet afternoon, these small moments can provide great joy in life.
Mindfulness And Meditation
Practice mindfulness and meditation to cultivate a present-focused awareness. Mindful practices can help ground you in the current moment and reduce anxiety about the past or future. Physical well-being can positively influence mental health, so also try working on that. And if possible, find peace with the fact that some amount of existential anxiety may always linger as part of the human condition, though you can work to reduce.
Philosophical Exploration
Delving into philosophical or spiritual inquiries can be a way to explore and make sense of existential questions. Engage in philosophical or spiritual inquiry to explore your beliefs, values, and the nature of existence. This may involve reading literature, attending philosophical discussions, or seeking guidance from spiritual leaders. Engaging with philosophical concepts and seeking understanding from various perspectives can provide individuals with frameworks for navigating their existential concerns.
Explore New Activities
Introduce novel experiences into your life. Trying new activities or pursuing different interests can provide a fresh perspective and help you discover new sources of meaning. Absorbing yourself in hobbies, volunteer work or social connections helps alleviate overthinking. Be present.
Cultivate Gratitude
Focusing on gratitude involves acknowledging and appreciating positive aspects of life, even during challenging times. Cultivating gratitude can shift attention away from existential angst and foster a more positive and resilient mindset. Practice gratitude by focusing on the positive aspects of your life. Acknowledge and appreciate the meaningful relationships, experiences, and accomplishments. Gratitude journaling or other forms of journaling are effective.
Create Meaning
Actively participating in the creation of meaning involves identifying and pursuing activities, goals, or values that align with one’s sense of purpose. This proactive approach allows individuals to take control of their narrative and find significance in their lives.
Write stories, make art, plant gardens – creativity helps combat meaninglessness through leaving a legacy. Use these creative outlets or other forms of self-expression to explore and process your emotions and thoughts. Others ways to create meaning are to establish personal and professional goals that resonate with your values and aspirations. Or tey to find opportunities to make a positive impact on others, whether through volunteering, mentoring, or acts of kindness.
Re-Navigate Your Professional
Reframe challenges as opportunities to rediscover engagement. Reconnect with your “why” for this work. Or set boundaries to establish better work-life balance and avoid overworking burnout. This includes taking time off through vacation days or temporary leave if you need space to figure things out. Also do not be afraid to discuss issues with mentors and supervisors to improve conditions. And if this is not the right path after all, explore transferrable skills and job options if it’s time for a career change.
Seek Professional Support
Consider reaching out to a mental health professional, such as a psychologist or counselor, who can provide guidance and support in exploring existential concerns. Alexia Roncero for Better Up advised that you should consider seeking professional health if you are prone to depressive or anxious episodes. Additionally, seek professional help if you feel the existential crisis is consuming your life, your feelings interfere with daily life, you notice a sharp decline in mental health, you are resorting to substances, or are having suicidal thoughts.
Basically, never keep these emotions bottled up and focus on what there is to be grateful for. Those who are or have experienced an existential crisis know that there is so much in life that cannot be controlled, so focus on the things that can be controlled and that actually matter in the moment.
