What is existential dread and how to cope with it
By: Callum Denault
Published on: July 19th, 2024
As humans, we often wonder about the meaning of life. While life is full of many happy experiences and elevated feelings, we can often be left feeling confused and anxious when we ponder its meaning.
Sometimes, this confusion and anxiety can escalate into an existential crisis. An existential crisis is a panic attack caused by feelings of dread. It is usually related to the idea that one’s life or the world around them will somehow go terribly wrong.
It can be a scary and overwhelming feeling. However, you are not alone, and there are many ways to cope with existential dread.
Keep reading to learn more about what causes existential dread and how you can manage these feelings in a healthy way.
What causes existential dread?
Everyone has some questions about their existence, such as whether people have souls, what the meaning of life is, or whether they are living up to their fullest potential.
When these thoughts become uncontrollable obsessions, they can lead to an existential crisis. Even though existential dread and its associated crises are not officially considered psychological conditions, they are still real feelings that have a noticeable effect on people who suffer from them. Additionally, existential worrying can be related to diagnosable mental conditions, such as anxiety, depression, OCD, and borderline personality disorder.
Research on how people interact with stressful current events such as pandemics or wars has found that prolonged existential dread can negatively shape a person’s way of thinking.
One study focused on analyzing over 2.5 million tweets from between 2016 and 2018, with researchers looking for keywords that expressed certainty in someone’s opinion, such as “absolutely,” “never,” or “undeniable.” This study found that people in areas affected by terrorist attacks became 20 per cent more dogmatic. In other words, they were becoming more radical and less nuanced in their view of the world.
Some feelings of dread may come from legitimately worrying issues, even if those emotions are not being processed in a healthy way. For example, the United Nations has described climate change as an “existential threat” to humanity’s long-term survival. It is understandable that thinking about global warming or other pressing concerns could lead to feelings of dread.
Dealing with existential dread in a healthy way
Existential dread can be overwhelming. However, there are healthy ways to cope with it.
First, it is important to accept that one person cannot know everything about the world, and there are some things we’ll never fully understand or be able to control.
While issues like climate change can seem out of your control, there are ways you can contribute to addressing them. You can engage in protests to have your voice heard or write letters to members of parliament. By actively working towards solutions to critical issues, it can help alleviate the anxiety you feel.
One strong example of turning existential dread into a movement is Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. She turned a commonly held fear about the impact of global warming into an active movement. She has led many protests to hold companies and governments accountable for the ongoing climate crisis.
When it comes to existential dread caused by browsing the internet, such as political posts or news stories, it can be helpful to look for signs of an echo chamber. Echo chambers are online spaces where people generally share the same opinions on various issues. This gives them a sense of belonging at the cost of becoming more radical in their ways of thinking.
These spaces reinforce specific values while making it harder for people to listen to new ideas with an open mind. Algorithms can curate themselves in a way that people browsing the internet essentially get sucked into a cult. If you constantly engage with people who enforce ideas or ways of thinking that lead to existential dread, life can begin to feel hopeless.
Leaving echo chambers can be a complicated process; it can feel like the only option is to quit the internet entirely. However, you can start by recognizing the signs of someone who lacks critical thinking, such as hypocrisy or carefully worded ways of denying plain facts.
There are other ways of managing existential dread. Try to distract yourself with an enjoyable activity whenever thoughts of existential dread pop up. Another strategy is to focus on the here and the now. To achieve this, you can practice meditation, engage in some yoga, or listen to calming music.
People dealing with existential dread should also remind themselves of who they are by reaffirming their personal values and keeping a journal. Talking to loved ones and taking time to laugh or smile can also help.
Finally, if nothing is working and you are experiencing severe symptoms of an existential crisis, consulting a therapist may be appropriate.
While we may never fully understand the meaning of life, take comfort in the fact that your life has a purpose. Your friends and family are happy you are here existing at the same time as them, which is truly the most important thing.