General considerations on existential crisis

The existential crisis is an intense and very difficult experience to face in general, and it comes to provoke significant changes in the reality of people who are impacted by this issue. These are some of the most feared moments in the lives of all people, of having to face the consequences and diverse situations that are caused by the existential crisis.

In this process, there are some tendencies to be repeated by most people, such as sudden withdrawals, fears and uncertainties regarding several distinct aspects of life. Therefore, it is necessary to have some care with these phases, because they can directly interfere with the quality of life of people. Below, see more about what is the existential crisis and how to deal with it!

Existential crisis, its importance and professional support

The existential crisis is not an easy process to be faced, because most people find themselves immersed in conflicting situations and that cause very big impacts in their lives, in several areas, personal, professional and loving.

The trickiest thing to face is that there is no advance warning that this situation is actually approaching, it ends up arriving unexpectedly and brings with it several bad and intense feelings. Learning to identify these moments so as not to get frustrated and hurt yourself even more is important. Understand a little more below!

What is existential crisis

The existential crisis is a term used to describe a process in which individuals feel discontent and dissatisfied with the direction of their lives and even with their own identity, a situation that generates a lot of mental confusion, among other problems. There is also a very big questioning about the meaning of life.

Some refer to these periods of life as existential anxiety, because in fact what it causes is similar to the actions before anxiety crises, since people worry excessively mainly about their futures and purposes.

The necessity of the existential crisis

Even though it is a devastating and difficult period to live through, there is a need behind all this process caused by the existential crisis, because in some way it provokes in individuals a need to re-evaluate several aspects of their lives.

This makes them realize their actions, what they really want in their lives and what they are doing to make it happen. It is a process of changes and transitions, which causes difficulties and actions to be reflected in order to improve life.

How professional support can help in an existential crisis

The process caused by existential crisis happens differently for people. Some may experience more serious situations that may become too heavy a burden for them to carry without support.

Therefore, if this is the case, professional help can help individuals to understand what is really happening, and perceive situations in a broader way so that they can go through these processes of change without being harmed by the effects caused by the existential crisis.

The signs and symptoms of existential crisis

As much as existential crisis is a process that all people are susceptible to going through in their lives, and that in general it does not come with a clear warning, there are some signs that can be noticed before everything gets even worse.

Therefore, some aspects make it clearer that the existential crisis is taking a space in your life and that this needs to be solved so that its effects do not cause irreparable damage. Knowing the signs is also important in order to seek help, for example. Read more below!

Anxiety

One of the first signs that appear when the individual is suffering an existential crisis is anxiety. This happens because as this moment provokes deep reflections about life.

As everything is going on in it, anxiety ends up taking over, as one of its characteristics is to think fixedly about the same subject, but in general seeing bad scenarios about it that cause even more negative feelings.

Over time, this causes the individual to lose motivation and become inert before everything, for not being able to find other ways to solve these problematic issues.

Physical and mental fatigue

Amidst so many negative thoughts and sensations that this moment inevitably brings into people's lives, the existential crisis also causes a lot of physical and mental fatigue in the people affected by it.

The flow of constant thoughts about diverse subjects of great importance for life is so great that the people affected by the existential crisis end up suffering from such deep impacts on the neuronal systems that these provoke physical sensations as they evolve, which are shown through the constant fatigue.

Isolation and unwillingness to socialize

Over time, negative and harmful thoughts become so constant in the life of a person who is suffering from an existential crisis that this causes them to withdraw from socializing with other people.

The will to socialize, to see friends, family and other people decreases considerably as this person feels more bothered by the bad thoughts. This isolation is also caused by anxiety, which is something constant in this period, and the consequences of this are shown through feelings of incapacity and insecurity.

Discouragement and constant pessimism

For those who are affected by existential crisis, pessimism and discouragement are no longer just a mental representation of dissatisfaction and become something greater. During these crises, this becomes more constant in the lives of people affected by it, because concerns and questions end up appearing with greater constancy, requiring these people to change something.

Faced with these demands and situations imposed by the moment, it is common that the individual feels pessimistic, because his vision is that it will be of no use these changes because everything will end up going wrong in the end the same way.

Changes in appetite and sleep disturbances

When mental health is affected in sequence, somehow people end up feeling changes in their physical. In this case of existential crisis, as there are several factors that directly impact mental health, due to anxiety, obsessive thoughts, pessimism and others, the next step to be noticed is the lack of appetite and sleep disorders.

Thus, people who go through existential crisis feel greater difficulty in eating, because the appetite decreases considerably, and this can even cause other health problems if not monitored. And other issues, such as insomnia, become very present in the lives of these people.

The different reasons that lead to an existential crisis

Some life situations can lead people to face these dreaded existential crises. In general, they appear when individuals question themselves about specific issues in their lives or when there is some very big emotional conflict that needs to be faced.

Therefore, there are several reasons that can trigger an existential crisis, and it is important to pay attention to them so that one can be careful when dealing with these issues in life, thus being able to find ways to prevent this from actually happening. See more below!

Fear of responsibility

Faced with many responsibilities, people eventually succumb to fears, for whatever reason. There is the possibility that they fear not being able to fulfill what was required, for example, at work or in some environment that requires more of this person.

This fear can also appear in important decisions that need to be made in the life of this individual. Since there is no correct path laid out in life, some mishaps can bring these negative feelings of fear.

Purpose and meaning of life

One of the main points of questioning of people who face existential crises is about the meaning of life. People who experience this so-called existential anxiety begin to wonder more often about the goals they have, what are their purposes in the world and other questions.

Generally, this type of question appears, in a milder form, in moments of transition, but during an existential crisis, this becomes much greater and constant.

Experience with death and illness

Death is something that causes an inevitable impact on a person's life, therefore, when facing this situation concerning a close person, who has great meaning, it is common for people to start questioning themselves about life. And this can be a trigger for an existential crisis to begin.

Serious illnesses are also reasons for such questionings that appear in these periods, because it is common for people to become anxious in the face of these situations, as this can affect life plans in an intense way, whether their own or those of people close to them.

Meaningful event in life

People who face existential crises usually arrive at this point in their lives because of specific situations such as those described. Therefore, events of great impact that cause inevitable changes are sufficient reasons for a crisis of this magnitude to be triggered.

These events, in general, are situations that change some aspect of that person's life completely, and even without apparent warning. Thus, the landmark events can be in various areas of life, such as professional, love and studies.

The repression of emotions and feelings

Feelings and emotions are aspects that need to be taken seriously and cautiously. Many people end up not allowing themselves to live these experiences, to feel whatever is necessary, whether for fear, insecurity or any other reason.

In order to avoid having to deal with these issues, they end up repressing their feelings and emotions. Over time, this can trigger a very deep existential crisis, because the lack of exposing and experiencing their feelings fully can cause questions about their life.

Ways to deal with existential crisis

Dealing with an existential crisis is challenging and complex, but this bad phase of life can be faced and solved with some specific help, either professional or technical, in order to go through the challenges of this transforming period.

If you do not feel prepared to deal with this alone, it is always important to recognize your limits and seek the help of a psychologist, because he will be fully able to help you with these moments. Keep reading to learn more!

Keep a gratitude journal

A good idea for dealing with these complicated moments of existential crisis is to keep a gratitude journal. In this place, write down everything for which you feel grateful to have lived or received in your life.

These messages will serve as support for you to understand that this moment, as complicated as it may seem, does not define you, and other much better situations have happened and can happen again in your life. Thus, this diary will serve as a reminder of everything you have achieved and can still achieve on your journey.

List all the things and people that make your life more meaningful

It is important that when you have a crisis, you attach yourself to the people who make a difference in your life. In this case, list the people who are important to you, because they are exactly what you will need to deal with this difficult time, because you can find comfort and meaning in life by understanding that they will be by your side for whatever is needed.

Moreover, in challenging situations it is common for people to find themselves lost and believe that there is no one by their side. Therefore, it is important to reinforce this aspect to unravel these thoughts.

Don't expect to find all the answers

As much as the existential crisis is something triggered by the lack of answers, because some questions in life simply don't have a real resolution, it's necessary that we don't get so hung up on this. Something very important to develop at this time is the issue regarding questions without resolution.

Therefore, worrying excessively about something that will not be resolved or understood is a waste of time and can cause a lot of harm. There are many questions that may not have answers even at the end of life, so don't keep focusing on these aspects.

Self-knowledge

Self-knowledge is a very important process to be able to learn more about yourself, understand yourself and deeply know your desires. Using the existential crisis to seek it is a wise way to deal with this challenging moment.

As hard as it is to face, and as heavy consequences to deal with, it also brings changes in value, benefiting various aspects of your life. Thus, knowing yourself through a complex phase can lead you to better paths, bringing more satisfaction to your life.

Avoid comparisons

One of the most common attitudes that people inevitably take in their lives are comparisons. Seeing what other people have achieved in their lives and comparing it with yours is a mistake that can only bring suffering, because the processes and paths that each person goes through is unique.

So if you're not at a stage you'd like and the other person is already above it, it's important to be careful with this kind of view, as it can discourage you and put you down even more.

Why is it so important to change our mentality in order to face the existential crisis?

In order to be able to deal with and face the existential crisis, some measures can be taken, as described. But it is necessary that the person affected by this intense process recognizes the changes that are necessary in his behavior and in his visions, because only in this way will it be possible to face such a complicated process head on.

The existential crisis, as bad as it is, brings the chance to transform what is not going right in your life and gives an opportunity to reflect and think about it. Therefore, it is essential that the mentality of the person affected by this crisis is changed, so that they see situations from another perspective.