Existential anxiety is a unique form of psychological distress surrounding the meaning of life and your significance. It can cause a persistent feeling of uneasiness, which can greatly impact your day-to-day functioning.
This anxiety can affect people across all cultures and generations. How it affects each person may be slightly different, but many of the symptoms follow a common theme. Understanding what existential anxiety can look like is the first step in finding relief.
Persistent Questioning About Life
When experiencing anxiety about your existence, you might find yourself considering some pretty hefty questions. What is the meaning of life? What purpose do I serve? Is there a point to my existence? Do I have a larger role?
Persistent questions about life’s meaning and purpose are very common. Unfortunately, these types of questions can become quite intrusive, making them difficult to manage. You may even find yourself struggling to push them aside or avoid them routinely.
Overwhelming Feelings About Mortality
Another key sign of existential anxiety is having a heightened awareness of mortality and impermanence. Life is temporary and our time here is short, all things considered. Most people will have some moments of contemplation but don’t find themselves dwelling on this concept to the point of it interfering with their quality of life.
Having consistent thoughts about your own mortality can lead to a constant state of fear, dread, and sadness. You may experience frequent worrying and may quickly become distressed when the subject of death comes up.
Intense Self-Reflection Periods
If you’re having more consistent thoughts about life’s significance, your role, and your own mortality, you may find yourself entering into periods of heavy self-reflection. This type of self-reflection can be burdensome and create negatively charged emotions. You may feel anxious and experience symptoms that require coping strategies to manage.
When you start asking yourself existential questions, they’re often ones that can’t be answered easily, if at all. In your reflection periods, you may end up with more questions than you have answers.
Difficulty Making Decisions
When you are in a state of existential crisis and struggling with anxiety, your ability to effectively make decisions can become a bit muddy. There are a couple of different reasons why this cognitive function can be impacted.
If you’re experiencing existential anxiety, your thoughts are likely on the bigger picture. These grandiose concepts require a lot of attention and brain space. You may feel that you’re at capacity and have fewer mental resources to devote to the more mundane daily decisions that need to be made.
On another note, you may find yourself wondering about your role and existence, making daily tasks seem more meaningless. Do these small decisions really matter? Will this decision have any true impact in the grand scheme of things?
Loss of Interest
When dealing with existential anxiety, you may also be experiencing a loss of interest in activities you normally enjoy. There’s this disconnect that happens sometimes when you feel the small things aren’t as important.
You may question the significance of hobbies or pastimes. You may question your career or the point of pursuing goals. There may be times you question the relationships in your life. In the bigger picture, where life is just temporary, you may have a hard time feeling connected and interested.
Physical Symptoms
Just as with general anxiety disorders, there are often physical symptoms felt by those who are struggling with existential anxiety. They can include changes in sleep patterns, appetite, restless energy, and cognitive issues. Panic attacks can also occur.
Do you find yourself questioning your own personal significance or role in the world around you? If so, it isn’t something that should be overlooked. Anxiety Therapy can help you gain a better understanding and return you to a place where you feel at peace with your existence. Contact us today for a free consultation.
