Every individual thrives for existence in this world. Our life is a medley of ‘purpose’ and ‘meaning’.
An individual who has a purpose to live can survive any worst situations in life. A person can overcome every difficult situation in life if a specific purpose is present in their life. Purpose in life gives rise to hope, which adds meaning to survive.
Meaning of Existential Crisis
An existential crisis is a condition in which individuals meaning to live and purpose to function
properly is lost. A continuous battle is fought by the person between existential conflicts and innermost ‘angst’ or ‘existential anxiety’.
These conflicts reduce your ability to think rationally and act adequately in a given situation. It leads to excessive fear of death, loss of inner freedom, feelings of isolation, and meaninglessness.
An existential crisis is common to everyone irrespective of gender and age. It usually occurs during a crisis situation or any triggering incident such as losing a job, trauma due to the death of a close person, and an unfortunate rise of a pandemic situation.
During these times you are bombarded with conflicting questions surrounding the struggling phase. You feel frustrated and your life appears to be meaningless and less purposeful.
Though we as an individual get worried over difficulties in life. We do experience stress related to our private matters, relationships, and job.
Then how is the existential crisis different from daily life stressors?
What are the signs to identify you are undergoing an existential crisis?
Let’s find out.
Common signs of existential crisis
1. Feelings of hopelessness and sadness
You may feel upset and sad over trivial problems in life. There is a persistent feeling of hopelessness about the future. Your future may appear blurred to you.
You may feel physically weak and activities that previously invoked happiness in you tend to lose your interest.
Prolonged emotional and physical turbulence can lead to depression. Recurrent thoughts of ending one’s life may arise.
2. Excessive tension and worry over challenges in life
Every individual is subjected to face life challenges. Your inner strength supports you to overcome every obstacle in life.
A person in an existential crisis lacks the power to accept challenges in life. Tension and anxiety grip them tight.
You get anxious about your financial state and future plans. You feel your present situation will
never change.
As a result, you suffer from excessive tension and get worried about finding a solution to your plight.
3. Obsessive thoughts to search for meaning in life
During an existential crisis, you may have repetitive thoughts that disturb your thinking patterns.
Repetitive thoughts and compulsions reduce your cognitive abilities.
You try to seek an answer to existential questions which shakes your peace of mind.
If you identify yourself with these common signs then you need to get a life purpose and meaning to your life.
Most people struggle with their mental illnesses somewhere across the globe almost every time. A sudden occurrence of the pandemic, disbalances your lifestyle because it comes with a lot of challenges and disastrous outcomes.
Considering the present scenario, the entire world is shackled by the infectious virus known as Coronavirus or COVID-19. Due to this, many countries are put under phases of ‘lockdown’ to prevent the virus from spreading magnanimously.
Spending months in the house can be equally boring and troublesome. There is a rapid growth in mental illness among different populations.
‘Existential crisis’ during a pandemic episode can make the entire situation even worse. You will be able to cope with it if you have a reason to act and purpose to live for in the future.
Tips to overcome the existential crisis
Here are some useful tips to deal with an existential crisis during the course of a pandemic:
1. Try to change your perspective
During a pandemic situation if you focus on the sufferings you are undergoing it will make you more upset. Try to view the pandemic situation as an opportunity to concentrate on yourself and something that requires your attention.
It is only you who can make the change in your perspective because we are our mental guide. Our inner urge drives us into action to achieve our goal.
2. Engage in physical workout and meditation
If you are stuck at home during the lockdown and not being able to visit the gym then start your workout session at your residence.
Try to practice meditation that soothes your soul and rejuvenates your mind. You can also start with mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation will help you to get rid of awful thoughts arising out of the constant brooding of your miseries.
3. Think of alternatives:
Life becomes unpredictable in the pandemic phase. A sudden drop in the economy, trade, business, and employment program can make your financial conditions unstable.
Instead of worrying about your future aspirations and unemployment agitation think of some alternative scope of making your finance stable.
Try to identify your skills and potentialities and make a profit out of those activities. Nowadays, social media provides a great platform to earn money. You just need to locate the appropriate way to make your situation better.
4. Spend quality time with family and friends
If you are staying at home then spend time with your near and dear ones. Discuss your plans with your family members. This will expose you to diverse opinions and ideas that may be useful for you.
If you do not get to meet your friends, stay connected with them through phone calls and social media.
5. Seek help if required
You can receive help if nothing of the above strategies works for you. Seeking an expert’s suggestion might encourage you to overcome the existential crisis during a pandemic. Having an online session with a therapist might be beneficial.
Existential therapy is a form of psychotherapy that applies a philosophical and positive approach to identify self- abilities and aims as a whole.
It directs individuals to act on the purpose of their life and to search for a meaning for their existence, thereby aiding one to deal with existential crises.