An existential crisis is a deeply personal experience that can shake the very foundations of your life and even your belief system. It’s a period of self-reflection where questions about your identity, purpose, and legacy come to the forefront—often leading to feelings of unease and anxiety. During an existential crisis, you may find yourself wrestling with thoughts about the meaning of life and questions about whether your existence holds any real significance.
Essentially, an existential crisis is a moment of intense questioning where life can suddenly feel pointless, and devoid of purpose. This experience typically goes hand-in-hand with existential anxiety or a sense of dread and discomfort around life’s big questions. It can leave you feeling lost or disconnected from your very sense of self.
While these moments can seem overwhelming, they also offer an opportunity for growth and self-discovery. Rather than getting caught up in the anxiety of it all, you can use the time to explore new paths and perspectives. Understanding what an existential crisis is and why it occurs can help you navigate the confusion and uncertainty with greater confidence.
What Is an Existential Crisis?
An existential crisis is more than just a fleeting moment of doubt. For those who experience one, it involves profound questions about their identity and purpose, as well as meaning in life. You might find yourself wondering who you are and what your life is truly about during an existential crisis. These reflections can create a sense of disorientation that then leads to feelings of existential anxiety. And that generally includes a sense of unease that can make life feel aimless.
This type of crisis can be triggered by a variety of factors, from significant life changes to the realization of your own mortality. The experience often brings a heightened sense of distress and confusion while you struggle to make sense of your place in the world. The questions that come up during an existential crisis can be difficult to answer, potentially leading to a spiral of negative emotions that disrupt your stability.
However, even when these crises are challenges, they can also serve as a kickstart for personal growth. Confronting deep questions about your existence can ultimately lead to a better understanding of yourself and your life’s purpose—and that can help you rebuild your sense of identity and direction in life.
What Causes an Existential Crisis?
There is a wide range of life events or situations that can trigger an existential crisis. Generally, these crises are a result of situations that force you to confront deep—often unsettling—questions about your existence. As you understand these triggers, you can recognize the root causes of your crisis and begin to tackle it more effectively.
Major Life Transitions
Things like moving to a new place, changing careers, or experiencing a divorce can disrupt your sense of stability and identity. These transitions often prompt reflections about what truly matters to you, which can lead to bigger questions about your purpose and direction in life.
Loss of Identity
When faced with changes that push against your sense of self—such as a major shift in life roles or retirement—you may struggle to reconcile who you were with who you are now. Our identities are often shaped by our roles in society and our relationships with others, so any disruptions or changes can be upsetting. This loss of identity can lead to a crisis while you work to redefine yourself and figure out your place in the world.
Encountering Mortality
The awareness of your own mortality, or the death of loved ones, is perhaps one of the biggest triggers for an existential crisis. The realization that life is finite often leads to reflections on how you are living and whether your life holds the meaning or impact you desire.
Unfulfilled Goals
Sometimes life doesn’t go the way you planned, and when circumstances don’t match your expectations, it can lead to a sense of purposelessness. The gap between where you are and where you hoped to be can create a crisis of meaning that then drives you to question the value and direction of your efforts.
Existential Questions
Deep reflections on life’s meaning and purpose, as well as your values, can naturally lead to an existential crisis. This is especially true when those questions go unanswered. The struggle to find satisfying answers to fundamental life questions can result in prolonged distress and confusion, dragging you deeper into a crisis.
Unexpected Events
Sudden changes or crises—including natural disasters, job loss, or unexpected illness—can force you to reevaluate your beliefs and priorities. These events often serve as a wake-up call that compels you to question the deeper meaning of your experiences.
Societal Pressures
External expectations and societal norms that conflict with your personal values can create internal tension. This tension can then, in turn, lead to an existential crisis. The pressure to conform to societal roles or achieve certain milestones can make you question whether you are living authentically.
Although there are many different factors that can contribute to an existential crisis, understanding common causes can help you address them more directly. This is an important part of finding a path toward resolution and growth.
What Does an Existential Crisis Look Like?
There’s no one-size-fits-all with existential crises. They can manifest in a variety of ways, affecting both your emotional state and daily routines. Recognizing the symptoms can help you understand what you’re going through and what steps to take when addressing the underlying issues. Some signs of an existential crisis include:
- Feelings of Meaninglessness: One of the most common signs of an existential crisis is an overwhelming sense of meaninglessness. You may start to feel that life lacks purpose or direction, and the things that once brought you joy or fulfillment no longer seem significant.
- Intense Self-Reflection: During an existential crisis, you may find yourself questioning your identity, values, and place in the world. This intense self-reflection can be both exhausting and disorienting, as you struggle to reconcile your thoughts and feelings.
- Emotional Distress: The emotional impact of an existential crisis can be profound. Feelings of sadness or confusion are common as you wrestle with the big questions in life. This distress can also lead to feelings of despair or hopelessness, making it difficult to find motivation or enjoyment in daily activities.
- Loss of Motivation: Another sign of an existential crisis is a lack of enthusiasm or energy for activities that you once enjoyed. The sense that life is meaningless can drain your motivation and leave you feeling stuck or apathetic.
- Existential Dread: Fear or anxiety about mortality and the very nature of existence often accompany an existential crisis. This existential dread can create a feeling of fear about the unknown, making it difficult to focus on the present moment.
- Identity Confusion: As you question your purpose and values, you may experience uncertainty about your personal goals and life path. This identity confusion can make it hard to make decisions or plan for the future while you struggle to understand who you are and what you want out of life.
- Difficulty Coping: An existential crisis can also make it challenging to manage normal life stressors and responsibilities. You may find it harder to cope with everyday tasks, leading to increased stress and frustration.
- Changes in Routine: Deviations from your daily habits or activities may occur as you navigate an existential crisis. You might withdraw from social events or avoid responsibilities. You may even change your usual routines as you try to make sense of your thoughts and feelings.
- Withdrawal from Social Events: As the crisis deepens, you may begin to isolate yourself from friends and family, or social activities in general. This withdrawal can stem from a desire to avoid external pressures or because you feel disconnected from others.
Types of Existential Crises
You might be familiar with the classic middle-aged-man-buys-motorcycle existential crisis from pop culture, but these crises can take many different forms in reality. Each type of existential crisis is characterized by specific concerns and doubts, which is why understanding each one can help you properly handle it when faced with this struggle.
Identity Crisis
An identity crisis is when you struggle to understand or define who you are. You might find yourself doubting your core beliefs or the roles you play in life. This type of crisis often happens when you experience a major life transition, such as adolescence or midlife, or after significant life events that disrupt your sense of self. The confusion about your identity can cause you to feel uncertain or have a need to rediscover or redefine who you are.
Purpose Crisis
This type of crisis revolves around doubts about the meaning or purpose of your life. It may feel like your current path lacks significance or that your goals are not aligned with what truly matters to you. This can lead to a feeling of emptiness or futility while you work to find a direction that is both fulfilling and meaningful to you.
Mortality Crisis
A mortality crisis is generally triggered by anxiety about death and the finite nature of life. Encounters with mortality, whether through the death of a loved one or simply the awareness of aging, can stir up existential questions about what happens after death. It can also cause you to question the legacy you will leave behind. This particular crisis often leads to a reevaluation of your priorities and the impact you want to have during your lifetime.
Existential Dread
Existential dread is a more generalized form of crisis, and it can be characterized by the sense of fear about the nature of existence itself. If you experience this type of crisis, you might find yourself working about the idea that life is inherently meaningless. This realization can lead to an overwhelming feeling of dread or despair. Existential dread is often accompanied by philosophical questioning and a search for answers that may seem elusive or unattainable.
Legacy Crisis
A legacy crisis focuses on concerns about the impact you will have and how you will be remembered after death. You may find yourself reflecting on the contributions you’ve made and the relationships you’ve built. You might even wonder whether your life will have lasting significance. This type of existential crisis can be particularly noticeable during midlife or later years since this is often when you evaluate what you have achieved and what you still hope to accomplish.
Midlife Crisis
A midlife crisis is similar to a legacy crisis, but this period of self-reflection and doubt occurs specifically during middle age. It often involves feelings of dissatisfaction with your life achievements and direction, leading to a desire for change. You might question if you’ve made the right choices or whether your current path aligns with your true desires and values. A midlife crisis can result in a desire to make significant changes, such as switching careers or ending a relationship.
How to Get Through an Existential Crisis
Navigating an existential crisis can be daunting, but there are steps you can take to move through it and find renewed purpose and clarity. Try these strategies to help you overcome these difficult moments.
- Take Time for Self-Reflection: Writing down your thoughts allows you to process complex emotions and identify the root causes of your crisis.
- Seek Professional Help: A therapist can help you navigate the intense emotions and questions of an existential crisis, offering tools and techniques to cope with fear and uncertainty.
- Set Goals: By identifying what truly matters to you and working toward those goals, you can create a sense of direction and motivation that counters the feelings of aimlessness that often accompany an existential crisis.
- Practice Mindfulness: Focusing on the here and now with things like meditation is a simple way to break free from the cycle of existential worry.
- Connect with Others: Isolation often worsens existential anxiety, so reaching out to others can help you feel less alone in your experience. Connecting with people who have gone through similar crises can also offer insights and encouragement.
- Embrace Change: Accepting that change is an inevitable part of life can help you navigate an existential crisis with greater resilience. Instead of resisting or fearing change, try to see it as an opportunity for growth and new experiences.
- Find Purpose: Whether it’s pursuing a creative project or contributing to a cause you care about, finding purpose in your actions can help you reconnect with what matters most to you.
- Find Joy in Small Things: Appreciating the simple pleasures of everyday life can provide a sense of grounding and contentment. Small moments like enjoying a quiet cup of tea can remind you of the beauty of life, even when you are facing existential questions.
Each of these strategies can guide you through an existential crisis, helping you emerge with a deeper understanding of yourself and a renewed sense of purpose.
Reframe Your Life
Reframe helps you transform challenges into opportunities for growth by reframing, or expanding, perception. Whether you’re battling existential anxiety or redefining your identity, Reframe will broaden your horizons, increase your possibilities, and allow satisfaction and solutions to naturally flow into your life.
Download Reframe today to shift your perspective and navigate existential crises with clarity. Reframing your perception brings renewed meaning.
