"What is the point of anything?" - someone on an existential crisis.
It is one thing to feel lost and confused one day.
But to feel lost and confused everyday might be a sign of something more serious.
An existential crisis happens when someone wonders whether there is any point to life. It comes with a feeling of dread, loneliness, emptiness and helplessness as in "I don't know what to do with my life" or "what's the point in living?"
An existential crisis refers to when a person hits a wall. Everything seems pointless. From the simplest of things like getting out of bed, brushing your teeth, to socializing and going to work.
When does it happen?
It can occur after major life events such as loss of a loved one, a breakup, an accident, bereavement and so on. It occurs during life transitions, for example from adolescence to early adulthood.
An existential crisis leads someone to search for an identity, a meaning and a purpose. Though to do so, one needs to confront one's future, past, inner demons and admit harsh truth about oneself. This is where most people rely on distractions to cope.
Unfortunately, temporary escapes never last for long. When the short-term relief is gone, it only hurts them much more. Eventually, they will have to sit in a quiet room by themselves and confront their pain.
What is the difference between an existential crisis and a quarter-life crisis?
An existential crisis is a crisis about one's place on Earth. It is characterized by an overall vague sense of meaninglessness, or nihilism. This type of crisis can be very annihilating and isolating as it does not really have anything to do with others. It has to do with you and your life.
The cause for the feeling of dread and hopelessness can be hard to grasp, because an existential crisis is not about a particular time in space, but about one's entire past, present and future and the meaning attached to them.
The problems are much more abstract in nature.
A quarter-life crisis is a crisis about where you are in life right now, and where you want to go. It's characterized by not knowing where you want to go in life, not being satisfied with one's current life path and wanting to change.
In contrast, a quarter-life crisis is time-specific. It often comes with harsh comparison with others, a need for striving towards something great, and being unsatisfied with one's career.
The problems are more concrete in nature.
The words that characterize quarter-life crisis are:
career path, transition into adulthood, relationship change, financial pressures, social pressures, self-doubt, what other people think of you, contribution, impact, striving towards success, getting results and freedom.
The key words of existential crisis are:
meaninglessness, lack of connection, loss of identity, loneliness, not knowing who you are and what you stand for, rumination, self-doubt, contemplation of one's past and future, wanting to make a contribution, an impact, and find fulfillment.
For either crisis, the solution to overcoming them is the same.
What is the solution?
The solution is simple, but not easy.
It is to find your purpose in life and to live up to it. To do so, you have to confront your inner demons, release all your fears that have been limiting you and to start taking massive action today.
If you are ready to take action, feel free to reach out to me.
